In The News

In "Medication or supplements you should NEVER mix - from St John's wort and antidepressants to iron and green tea" in The Mirror (March 26, 2023), ConsumerLab.com's president, Tod Cooperman, M.D., warns about some of the most common and potentially dangerous supplement and drug interactions, including fish oil and prescription blood-thinners. He also explains that it's best to avoid taking certain supplements at the same time, such as taking melatonin along with other herbs with sedative effects, or taking large doses of calcium and magnesium together, noting "Taking large amounts of minerals with other minerals will reduce absorption."

In an article about sleep by Dr. Zorba Paster (Wisconsin State Journal, March 19, 2023), he warns consumers that melatonin supplements may not always contain what is claimed on the label. When choosing a melatonin supplement to buy, Dr. Paster recommends checking ConsumerLab.com first, stating, "I like consumerlab.com because they do reliable research." ConsumerLab tests each product in its Melatonin Supplements Review to confirm that it contains the amount of melatonin listed on the label and selects its Top Picks for melatonin based on quality, dosage and value.

"Are produce powders beneficial?" in The Brunswick News (March 17, 2023) cites ConsumerLab's Review of Fruits, Veggies, & Greens Supplements, which includes tests of Balance of Nature and other powdered “fruits & veggies” supplements, as well as products containing spirulina, chlorella, and other greens. As noted in the Review, these products are not substitutes for getting the recommended daily intakes of fruits and vegetables, as they provide, at best, only one-fifth of the adult daily requirement. "You can get more fruit (and fiber) from a single apple than from most fruit supplements, and at much lower cost," ConsumerLab.com's president, Tod Cooperman, M.D., notes in the article.

In "Do your homework before taking herbal supplements" Gonzales Weekly Citizen (February 21, 2023) dietician Leanne McCrate, RDN, LD, recommends ConsumerLab.com as a resource for independent tests of dietary supplements to ensure they contain what they claim and have been checked for contamination. McCrate also reminds consumers that "just because something is natural does not mean it is safe."

"Dietary Supplements – The Wild West of Good, Bad, and a Whole Lotta Ugly" in Medical Clinics of North America (September 2022) by David S. Seres, MD, Dónal O'Mathúna, BSc(Pharm), and Walter L. Larimore, MD, recommends ConsumerLab.com as one of the best sources for healthcare providers and consumers for "objective, evidence-based, and up-to-date information on natural medicines." The article takes a critical look at the evidence regarding supplement safety and efficacy, consumer beliefs, and current regulation.

In the article "Do your vitamin and mineral supplements actually do anything? Here's what experts say." on Yahoo News (January 3, 2022), Dr. Marilyn Tan, a clinical associate professor of medicine at Stanford University, recommends that consumers look for ConsumerLab's seal on supplement labels to ensure the products they choose have been quality-tested and verified. (ConsumerLab publishes the results of these tests in each of its Product Reviews.) Dr. Tan also advises consumers to be wary of products that make "miraculous claims," which is one of the six red flags ConsumerLab warns its readers to watch out for when buying vitamins and supplements.

In "How Healthy Are Gummy Vitamins?" on NBC News TODAY (October 25, 2022), ConsumerLab.com's president, Tod Cooperman, M.D., warned that the company's tests have shown that gummy vitamins are more likely to have quality issues than other types of vitamins, and, concerningly, may contain far more ingredient than listed on the label, which can increase the risk of adverse effects. ConsumerLab testing revealed that two gummy multivitamins contained twice their listed amounts of folic acid, putting them close to the upper tolerable limit for daily exposure. It also found that a popular children’s melatonin gummy contained twice as much melatonin as listed on the label.

In "Gummy Vitamins Are Surging in Popularity. Are They Healthy or Just Candy?" in the Wall Street Journal (October 11, 2022), ConsumerLab.com's president, Tod Cooperman, M.D., warns that "gummy vitamins are more likely to have quality issues than tablets and caplets." The article cites ConsumerLab's finding that a popular children’s melatonin gummy contained twice as much melatonin as listed on the label. ConsumerLab has also discovered gummy multivitamins that contained twice their listed amounts of folic acid, putting them close to the upper tolerable limit for daily exposure.

In the article "Don't Rely on Amazon for Legitimate Supplements, Study Finds" on VeryWell Health (August 24, 2022), Sarah Anzlovar, MS, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian, suggests that consumers look for supplements that have been certified by a third-party, adding that "ConsumerLab also does significant testing." The article reports on a study that found that more than 50% of 30 top-listed immune support supplements purchased on Amazon.com in May of 2021 listed ingredients that could not be found in them with testing (see ConsumerLab's coverage of that study on August 11, 222).

The People's Pharmacy column "Use caution if choosing red yeast rice for cholesterol" in the Winston-Salem Journal (July 21, 2022) cites ConsumerLab.com's tests of red yeast rice supplements, which found that most did not contain enough of the cholesterol-lowering compound lovastatin to be effective, including one product that contained none, and many were contaminated with citrinin, a potential kidney toxin.

ConsumerLab's president, Tod Cooperman, M.D. was honored to be among the experts speaking at the 2022 Office of Dietary Supplements Research Practicum held at the National Institutes of Health. The talks are now available online through the ODS website. Dr. Cooperman participated in the "Meet the Watchdogs" panel on May 25th - Day 3 (his talk starts at 2:33:05). The Practicum is an annual three-day educational opportunity providing fundamental knowledge of dietary supplements to faculty, students, and practitioners. It emphasizes the importance of scientific investigations to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and value of these products for health promotion and disease prevention as well as how to carry out this type of research.

In "What Are Supplements" from the University of California – San Diego (September 4, 2020), Recreation Nutritionist Erin Kukura explains what consumers need to keep in mind before buying and using a supplement and suggests ConsumerLab.com for checking the purity of supplements.

"How 1.5 Million Aloe Vera Leaves Are Harvested A Week" from Business Insider (October 10, 2021) cites ConsumerLab's findings that half of the aloe liquids, gels and supplements it tested in 2015 contained little or no aloe. ConsumerLab's president, Tod Cooperman, M.D., also gives tips in the video on what to look for on aloe labels, and what the ingredient list may or may not tell you about the actual content of aloe products.

"Is Turmeric Good Medicine?" in Consumer Reports (September 12, 2021) takes a critical look at turmeric supplements and suggests that consumers check that products have been tested by a third party such as ConsumerLab.com. See our list of Approved turmeric and curcumin supplements, including our Top Picks, in our Turmeric and Curcumin Supplements Review. Our review includes additional details about what turmeric and curcumin have, and have not, been shown to do in clinical studies.

"Is Aloe a Sham?" in The New York Times (August 20, 2021) warns there's no guarantee that aloe products on the market contain what they promise, and cites ConsumerLab's tests of popular aloe liquids, gels and supplements that found half of the products tested contained little to no aloe.