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CL Answer

I read an article stating that some of the ingredients in Centrum multivitamins may be dangerous or toxic. Is that true?

Learn more about the safety of ingredients in Centrum, including binders, fillers, and coloring agents.

Inactive Ingredients in Centrum -- Bottle of Centrum Vitamins

Product Review

Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements Review

Best Multivitamins In 2023 -- Caution with Gummies

CL Answer

Does the talc added to Centrum Silver and other vitamins pose a risk of cancer?

Find out if talc, an inactive ingredient in many vitamins and supplements, is safe to consume, and learn about asbestos in talc and cancer risk and USP-grade talc vs. food-grade talc and cosmetics-grade talc. ConsumerLab.com's answer explains.

Talc in Vitamins & Cancer Risk -- broken white tablet

Product Review

B Vitamin Supplements Review (B Complexes, B6, B12, Biotin, Folate, Niacin, Riboflavin & More)

See Which B Vitamins Are ConsumerLab's Top Picks!

Review of B Vitamin Supplements

Clinical Update

4/18/2023

Centrum for Preventing Dementia?

Can supplementing with Centrum Silver reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia among older people? Find out what a recent study showed in the Memory and Cognition section of our Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements Review, and see our Top Pick multivitamin for people 50 and older.

Also find out if supplementing with cocoa flavanols helps with cognition in older people.

Clinical Update

5/26/2023

Centrum Silver for Memory?

A study now in the news reported improved memory with Centrum Silver. Get our take on the study in the What It Does section of our Multivitamins Review, which includes our Top Picks among multivitamins.

CL Answer

Where to Safely Buy Real Vitamins and Supplements Online, Not Fakes or Counterfeits

ConsumerLab explains how to avoid counterfeit vitamins and supplements when shopping online on Amazon, Walmart.com, and other sites. Learn to identify authorized sites and sellers and avoid fake supplements. Use the brand-by-brand guide to protect yourself from risk.

Woman in Orange Sweater

Clinical Update

10/27/2023

Information to Avoid Counterfeits Added for 7 Brands

We've added information about how to safely purchase products from Bragg, Centrum, Gaia Herbs, Host Defense, Nutricost, Vital Proteins, and Vitamin Shoppe to our article about Where to Safely Buy Real Vitamins and Supplements. The list now covers 39 brands.

Recalls & Warnings

July 06, 2012

Centrum Multivitamins: Breast and Colon Health Claims Pulled

On July 5, 2012, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare announced it will withdraw breast and colon health claims from its Centrum multivitamin advertising and labels, and will revise health and energy claims made on other Centrum products.

CL Answer

What are trace minerals and do I need them?

Trace minerals include boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, zinc, and others. Find out what they do, how much of each trace mineral you should be getting, and who's most likely to be deficient in these minerals.

Trace Minerals - What are they and do you need them?

CL Answer

Can taking too much vitamin B-6 be dangerous?

Find out if multivitamins contain excessive amounts of B-6, how much B-6 is too much, and symptoms of toxicity and overdose.

Vitamin tablets placed on a table to spell B6

CL Answer

I read that famotidine (Pepcid) may help treat COVID-19. Is this true? Might a proton pump inhibitor, like Prilosec, help?

Pepcid (famotidine) was reported to improve outcomes in people with COVID-19 in China. But is there evidence that Pepcid really helps to treat COVID-19?

Can Pepcic (famotidine) Treat COVID-19? -- Box of Pepcid and Handout About COVID-19

News Release

February 25, 2024

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2024 Based on Consumer Satisfaction

White Plains, New York, February 25, 2024 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on over 10,000 responses collected in November/December 2023.

News Release

May 25, 2023

Best and Worst Multivitamins According to ConsumerLab – Nearly 30% Fail Testing

White Plains, New York, May 25, 2023 — Recent ConsumerLab tests revealed problems with nearly 30% of the popular multivitamin and multimineral supplements selected for testing. Gummy vitamins were particularly likely to have issues.

News Release

February 25, 2023

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2023 Based on Consumer Satisfaction

White Plains, New York, February 25, 2023 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 8,600 responses collected in November/December 2022.

News Release

June 14, 2022

Best B Complexes, B12, and Other B Vitamin Supplements Revealed by ConsumerLab Tests: Beware of High Doses

  White Plains, New York, June 14, 2022 — Recent ConsumerLab tests of over 30 popular vitamin B complexes and supplements revealed that four products contained either much less, or much more, of at least one B vitamin listed on the label.

News Release

February 25, 2022

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2022 Based on Consumer Satisfaction

White Plains, New York, February 25, 2022 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 8,049 responses collected in November/December 2021.

News Release

February 25, 2021

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2021 Based on Consumer Satisfaction -- Results of the ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin & Supplement Users

White Plains, New York, February 25, 2021 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 9,647 responses collected in November 2020.

News Release

April 28, 2020

Best and Worst Multivitamins Revealed by ConsumerLab -- Problems Found With 44% of Multis Tested

White Plains, New York, April 28, 2020 — Multivitamin/multimineral supplements are among the top five most popular supplements, but with so many different formulas on the market, it can be difficult to choose the right one.

News Release

February 25, 2020

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2020 Based on Consumer Satisfaction -- Results of the ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin & Supplement Users

White Plains, New York, February 25, 2020 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 9,782 responses collected in late November and early December 2019.

News Release

February 25, 2019

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2019 Based on Consumer Satisfaction -- Results of the ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin & Supplement Users

White Plains, New York, February 25, 2019 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 10,931 responses collected in late November and early December 2018.

News Release

February 25, 2018

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2018 Based on Consumer Satisfaction

White Plains, New York, February 25, 2018 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 11,446 responses collected in late November and early December 2017.

News Release

November 01, 2017

Gummies Are Most Likely to Fail Testing in Review of Multivitamins -- Best and Worst Multivitamins Identified by ConsumerLab Testing

White Plains, New York, November 1, 2017 — Multivitamin/multimineral supplements are among the most popular supplements, with many consumers relying on them to provide nutrients they may not get from their diets. However, ConsumerLab.

News Release

February 25, 2017

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2017 Based on Consumer Satisfaction

White Plains, New York, February 25, 2017 — Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 9,505 responses collected in late November and early December 2016.

News Release

February 25, 2016

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2016 Based on Consumer Satisfaction

Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 11,534 responses collected in November, 2015. Respondents gave ratings for 963 brands and 399 merchants.

News Release

January 12, 2016

Problems Found with 32% of Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplements -- ConsumerLab.com Identifies Good Choices for Men, Women, and Children

White Plains, New York, January 12, 2016 — You can't always judge a supplement by its label -- or by its price, according to a new report from ConsumerLab.com, which recently tested dozens of multivitamin/multimineral supplements.

News Release

February 25, 2015

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2015 Based on Consumer Satisfaction -- Results of the ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin & Supplement Users

Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 10,329 responses collected in November, 2014. Respondents gave ratings for 1,709 brands and 891 merchants.

News Release

April 09, 2014

Best Fish Oil? ConsumerLab.com Testing Finds Many High Quality Supplements, But Pitfalls Exist

White Plains, New York, August 10, 2014 — Recent laboratory tests of fish oil, krill oil, algal oil, calamari oil, and green-lipped mussel oil supplements by ConsumerLab.com revealed quality problems with four out of 30 supplements selected for review.

News Release

February 12, 2014

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2014 Based on Consumer Satisfaction -- Results of the ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin & Supplement Users

Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 10,326 responses collected in November, 2013. Respondents gave ratings for 1,639 brands and 788 merchants.

News Release

February 01, 2013

Top-rated Vitamin and Supplement Brands and Merchants for 2013 Based on Consumer Satisfaction

Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 10,862 responses collected in November, 2012. Respondents gave ratings for 1,438 brands and 851 merchants.

News Release

October 17, 2012

ConsumerLab.com Tests and Compares Vision Supplements - Guides Consumers Through a Variety of Ingredients and Formulas

White Plains, New York — October 17, 2012 — Can a supplement improve your vision or prevent it from deteriorating? "The evidence shows that some supplements may help improve vision in people with macular degeneration and others can slow its progression," says Tod Cooperman, M.D.

News Release

February 01, 2012

Top-rated vitamin and supplement brands and merchants on consumer satisfaction for 2012 -- Based on ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin & Supplement Users

Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 10,260 responses collected in November, 2011. Most respondents used multiple supplements.

News Release

June 16, 2011

ConsumerLab.com puts multivitamins to the test

June 16, 2011, New York, NY — Laboratory test results of 60 multivitamins have shown that you can't always judge a supplement by its label—or by its price. "Consumers should know that multivitamins vary widely in quality, "says Tod Cooperman, M.D., President of ConsumerLab.com.

News Release

February 01, 2011

Top-rated vitamin and supplement brands and merchants on consumer satisfaction for 2011 -- Based on ConsumerLab.com survey of vitamin and supplement users

Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 6,010 responses collected in November, 2010. Most respondents used multiple supplements.

News Release

January 31, 2011

Vitamin D use increased 52% in past two years according to ConsumerLab.com survey of supplement users -- Fish oil continued to surpass multivitamins as most popular supplement and Internet was most common place to buy supplements

WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK — FEBRUARY 1, 2011 — Among people who use dietary supplements, the most popular products at the end of 2010 were fish oil, multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium and CoQ10 according to a survey by ConsumerLab.com. Use of vitamin D surged in 2010 to 56.

News Release

March 25, 2010

Cholesterol-lowering supplements reviewed by ConsumerLab.com: Many pass quality testing, one fails. Sterol and policosanol products analyzed. Evidence for other cholesterol-lowering ingredients evaluated

White Plains, New York — March 25, 2010 — Certain dietary supplements can help reduce elevated cholesterol levels. A new report from ConsumerLab.com reviews the evidence behind each of the popular cholesterol-lowering ingredients and provides test results for twelve supplement brands.

News Release

March 31, 2009

ConsumerLab.com Warns of Problems with Multivitamins and Vitamin Water -- Defects Found in Over 30% of Supplements Selected for Testing; Several Popular Children's Multis Exceed Tolerable Upper Intake Levels

WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK — MARCH 31, 2009 — Over 30% of multivitamins recently selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com were found to contain significantly more or less ingredient than claimed or were contaminated with lead.

News Release

February 15, 2007

ConsumerLab.com survey shows brands and merchants rated highest by dietary supplement users

CONSUMERLAB.

News Release

January 19, 2007

Consumers warned of problems with multivitamins — ConsumerLab.com uncovers defects in over half of products tested

WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK — JANUARY 19, 2007 — Fifty-two percent of multivitamins recently selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com were found to be contaminated with lead, unable properly break apart, or to contain significantly more or less ingredient than claimed.