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Product Review
Vitamin D Supplements Review (Including Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin K, and Boron)
Find the Best Vitamin D Supplement and Avoid Problems
Product Review
Fish Oil, Krill Oil, and Algal Oil Omega-3 (DHA & EPA) Supplements Review
See Our Omega-3 Top Picks and Avoid Rancid Fish Oils.
CL Answer
Dietary Supplements and Herbs to Avoid When Breastfeeding
Find out which supplements should be avoided when breastfeeding, including medicinal herbs, soy, and flaxseed.
Product Review
Probiotic Supplements Review (Including Pet Probiotics)
See What's Really in Probiotics and Our Top Picks
Product Review
Choline and Lecithin Supplements Review (Including Phosphatidylcholine, CDP-Choline, and Alpha-GPC)
Choose the Best Choline Supplement. Find Out How Much Choline Popular Supplements Really Provide.
Clinical Update
12/17/2016
Vitamin D and Autism Risk
Children whose mothers are vitamin D deficient during pregnancy are much more likely to have autistic traits by age six than those whose mothers have sufficient levels during pregnancy, according to a new study. Get the details, as well as our reviews of vitamin D supplements, in the "What It Does" section of the Vitamin D Supplements Review »
Clinical Update
11/16/2018
Probiotic Lowers Eczema Risk in Children
The risk of eczema in children was reduced by 54% when a specific probiotic was taken by mothers during pregnancy and then by their infants, according to a new study. The probiotic also reduced the incidence of gestational diabetes among the mothers. For details, see the What It Does section of the Probiotic Supplements Review. (Also see our Top Picks for probiotics.)
Product Review
B Vitamin Supplements Review (B Complexes, B6, B12, Biotin, Folate, Niacin, Riboflavin & More)
See Our Top Picks and Which 5 Failed Testing
CL Answer
Is drinking coffee good or bad for heart health?
Learn more about coffee and caffeine, its safety, if it's good for you, how much coffee is too much and its impact on your heart.
CL Answer
PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances): How can I avoid PFAS in dental floss, food, water, and other products?
Some brands of dental floss may contain potentially toxic chemicals known as PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances). Get the details and learn which floss and pick products are our Top Picks.
Product Review
Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements Review
32% Failed our Tests. Choose Your Multivitamin Carefully.
CL Answer
Supplements for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Are Any Helpful?
Dietary supplements are often explored as alternative options or add-on interventions for people with ADHD. Learn which, if any, have shown possible benefit and which don’t seem to help or may interfere with ADHD medication.
Clinical Update
9/21/2021
PFAS Effects in Breast Milk
Higher concentrations of toxic chemicals known as PFAS in mothers appears to alter the fat composition of breast milk, according to a recent study. Learn more, including how this may affect infant growth, in our updated article about How to Avoid PFAS, which includes information about PFAS in dental floss, foods and bottled water.
Clinical Update
5/29/2014
Probiotics: An Alternative to Antibiotics for Mastitis?
Two different strains of probiotics have been found to reduce breast pain and resolve infection in nursing mothers with mastitis, as well as reduce the rate of recurrence. For details, as well as our tests of probiotic supplements, see the Probiotic Supplements Review >>
Clinical Update
5/30/2014
Not Enough Iodine in Prenatal Supplements
There is growing concern about inadequate iodine intake among pregnant and nursing mothers. Find out how much should be taken as a supplement -- and which vitamins do or don't have it -- in the update to the Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements Review >>
Clinical Update
12/31/2021
Prenatal Choline Improves Attention in Children
Mothers who took higher doses of choline during pregnancy were found to have children with improved attention, according to a recent study. See the details in the During Pregnancy and Lactation section of our Choline Supplements Review. Also see our Top Picks among choline supplements.
Clinical Update
1/31/2016
Probiotic May Help Prevent ADHD
A study found that none of the children given a specific probiotic around infancy (as well as to their mothers) developed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), compared to 14% of those given a placebo. Details about this preliminary but intriguing study and the commonly-available probiotic used are found in the Probiotic Supplements and Kefirs Review >>
Clinical Update
12/02/2017
Autism Risk With Low Vitamin D
Babies born with very low blood levels of vitamin D are more likely to be autistic, according to a new study. This is consistent with a study published last year showing a higher rate of autistic children in mothers with very low vitamin D blood levels during pregnancy. Get the details in the "What It Does" section of the Vitamin D Supplements Review >> (Also see our Top Picks among vitamin D supplements.)
Clinical Update
8/09/2019
Vitamin D During Pregnancy
Does giving expectant mothers a high dose of vitamin D reduce the risk of tooth defects in their children? Find out in the What It Does section of the Vitamin D Supplements Review. Also see our Top Picks for vitamin D.
Clinical Update
5/15/2020
High Blood Pressure Risk With Too Much Folic Acid During Pregnancy
While it is important to take folate during pregnancy, a new study suggests that too much folic acid from supplements increases the risk of high blood pressure in mothers. See the details in the Folic Acid section of the B Vitamin Supplements Review.
Also see our Top Pick among prenatal vitamins, which provides adequate (but not too much) folic acid, in our Multivitamin and Multiminerals Supplements Review.
Clinical Update
9/28/2022
Don't Forget About Riboflavin
A baby was recently born with severe riboflavin deficiency due to a lack of riboflavin in the mother's vegan diet and supplements. Learn more about riboflavin requirements in our B Vitamin Supplements Review.
CL Answer
Contamination of Dry Shampoos with Benzene — What You Need to Know
Benzene, a carcinogen, has been detected in several dry shampoo aerosol sprays. Find out which dry shampoos were found to contain benzene and how much was in each one, plus how tips for reducing your exposure to benzene.
CL Answer
What are the possible health benefits of fenugreek, and is it safe?
Fenugreek is promoted for boosting testosterone, increasing breastmilk production, lowering blood sugar, improving symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and other conditions, but does it work? Find out.
Product Review
Breast Enhancement Supplements Review Article
Do Breast Enhancement Supplements Really Work? See the Evidence For and Against Breast Enhancement Supplements.
Clinical Update
8/05/2012
Be Careful with Iodine -- Especially If You're Pregnant
Unlike over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements are generally not required to carry warning labels, even if they contain toxic amounts of ingredients. If you don't know how much of a vitamin, mineral, or other ingredient you really need, it's easily possible to get too much. This is what seems to have happened to some pregnant women taking a widely-sold iodine supplement, according to a recent medical report. Just one tablet contained 57 times the daily iodine they needed and more than ten times the limit associated with increased risk of toxicity. Their children were born with congenital hypothyroidism, apparently due to getting too much iodine from their mothers.
Find out which product these women took in the updated Iodine section of the Multivitamin Supplements Review. You'll also find appropriate levels of other vitamins and minerals and see which products in the Review did or did not exceed tolerable intake levels of vitamins and minerals. More >>
Clinical Update
9/06/2017
Lower Cognitive Function in Kids Linked to High Prenatal Folic Acid
Children of mothers who took high amounts of folic acid around the time of pregnancy had lower cognitive and verbal scores when tested at 4 to 5 years of age, according to a new study. Similarly, as we reported last year, pregnant women with higher levels of folate (from folic acid) had offspring with higher rates of autism. While it is important that pregnant women get a moderate amount of folic acid to prevent spinal cord defects, higher amounts should be avoided. See the Folate section of the B Vitamin Supplements Review for details.
Product Review
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) Supplements Review (for Slimming)
Choose the Best CLA Supplement. Not All CLA Supplements Contain What You Expect.
Product Review
Potassium Iodide (KI) and Iodate (KIO3) Radioprotective Pills Review
Learn How to Choose the Best Radioprotective Iodine Pill and Use It Properly
CL Answer
Top 8 vitamins and nutrients for vegetarians and vegans
Find out which 8 supplements may be needed by vegetarians or vegans to meet all their daily nutrient requirements and learn ways to find supplements that do not contain ingredients objectionable to people following vegetarian or vegan diets.
CL Answer
Do any supplements, foods or lifestyle modifications help with brain function, like memory and cognition?
Find out which supplements help improve memory, brain function and cognition, including fish oil, some B vitamins, cocoa, and curcumin. ConsumerLab's answer explains the evidence for supplements promoted to help with brain function and cognition.
CL Answer
To avoid mercury, I tried skipjack tuna instead of albacore, but I didn't like the taste. Is it safe to continue to eat albacore if just once a week?
Concerned about mercury in albacore tuna? Find out how often it is safe to consume albacore tuna, and the best canned tuna and salmon alternatives to albacore tuna that are high in omega-3s and low in contamination with mercury. ConsumerLab.com's answer explains.
CL Answer
Can fluoride in toothpaste, mouth rinses or drinking water cause attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or other neurodevelopmental disorders in children?
Find out if community water fluoridation increases the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or causes lower IQ in children, and learn what the American Dental Association recommends when using fluoride-containing toothpaste and mouth rinses in children.
CL Answer
Dandelion Tea & Supplements: Health Benefits and Safety
Find out about the potential health benefits of dandelion tea and supplements, as well as safety, side effects, and potential drug interactions.
CL Answer
Are there vitamins or supplements that can reduce my risk of breast cancer? Do any increase cancer risk?
Find out if certain vitamins, supplements and foods such as fish oil, olive oil, vitamin C and others, can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. ConsumerLab.com's answer explains.
CL Answer
Can any supplements reverse gray hair?
Nearly 75% of adults aged 45 to 65 are affected by gray hair. Learn about what causes gray hair and find out if any supplements can help.
News Release
December 14, 2004
ConsumerLab.com finds Omega-3 fish oil supplements safer than fish but quality varies among brands — Test of 41 Supplements Finds No Mercury or PCB Contamination, But Some Spoiled or Lacking Claimed Oils
WHITE PLAINS, NY — Tuesday, December 14, 2004 — ConsumerLab.com announced today that tests of 41 omega-3 fish oil supplements (including 3 marketed for pets) showed safe levels of mercury and PCBs.
Recalls & Warnings
January 18, 2013
Recall: Iron Supplement Containing Motion Sickness Drug
On January 18, 2012, Advance Pharmaceutical Inc. announced the recall of one lot of Rugby NATURAL IRON SUPPLEMENT Ferrous Sulfate Tablets 325 mg, because the bottles were found to contain meclizine HCl 25 mg tablets instead.
Recalls & Warnings
October 29, 2008
Two Vitamin C Supplements Recalled in Canada for Vitamin A Risk
On October 28, 2008, Health Canada warned Canadians, expecially expectant mothers, not to use two vitamin C products sold under the brand names New Roots Herbal Vitamin C8 and Vitazan Professional Vitamin C Advanced Ascorbate.
Recalls & Warnings
October 18, 2017
FDA Warns Seller of Arthritis, Blood Pressure, Diabetes Supplements For Making Drug Claims
On August 15, 2017, the FDA issued a warning letter to Years to Your Health, Inc., following an inspection of the company's website which found a number of their products to be misbranded, as they contained drug claims.
Recalls & Warnings
July 08, 2017
CDC Warns Against Placenta Pills After Infant Becomes Sick
An infant in Oregon whose mother began taking capsules of dried placenta three days after giving birth was diagnosed with late-onset group B Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) bacteremia, a strep infection which was linked to the placenta pill, according to a recently published report from the ...
Recalls & Warnings
June 13, 2013
Seller of Cardio, Immune, Greens Supplements and More Warned For Drug Claims
On May 29, 2013, the FDA issued a warning letter to dietary supplement company Nature's Answer, following a review a the company's website, www.naturesanswer.
