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Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:37 am  |
This was on msnbc.com this morning:
If you're banking on a daily vitamin to make up for any deficiencies in your diet, you may be getting a whole lot more or less than you bargained for.
Of 21 brands of multivitamins on the market in the United States and Canada selected by ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, just 10 met the stated claims on their labels or satisfied other quality standards.
Most worrisome, according to ConsumerLab.com president Dr. Tod Cooperman, is that one product, The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women, was contaminated with lead.
"I was definitely shocked by the amount of lead in [this] woman's product," he said. "We've never seen that much lead in a multivitamin before."
Other products contained more or less of a particular vitamin than listed on the label. And some did not dissolve in the correct amount of time, meaning they could potentially pass through the body without being fully absorbed.
"Half the products were fine, half were not," said Cooperman.
ConsumerLab.com is a Westchester, N.Y.-based company that independently evaluates hundreds of health and nutrition products and periodically publishes reviews. In the new report, released to MSNBC.com, the company purchased a selection of the popular multivitamins on the market as well as some smaller brands and sent them, without labels, to two independent laboratories to be tested.
On a positive note, several of the most popular multivitamins on the market did pass muster, said David Schardt, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group in Washington, D.C.
These included Centrum Silver, Member's Mark Complete Multi (distributed by Sam's Club), One A Day Women's and Flintstones Complete.
"I think this confirms the advice often given: You're safer choosing a well-known brand sold by some company or store that you have confidence in," Schardt said. "There are no guarantees but that's your best bet."
Random vitamin testing isn't foolproof. For instance, because ConsumerLab.com tested several bottles from a particular lot number of each vitamin, it's not a given that products produced at a different time would have the exact same contents. But detectable problems are a red flag that there could be problems with a company's production process.
In the report, tests showed that The Vitamin Shoppe women's product contained 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving of two tablets.
This amount of lead is more than 10 times the amount permitted without a warning in California, the only state that regulates lead in supplements, Cooperman said. On average, most American adults are exposed to about 3 micrograms of lead through food, wine and other sources, he said, and while 15.3 micrograms of lead per day may not be immediately toxic, the mineral is stored in the body and could build up to dangerous levels with time.
"I would be concerned about a woman taking a multivitamin that contains 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving," said Judy Simon, a dietitian at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Among other effects, she said, lead can contribute to high blood pressure.
The same product also contained just 54 percent of the 200 milligrams of calcium stated on the label.
The analysis also showed that Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears, a multivitamin for children, had 216 percent of the labeled amount of vitamin A in the retinol form, delivering 5,400 International Units (IU) in a daily serving. That's substantially more than the upper tolerable level set by the Institute of Medicine of 2,000 IU for kids ages 1 to 3 and 3,000 IU for those 4 to 8.
Because too much vitamin A can cause bone weakening and liver abnormalities, the Yummi Bears "could be potentially doing more harm than good," Cooperman said. "Vitamin A is one of those vitamins where you really don't want to get too much."
Schardt said the lead and vitamin A findings are worrisome because vitamins are generally taken every day, potentially building up to toxic levels and leading to problems down the line. In particular, he noted, women with high levels of lead in their bodies who become pregnant could pass on problems to a fetus.
(REST OF ARTICLE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16655168/ )
ETA:
ConsumerLab.com selected more than 20 brands of multivitamins to be tested by independent laboratories. Here's a partial list of how some of them fared:
Multivitamins that met standards:
Centrum Silver
Member's Mark Complete Multi
One A Day Women's
Flinstones Complete
Those that failed:
The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for women: Contaminated with lead
Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears: Had twice the labeled amount of vitamin A
Nature's Plus Especially Yours for Women: Took twice as long as allowed to disintegrate
AARP Maturity Formula: Took nearly twice as long as allowed to disintegrate
Eniva VIBE: Had only 54 percent of claimed vitamin A
Pet-Tabs Complete Daily Vitamin-Mineral Supplement for Dogs: Contained lead |
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32, Fair Skin, combo/break-out prone. Simple routine of REN No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm and Argan oil as a moisturizer; Clarisonic when needed. That's it! |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:56 am |
Thanks Paris! I was really relieved to see that mine made the good list!
Its really freaky that those kind of things were going by untested, and what about quality control at the vitamin plants? Who the heck was snoozing on their shift?  |
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27~Texas~Oily~ fair~ breakout prone~ easily congested~Cysts caused by emotional stress~ Using Ayurvedic skin care and philosophy~ Dry brushing body and face~ On strict less is more routine~ We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars~ Oscar Wilde |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 10:07 am |
| Very informative and assuring! Thanks for posting! |
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Simple but No Simplier...Approaching late 20s, Normal/Combination Skin, Rarely Breakout now but have some old acne marks, sunspots, & broken caps |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 10:44 am |
Thank you for posting that.
I don't use the Vitamin Shoppe's Multivitamin for Women, but do use some of their other supplements. I have to say that I more than a little concerned; I'll have to start looking for another brand.  |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:08 pm |
| Thanks for the great information Paris. |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:19 pm |
Thank ParisTroika so much for posting!
i have take multivitamins vital-fem daily formula for women and just worry about it  |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:26 pm |
Thanks for this info, ParisTroika. 
I was thinking of buying a multivitamin from Vitamin Shoppe but will look elsewhere. |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:28 pm |
| Wow! Thanks for posting... who can you trust anymore? I just checked my kids vitamins, I had no idea you could get too much Vitamin A. |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:51 pm |
An adult should not be getting more than 10,000 IU of Vitamin A...any more is dangerous.
I stopped using the Airborne and anything like it because one tablet gives you 5400 IU of Vitamin A and they recommend you do several tablets a day.
I stopped it after reading about it on MSNBC and how it can be dangerous (they also ran a test through an independent research panel and came to the conclusion that the folks that started Airborne have no credentials and their product doesn't work). |
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32, Fair Skin, combo/break-out prone. Simple routine of REN No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm and Argan oil as a moisturizer; Clarisonic when needed. That's it! |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:56 pm |
Thanks for this post. This is very interesting and scary that some multi vitamins were contaminated with lead (of all things). I am going to stick with my Centrum.  |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:10 pm |
Well, I'm mortified to see that the Pet-tabs I smugly give my dog regularly have lead in them. Crikers. Out they go.
FWIW, those of you near a Trader Joe's can rest easy, too. Their vitamins are regularly monitored -- and pulled -- if they are not up to standards. The QA at TJ's is astonishing. Public Trust is their Number 1 goal.
Actually, the memo posted in the manager's office has, as the Number 1 goal:
How can we have more fun at work?
 |
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tenderlovingwork.com, astonishing handmade gifts |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:47 pm |
| Thank you for posting this information. |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:02 pm |
| Paris - Thanks for the info on Airborne. I've always been skeptical but my husband guzzles it! As an MSNBC addict, I'm surprised he didn't see the report. I can't wait to tell him!!! |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 5:07 pm |
| Thanks for posting that, Paris! At least I know brands to avoid, even though mine didn't make the "good" list. |
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Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:52 pm |
| Several years ago in Oz, one of our largest manufacturers of therapeutic goods (including vitamins) was forced to recall many of its products because they were sub standard. The company went bust as a result but at the same time, the laws governing the supply and manufacture of therapeutic goods was really tightened. This also included any claims they made as to health benefits. I believe they are constantly monitored now so our vitamins should be ok. |
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Skin: Over 60, ex combination now sensitive, Cellcosmet |
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Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:42 pm |
| great info - thanks for posting! |
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Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:26 pm |
| I buy a lot of my vitamins at Costco. I wonder how they rate. Has anyone heard about their brands, Kirkland and Health Balance? |
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62, dry skin prone to milia - why oh why can't I find skincare products I can rave about! |
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Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:06 pm |
| Thank you for posting that...now, I know what to look out for! |
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Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:36 pm |
Thanks, Paris! You would think that supplements would have to go through rigid testing standards all of the time.
Does anyone know of a good site other thanwww.consumerlab.com that reviews and posts their findings on vitamins/supplements? When I visited the consumerlab site there is also an article on the findings of probiotic formula reviews. Jarrow Formula is on that list, a brand of probiotics that I take. (Fyi, to my knowledge Jarrow is supposed to be a reputable brand). But to access the review you have to be a subscriber.
Has anyone ever subscribed to consumerlab.com? Was wondering how helpful and informative it is.... |
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early-mid 30s || oily-combination, sensitive & acne-prone skin || mild breakouts (Aczone helps a lot) || occasional eczema rashes || fine lines around eyes || very dark under eye cirlces- concealer a must || very fair neutral-warm complexion, blue eyes, blonde hair |
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Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:04 pm |
thanks for the info.
Just as info, I like to buywww.naturemade.com vitamine in general, usually the price is halved (buy one get one free)when going on sale in drugstores, such as walgreens, cvs, and riteaid. |
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Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:29 am |
| Thank you for sharing! |
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