How to Select Quality Dietary Supplements (Natural Health Products)

​With the vast selection of dietary supplements on the market, also referred to as Natural Health Products (NHP), picking the right product for your needs can be intimidating. Many questions need to be asked about quality, safety and purity before making an informed choice. Several aspects of the nutritional/dietary supplement industry are regulated which means that as a consumer, you can check to see if the products you are interested in falls within certain regulations.

Regulation
Each country has its own regulation process and licensing. For example, Health Canada is responsible for regulating NHPs in Canada to ensure that products fall within government guidelines related to ingredient sourcing, storage, manufacturing, labelling and distribution. [1] In the United States of America, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for NHP regulation. [2] Compliance to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is an integral part of NHP regulation. Sales Group Scandinavian (SGS) is one commonly use third-party verification company that provides GMP certification for many countries around the world. [3] Check your supplement bottle for an indication that a licence has been obtained and that GMP guidelines have been verified. 

Third Party Verification
In addition to ensuring that products follow relevant regulatory guidelines and licensing requirements, there are several other third-party certifications to look out for. Some examples include:

• Allergen free (e.g., soy, dairy, nuts)
• Certified gluten free
• Non-GMO
• Organic
• NSF certified for sport
• Vegan

 
These certifications are done on a voluntary basis by each company, and you can often find several of these symbols on the NHP label.
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Other Considerations
Having trace amounts of heavy metals, within reasonably safe levels, is normal to find in dietary supplements since these metals can naturally occur in the soil where product ingredients are grown. However, higher than acceptable heavy metal contamination in NHPs is possible if the product was not handled according to certain regulations. Poor ingredient sourcing, mismanagement and poor manufacturing of products creates additional unneeded contamination which is why it is important to know the levels in your product of choice. Since heavy metals can counter some of the intended benefits derived from dietary supplements, it is important to consider purchasing from reputable brands that are known to have very low heavy metal contamination.
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Certificate of Analysis: When in doubt, ask
Companies should have readily on hand a certificate of analysis (CoA) for each product, which outlines product purity and potential levels of contamination from toxic substances. If you are unsure about the quality of the product, as the company for a CoA. Any reputable company should be willing to provide this information to confirm product quality.

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References
[1] Health Canada, "Natural Health Products," [Online]. Available: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-health-products/legislation-guidelines/guidance-documents/management-product-licence-applications-attestations.html.
[2] FDA, "FDA Dietary Supplements," [Online]. Available: https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements.
[3] SGS, "Sales Group Scandenavian," [Online]. Available: https://www.sgs.ca/en/our-company/about-sgs/sgs-in-brief.
[4] https://www.sgs.ca/en/our-company/about-sgs/sgs-in-brief, "https://www.sgs.ca/en/our-company/about-sgs/sgs-in-brief," [Online]. Available: https://www.sgs.ca/en/our-company/about-sgs/sgs-in-brief.