Well-Known Brand Names of Dietary Supplements
For those seeking dietary supplements, well-known brand names include Centrum for multivitamins, Nature Made for vitamins and minerals, and Garden of Life for probiotics and organic supplements. 1
Multivitamin Brands
- Centrum (Pfizer) - One of the most widely recognized multivitamin brands, used in clinical research including the Physicians' Health Study which evaluated multivitamin effects on stroke risk 1
- Nature Made - Popular brand offering USP-verified vitamins and minerals 2
- One A Day (Bayer) - Common multivitamin brand with various formulations for different age groups and genders 1
- Kirkland Signature (Costco) - Store brand known for affordability and quality 3
- GNC - Specialty retailer with their own branded line of multivitamins 4
Probiotic Brands
- Garden of Life - Known for organic, whole food-based probiotic supplements 5
- Culturelle - Contains clinically studied Lactobacillus strains 6
- Align - Features Bifidobacterium 35624, a patented probiotic strain 5
- Florastor - Contains Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial yeast 7
- Renew Life - Offers high-potency probiotic formulations 5
Vitamin and Mineral-Specific Brands
- NOW Foods - Wide range of individual vitamins and minerals 4
- Solgar - Premium vitamin and mineral supplements 3
- Nature's Bounty - Affordable vitamin options widely available in pharmacies 2
- Life Extension - Higher-end supplements with research-based formulations 4
- Thorne - Professional-grade supplements often recommended by healthcare providers 2
Quality Considerations
- Look for supplements that have been tested under recognized quality assurance programs to reduce risks of contamination or mislabeling 2
- The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) has developed reference standards for quality control, but content and concentration of ingredients in commercially available formulations still vary considerably 1
- Among dietary supplements tested in a military study, only 26.8% had accurate labels, and 56% contained potentially risky ingredients 4
- Third-party testing organizations like NSF International, USP, and ConsumerLab provide verification of supplement quality 2
Safety Considerations
- Despite widespread marketing claims, there is no clear evidence that nutrition supplements (herbs, botanicals, high-dose vitamins/minerals) are effective for weight loss 1
- The FDA has approved many dietary supplements for consumption, but safety concerns persist, particularly with supplements containing stimulants or hormonal ingredients 1
- Important harms have been shown with certain supplements, such as β-carotene in smokers or those with asbestos exposure 1
- Excessive doses of fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate in the body; vitamins A and D have known harms at doses exceeding tolerable upper intake levels 1
Regulatory Context
- In the U.S., dietary supplements are broadly defined as having one or more dietary ingredients including vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, or extracts 1
- Supplements are regulated differently than pharmaceutical medications, with less stringent oversight 8
- In the EU, food supplements are defined as "concentrated sources of nutrients marketed in dose form" such as pills, tablets, capsules, and liquids 1
- Despite uncertain benefits, $28.1 billion was spent on dietary supplements in the United States in 2010 1