There are many reasons why people come to my office, and the proper supplement guidance is a major reason. The internet can be both helpful and downright scary when making sure you are taking the right vitamins for you, the right dosage, if you need herbal supports and what they are, and if they interact with medications you may be taking.
A recent article in the New York Times outlines the issue with drugs posing as supplements, shipping mainly from Asia. It is alarming not only for myself as a practitioner who is already aware of such practices, but that more companies suspected of this activity are not being apprehended. The companies then that are reputable, research-based, chemically and ethically stringent get a bad name just by being in the same industry which is unfair. It is why the investment a few extra dollars on better supplement and vitamin lines is not only important from a results perspective, but from a health and safety perspective.
In Canada, natural health products(NHP) are in a constant state of improved regulation. Health Canada through the Natural Health Products Directorate evaluates companies and their products, and if they are authorized to be safe, they are given natural product numbers (or an NPN). These NPNs exist in a database of companies that are approved, so you can feel more comfortable with the items you may be taking on your own volition or are recommended for your health.
Be informed! Examine your products through the licensed natural products database. If you are still unsure, speak with a registered naturopathic doctor about your supplements.