How to source quality supplements

Pesticides, heavy metals, chemical contamination are real concerns when taking supplements. Especially if you take them every day. Our framework therefore strongly biases you towards any action towards mitigating contamination risk.

We wish there was a simple way to answer how to handle this. Sadly, there is not. At Galen, the framework we've come up with is three levels of diligence, with each level becoming increasingly more invested. We'd advise you to slowly ascend this framework, with always completing level 1 and 2 for anything you take every day.

1. Brand and manufacturer research

Research the brand. Understand where they manufacture and what they write about in terms of quality. There's absolutely a bias for European and American made supplements because those countries have stricter regulatory frameworks. But this is no guarantee at all. It is totally possible that Chinese or Indonesian manufacturers may actually be of higher quality. But if this is all you have to work with, reading about a brand's reputation, and their own internal documentation on quality practices is better than nothing.

Examples of reputable brands are Thorne, Momentous and Blueprint.

2. Third-party lab testing

A good deal of products advertise third party lab testing, or charge more for supplements that pass through testing. For example, Thorne has an upsell on their website for purchasing supplements that are NSF certified. In our humble opinion, even if this seems a bit egregious, it is worth it.

NSF International

NSF provides certification to verify that a supplement contains the ingredients listed on the label, without harmful levels of contaminants. Their NSF Certified for Sport® program is particularly well-regarded in the athletic community.

United States Pharmacopeia (USP)

USP offers a voluntary verification program that evaluates the quality, purity, and potency of dietary supplements. Products that meet their standards can display the USP Verified Mark on their packaging.

ConsumerLab.com

This independent organization tests a wide range of supplements and publishes detailed reports on their findings. They focus on the identity, strength, purity, and disintegration of supplements.

Informed-Choice and Informed-Sport

These certification programs are focused on the sports nutrition market, testing for substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to ensure products are safe for athletes.

Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG)

BSCG offers a range of certification programs, including banned substance screenings and label verification, to ensure products are safe and accurately labeled.

Labdoor

Labdoor independently purchases supplements from retailers, tests them in an FDA-registered laboratory, and provides grades based on label accuracy, product purity, nutritional value, ingredient safety, and projected efficacy.

Eurofins Scientific

Eurofins provides comprehensive testing services, including analysis of potency, purity, and safety of dietary supplements through chemical, microbiological, and molecular testing.

Intertek

Intertek offers testing services to verify the quality, safety, and regulatory compliance of dietary supplements, including analysis of active ingredients and contaminants.

Covance (now part of Labcorp)

Covance offers analytical and bioanalytical testing services for dietary supplements, focusing on ingredient analysis and safety testing.

3. Your own testing

This is a bit impractical for most people. However, if you have the resources and motivation, hiring a local lab to test for contaminants is the ultimate way to ensure that your supplements are clean. Most people won't do this and we don't blame you.