Problems Found with 32% of Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplements

You can’t always judge a supplement by its label – or by its price, according to a new report from ConsumerLab.com, which recently tested dozens of multivitamin/multimineral supplements.¹ “Consumers should know that multivitamins vary widely in quality, with some providing far more or less ingredient than claimed,” says Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab.com. “Fortunately, we discovered that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a good multivitamin.” Americans spend over $5 billion per year on multivitamins, according to Nutrition Business Journal.
ConsumerLab.com found that among the 41 multivitamins sold in the US and Canada (including 3 products for pets) which it selected for review, 13 failed to pass tests necessary to obtain ConsumerLab.com approval. Several products also exceeded tolerable intake limits established by the Institute of Medicine for nutrients such as niacin, vitamin A, folate, and magnesium. Exceeding these levels puts one at increased risk for side effects and toxicities, although this may be appropriate in certain situations. Higher price did not mean higher quality: Many inexpensive multivitamins (costing less than 10 cents per day) passed all tests and gained approval, while several more expensive products (costing more than 40 cents per day) failed to be approved.
ConsumerLab.com tested multivitamins for key water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and contamination with the heavy metals lead, cadmium, and arsenic, and checked for proper labeling. Tablets were also checked to make sure they would disintegrate properly.