Among the many questions consumers ask when talking about vitamins or dietary supplements is, “how do I know what’s really in this stuff?”. A recent consumer report showed the number one concern consumers face when purchasing dietary supplements is safety. Over the past few years negative media coverage of products having false label claims and poor quality of imported ingredients has fueled the safety concern. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has a great link that consumers can reference called   “ Tips for the savvy supplement user :Making informed decisions and evaluating information.”

http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/ConsumerInformation/ucm110567.htm

In addition to the FDA link, consumers can look for tips from the manufacturer of the dietary supplements to help with their safety concerns. Being able to see a certified copy of Certificate of Analysis for the products they are purchasing provides consumers with information from which to gain confidence that the product is delivering what it promises and is what they are seeking. All Proven4 Vitamins and Sports Supplements have the Certificate of Analysis on the product details page so consumers can see how the product was tested.

Consumers should also stay away from or question false label claims. Consumers should ask themselves, “does this sound too good to be true?” does the product description sound exaggerated? Is the product offering a quick fix? One final note….it is important to remember what the purpose of a dietary supplement is:    the intended use of dietary or nutritional supplements is to supplement the diet and provide nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids or amino acids that may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person’s diet.