Jenrae Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I know there have been numerous threads over the past year concerning vitamins, but I still have questions. What is the best way to compare these companies as to the quality of their vitamins and knowing "what" is in them? At the moment I am looking to purchade a high quality Taurine and 5HTP seperately. I am comparing these companies at the moment. KAL Source Naturals Country Life Any ideas on how to tell which is better quality and the purest product without unwanted fillers? Is there a "vitamin watchdog" site that you can recomend? For the record, I have used one of the Source Naturals products and it seems to work, although I still am not sure of what might be in the product. We have also used the KAL brand maletonin and found that it works better than other brands. BUT that doesn't tell me if there are toxins or unwanted material in there. YKWIM?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 You can look for supplements that are USP verified. Consumer Lab does independent testing of supplements and is a great resource, but you have to pay for a subscription. In the past, I've found Twinlab, Vitacost, Rainbow Light, and Life Extension products to be high-quality. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Gaia Bluebonnet Jarrow 5HTP is used by some as an antidepressant. Best to use it with the guidance of a psychiatrist who is accepting of alternative medicines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Source Naturals is a good company for the 5HTP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 ime source naturals is kinda/sorta okay - but I prefer to stay away from it. brands recommended by my naturopath. (I buy on amazon) Thorne Pure encapsulations Douglas laboratories. (for straight multi vitamins, I use emerald laboratories) I also use NOW ('cause the compounding pharmacy had it along side thorne, and pure encapsulations, and douglas laboratories.) not as much as I used to - I do use their 5-htp. there is a third party who will test for purity/quality, and vitamins that use them tend to advertise that fact. magnesium stearate is a flow agent so it won't clog the machines. (it's pretty weird stuff.) eta: as the amount of supplements we buy has gone down - I've increasingly switched from NOW to thorne or douglas laboratories. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I do agree about Pure Encapsulations. I get all my stuff there but that's because we can get it at cost. But of course not everyone has that perk. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenrae Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 You can look for supplements that are USP verified. Consumer Lab does independent testing of supplements and is a great resource, but you have to pay for a subscription. In the past, I've found Twinlab, Vitacost, Rainbow Light, and Life Extension products to be high-quality. I appreciate the link. I am not sure if I am misunderstanding it, but it appears that only a few brands have been approved. That doesn't seem possible. Plus, it appears they are stating that Nature Made brand is USP approved and I have always felt that was a low quality brand. So, I don't know if I truly trust their viewpoint if that is the case. I truly like to use whole food vitamins, that are not synthetic, but it isn't always possible, for me at least. I did see the Consumer Lab link, but didn't really want to spend the money, as I am unsure about it's reliability either. I'll check out the brands you recomended. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenrae Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Gaia Bluebonnet Jarrow 5HTP is used by some as an antidepressant. Best to use it with the guidance of a psychiatrist who is accepting of alternative medicines. I'll check out these brands. I've never heard of Bluebonnet. Jarrow and Gaia I have, but have not used them. Yes, I realize that 5HTP is sometimes used for depression, but it is also recommended for sleep issues and fibromyalgia. I feel it is safer for me to use that than it is for me to use Ambien, which I have used in the past. I watched a Dr.'s seminar to other Dr.'s about using it for his patients that have fibromyalgia and can't get restorative sleep and it sounds like it may be worth a try. He actually has a brand he sells, but it was too expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 5HTP is used for lots of things. I've had some relief in the past with my sleep and my fibro. (Then it stopped working for me.) I started using Source Naturals because that was the brand recommended by my naturopathic doctor. I did have to tweak my dosage and I had to slowly ramp up and fiddle with the timing of when I took it. I think that varies greatly by person. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 5HTP is used for lots of things. I've had some relief in the past with my sleep and my fibro. (Then it stopped working for me.) I started using Source Naturals because that was the brand recommended by my naturopathic doctor. I did have to tweak my dosage and I had to slowly ramp up and fiddle with the timing of when I took it. I think that varies greatly by person. quoting myself to say that I goofed. The 5HTP I used and liked best was by Natural Factors. (I got confused by the Natural in the name. That and can I blame fibro fog?) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I appreciate the link. I am not sure if I am misunderstanding it, but it appears that only a few brands have been approved. That doesn't seem possible. Plus, it appears they are stating that Nature Made brand is USP approved and I have always felt that was a low quality brand. So, I don't know if I truly trust their viewpoint if that is the case. I truly like to use whole food vitamins, that are not synthetic, but it isn't always possible, for me at least. I did see the Consumer Lab link, but didn't really want to spend the money, as I am unsure about it's reliability either. I'll check out the brands you recomended. Thanks! Some of the certification is that they contain what they claim . Look for bioavailable forms. NM contains what it claims but the ingredients aren't the best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 ime source naturals is kinda/sorta okay - but I prefer to stay away from it. brands recommended by my naturopath. (I buy on amazon) Thorne Pure encapsulations Douglas laboratories. (for straight multi vitamins, I use emerald laboratories) I also use NOW ('cause the compounding pharmacy had it along side thorne, and pure encapsulations, and douglas laboratories.) not as much as I used to - I do use their 5-htp. there is a third party who will test for purity/quality, and vitamins that use them tend to advertise that fact. magnesium stearate is a flow agent so it won't clog the machines. (it's pretty weird stuff.) eta: as the amount of supplements we buy has gone down - I've increasingly switched from NOW to thorne or douglas laboratories. These are all solid brands with a great rep. To that list I'd add Designs for Health. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenrae Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 Thanks for the replies ladies! Hopefully I'll get time to research these brands in a few days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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