Vitamin Supplements - Does it matter where you buy them or what brand you use?

[julia111]

My question is really about any supplement - does it matter what brand you buy or where you buy it?  

Are the store brands found at places like Walmart just as effective as the higher priced supplements found at Health Stores and Health Websites?

I have friends referring me to the higher priced brands, but it is tempting to go to Walmart and buy the "same" thing for a fraction of the price!

Comments anyone??

Thanks,

Julia

[julia111]

Thanks for the info.  I'll try to find the site you are referring to - but please let me know if you do happen to find it in the meantime.

My Dr. has introduced me to a very expensive brand of supplements of which, if I were to take everything he has suggested, would cost several hundred $$ per month.  

I have always wondered if a lot of the cost associated with the higher priced supplements was all "marketing" or that they really are more "effective."

When we buy Ibuprofen or OTC Allergy meds we usually get the store brand since the ingredients are almost always identical to brands such as Motrin and Claritin.  

One more thing that I am looking for are supplements are Gluten Free.

Thanks, Julia

[Tahiri_Veila]

I work for a nutritional company which owns many of the brands available in health food stores and a few in places like Walmart.  I know that we do test our products to ensure that the label claim is correct. I know that we are required to do this testing by what we call Shuster.  They come and make sure that we are testing correctly what we sell and are labeling things correctly.  I would assume many other nutritional companies have these requirements as well. If you need more info let me know.
  Tahiri

[Quixotic1]

There is a website for an organization that actually tests OTC supplements to see if they indeed do contain what they say they do.  I will look for it.  They have one list that is available to the public, but the remainder of the list is available if you have a subscritption to their site.  I found their stuff fascinating!

Quix