More than half of all Americans take some form of dietary supplement. Their reasons are many, but almost all involve a desire for improved health. And although it may seem obvious, the quality of your healthcare results depends on the quality of the products you take. Unfortunately – not all dietary supplements are of good quality. View video or download infographic to learn more. 

Reasons why quality matters:

1. Positive Identification. Reports have shown that there are products on the market that don’t contain the ingredients advertised on the label. USP tests products to science-based quality standards to confirm what’s on the label is in the bottle. This not only protects your health, it protects your wallet.
2. Potency. Not only should the ingredients be present, it is important that they are present in the right amount. Too little and it may have no effect on your health, too much and it may harm you. Dosage is especially important for children whose small bodies can be easily affected by too much of a given ingredient – like iron, melatonin or Vitamin D.
3. Purity. It is important to confirm your supplements don’t contain unwanted ingredients, especially those that can have a negative effect on health. Examples of unwanted ingredients may include heavy metals (for example in fish oils), chemicals from pesticides that may have been used on plants, toxins like mold or mildew, or even intentional adulterants like active pharmaceutical ingredients.
4. Performance. If a pill or tablet doesn’t dissolve, the ingredients it contains cannot be absorbed by the body. In that case it is more likely to pass right through your system without any effect on your health.

In order to make good health decisions, consumers need to be confident that what is on the label is in the bottle, in the right amount and that it will break down in the body so it can be absorbed. The USP Verified mark makes quality visible so you can choose dietary supplements with confidence