Margaret recently wrote in with this question:
“My husband has just purchased a month's supply of Balance of Nature food supplements to take on a one-month trip to several locations where he is unsure of the available food. I have encouraged him to just buy whole food. What is your opinion?”
I get questions about supplements all the time, so I’ll respond to the general question and then about Balance of Nature food supplements specifically.
Supplements are Not a Regulated Industry
Dietary supplements like vitamins, minerals, protein powders, etc., are not regulated by the FDA to determine if they are safe and effective. As such, they can contain anything . They don’t need to contain the specific ingredients on the label and they don’t need to be proven to be effective in clinical trials.
Evaluating a Particular Brand of Supplements
There are a few accreditation bodies that will verify that what’s on the label is what’s in the supplement (although it doesn’t guarantee the supplement works). Here is a quick recap of these “seals of approval.” This is always a good starting point for a particular brand of supplement.
Check Consumer Reports and the FDA
To learn more about a particular supplement, including any warnings about it, I turn to accredited sources, not just various websites, or blogs, to see what the research shows. These sources include Consumer Reports and the FDA. For example, a Consumer Report published a study about the heavy metals found in most protein powders.
For the Balance of Nature supplement, I didn’t find a Consumer Report listing but I did find FDA information. The FDA slapped a fine on Balance of Nature in 2019 because its website and YouTube channel promoted its products as unapproved drugs. In addition, the product did not meet the Current Good Manufacturing Standards (CGMP). You can read more here: https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/evig-llc-dba-balance-nature-580888-08202019. These issues may have been resolved by now, so you should check to see what the current claims are about the product.
My Recommendation
If your husband has already bought a month’s supply, you probably won’t convince him not to take them. His mind is made up. I’d try to get him focused on real food when he returns. I agree that real food is always the best option…and it’s nearly impossible to convince husbands of anything!
Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash