All Multivitamins are Not Created Equally, Regardless of the Promise in Their Price

Among the countless dietary supplements available over the counter, Americans turn most often to multivitamins for keeping a healthy balance of nutrition. In an effort to assist consumers in getting the best nutrition boost for their dollar, ConsumerLab.com, a well-known source for helpful consumer information and a provider of independent evaluations of products affecting health and nutrition, has just released their latest report on a variety of multivitamins.

The results of the analysis showed that more than 30 percent of 60 multivitamins tested came up lacking, whether or not their price or label reflected otherwise. However, findings also revealed that Americans can get a good quality multivitamin at a budget-friendly price of as little as 3 cents per day. According to Tod Cooperman, M.D., President of ConsumerLab.com, “Consumers should know that multivitamins vary widely in quality.” He then added, “Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot to get a good multivitamin.”

The multivitamins included in the analysis were tested for their content of key nutrients and lead contamination, as well as for proper labeling, and for their ability to dissolve properly when ingested.

Testing included multivitamins sold in both the U.S. and Canada, and even included three products made just for pets. The findings showed that in many cases, that although the label claimed that a product contained a certain amount of a particular ingredient, the actual product contents came up short.

In fact, a total of eight multivitamins were found to contain less of an ingredient claimed, while two others actually contained more than claimed, and shockingly, one multivitamin for pets was discovered to have lead contamination.