AVOID Over the Counter Supplements

The difference between medical-grade supplements and over the counter  (OTC) supplements are many. 

Here is a side by side comparison:

OTC supplements

• Not third party tested for impurities and label claims (According to a study in  2015 by  the New York State attorney general’s office herbal supplements sold at four stores – GNC, Target, Walgreen’s and Walmart found that 80% of the time the capsules did not include the ingredients listed on the label.)
• Cheaper forms of ingredients  that are not in the most bio-available form e.g., calcium carbonate. dl alpha tocopherol, zinc oxide vs better forms such as calcium hydroxyapatite, zinc chelate or gamma , delta vitamin E.
• More fillers, artificial colors and ingredients: (This means that you could be ingesting dyes, cork, and much more. These toxic fillers can make a person sick with prolonged use.)
• Lower dosing which means you have to take a lot more.

Medical Grade supplements

• Tested for purity, potency and meet label claims
• Ingredients sourced from superior tested raw materials
• All supplements are in the most bio-available forms: e.g., folate in the active form  5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) vs. synthetic folic acid, fish oils in triglyceride form vs. ethyl ester forms, magnesium chelate vs. oxide form etc.
• They meet all pharmaceutical standards. 

Now that you understand the difference between store-grade over-the-counter supplements and medical-grade pharmaceutical supplements, you can make a more informed decision for your health.