is consumerlab really independent

It's an independent organization staffed by good people providing good advice for anyone taking supplements. I have used Consumerlab's independent test information to help select the best supplements such as calcium, magnesium, Co-enzyme Q-10, and others.

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Is ConsumerLab com independent?

ConsumerLab.com is an impartial and independent third-party evaluator of health and nutrition products and has been reporting unbiased, scientifically valid test results since 1999.

Is ConsumerLab trustworthy?

ConsumerLab.com has perhaps the highest testing standards of any third party group certifying the quality of dietary supplements. ConsumerLab.com is also the only third-party verification group that freely publishes its testing methods and quality criteria/standards. These can be found at How Products Were Tested.

Who runs ConsumerLab com?

The website was founded in 1999 by Dr. Tod Cooperman, a physician, writer, and consumer advocate, who is also founder of PharmacyChecker.com, an online pharmaceutical price comparison tool. Based in White Plains, NY, ConsumerLab operates on a subscription model ($39 for a one-year membership).

How do you know if a supplement company is reputable?

Credible supplements have peer-reviewed scientific literature that supports their use and effectiveness. Also, ensure that the recommended dosage is supported by science. If it is, it will be discussed in the supporting studies as well. More doses do not always equal better results, so beware of mega doses.

What is the best supplement review site?

"ConsumerLab is the best place to go to get information on supplements such as vitamins and minerals. They have comprehensive articles explaining what works, what doesn't work, and what risks, if any, are involved."

Is care of third party tested?

Care/of's products are made with high quality, sustainably sourced ingredients. The supplements are tested multiple times throughout manufacturing, including by third-party labs.

What supplement companies can I trust?

The following are five of the best affordable supplement companies that are very trustworthy:Solgar.NOW Foods.Source Naturals.Nature's Way.Country Life.

How do I cancel my ConsumerLab account?

Call 914-722-9149.

Where is consumer lab located?

White Plains, NYConsumerLab.com, LLC. is a privately held American company registered in White Plains, NY. It is a publisher of test results on health, wellness, and nutrition products.

What is the most trustworthy vitamin company?

Thorne Research tops our list as a trustworthy and reputable vitamin supplement brand. Thorne partners with various research organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Clinic, and the Cleveland Clinic, testing many of their products via clinical trials to ensure safety and efficacy.

How can you tell if supplements are fake?

“If a supplement is labeled 'repackaged' or 'opened' instead of 'new,' that's a huge warning sign,” Pircz says. Then, look at the images of the product package itself. “You should see a 'lot number' (which batch the supplement came from), an expiration date, and contact information for the company,” Tanzer says.

Does it matter what brand of vitamins you buy?

FIND A REPUTABLE SOURCE Vitamins and minerals are commodity items, and every manufacturer has access to the same ingredients. For that reason, researchers and scientists say paying more for a name brand won't necessarily buy you better vitamins.

How do I access ConsumerLab for free?

Get a 24-hour FREE Pass to ConsumerLab.com Be sure to enter a valid email address. We'll immediately send a confirmation email that you'll need to click on to start using your free 24 hour pass. By signing up for this 24 hour free pass you'll receive immediate access to the three reports.

How do I cancel my subscription to ConsumerLab?

Call 914-722-9149.

What does consumer lab do?

Its mission is “to identify the best quality health and nutrition products through independent testing.” The ConsumerLab.com Website is divided into several sections, including Laboratory Test Results, Where to Buy Products, Natural Products Encyclopedia, and Recalls & Warnings.

How reliable is Labdoor?

First, Labdoor publishes none of the actual test result documents or the specific laboratories that conduct the testing. Their rankings make zero sense to anyone with even a college-level understanding of nutritional science or manufacturing.

What is consumer lab?

is a privately held American company registered in White Plains, NY. It is a publisher of test results on health, wellness, and nutrition products. Consumer Labs is not a laboratory, but contracts studies to outside laboratories.

When was ConsumerLab.com founded?

ConsumerLab.com was founded in 1999 by Tod Cooperman M.D., a graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine.

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Which deodorants and antiperspirants are contaminated with benzene and which are not?

Benzene, a carcinogen, has been detected in over 40 spray deodorants, antiperspirants, and body sprays. Tests were conducted on brands including Axe, Bath & Body Works, Brut, Degree, Dove, Gold Bond, Right Guard, Secret, Speed Stick, Suave, Old Spice, Victoria's Secret and others.

I have read claims that dandelion root tea can stop cancer cells from spreading. Have there been any studies related to the effectiveness of dandelion root extract on certain types of cancer?

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6 Red Flags to Watch Out For When Buying Vitamins & Supplements

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Can any supplements reduce or increase the risk of kidney stones?

Find out which supplements, foods and beverages may increase or decrease the risk of kidney stones, including information about potassium, calcium, choline, turmeric and curcumin, vitamin C, as well as foods and beverages such as green tea, lemon juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, chocolate and almonds.

Why is ConsumerLab important?

This is important, because transparency is woefully lacking in the supplement space at large. They primarily test for identity, strength, and purity. These are the most important factors to safety & efficacy of a supplement. ConsumerLab tests for disintegration as well, which is a more ancillary consideration.

What does ConsumerLab test for?

These are the most important factors to safety & efficacy of a supplement. ConsumerLab tests for disintegration as well, which is a more ancillary consideration.

How does ConsumerLab drive revenue?

Based on the disclosures on their website, ConsumerLab seems to drive revenue in two ways: first by charging a subscription fee to users for access to their content, and second by charging a fee to manufacturers who want to take part in their certification program.

How many words are in a consumer lab review?

There is an entire section above their testing results with background information and review of published medical research on the supplement category, which often exceeds 1,000 words. This may be useful to some readers, but seems cumbersome in our opinion. The core value proposition of ConsumerLab is extensive test results of off-the-shelf products, and their reviews may be more accessible if they were less text-heavy. We believe that if ConsumerLab were to remove all of the information above the test results, or house it elsewhere on their site, the product testing pages would be easier to navigate.

Is ConsumerLab a publicly listed company?

Unlike Labdoor, ConsumerLab is actually run by publicly-listed scientists. Their About page informs that the founder Tod Cooperman is an M.D., and their VP has a PhD in pharmacology/toxicology. Their whole team has impressive credentials which are relevant to their operating model. This is a good sign about their quality of work. We believe strongly that any company informing consumers about health decisions should have scientists or similarly credentialed researchers (PhD, MD) on staff.

Is ConsumerLab good?

One the whole, the data quality on ConsumerLab is excellent, well-referenced, and presented in a neat manner. However, in our opinion, there are some improvements that could be made. In some of their herbal supplement category reviews, ConsumerLab only tests certain subset categories for heavy metal contamination instead of all products. In their ashwagandha review, for example, they only test products containing “whole herbs” and not extract products for heavy metal contamination. You can see in the image below an “N/A” score for the heavy metals section of an ashwagandha extract product:

PRO-SCIENCE

These sources consist of legitimate science or are evidence-based through credible scientific sourcing. Legitimate science follows the scientific method, is unbiased, and does not use emotional words. These sources also respect the consensus of experts in the given scientific field and strive to publish peer-reviewed science.

Detailed Report

Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com, LLC. is a privately held American company registered in White Plains, NY. It is a publisher of test results on health, wellness, and nutrition products.

Which dietary supplements are most often linked to adverse reactions by users?

Find out which types of supplements are most likely to cause adverse effects such as nausea, dizziness, racing heart, or insomnia based on a study of supplement users. Also learn how often adverse effects are reported when taking workout and bodybuilding supplements, weight loss supplements, and more.

How to Reduce Lightheadedness and Dizziness When Standing Up (Orthostatic Hypotension)

Learn about movements that can reduce lightheadedness and dizziness that can occur from a drop in blood pressure upon standing (initial orthostatic hypotension). Plus find out if supplements such as vitamin D and CoQ10 may help.

Do prunes increase bone density or help prevent osteoporosis?

Find out if eating prunes can increase bone density or help prevent osteoporosis.

Which deodorants and antiperspirants are contaminated with benzene and which are not?

Benzene, a carcinogen, has been detected in over 40 spray deodorants, antiperspirants, and body sprays. Tests were conducted on brands including Axe, Bath & Body Works, Brut, Degree, Dove, Gold Bond, Right Guard, Secret, Speed Stick, Suave, Old Spice, Victoria's Secret and others.

I have read claims that dandelion root tea can stop cancer cells from spreading. Have there been any studies related to the effectiveness of dandelion root extract on certain types of cancer?

Find out if research supports the claim that taking dandelion root extract, or drinking dandelion root tea, may be beneficial for cancer patients.

6 Red Flags to Watch Out For When Buying Vitamins & Supplements

When it comes to buying vitamins and supplements, it's buyer beware. ConsumerLab explains six red flags to look out for on labels when choosing and buying vitamins or supplements, including claims of "FDA Approved" laboratories, what to look for in the ingredient list, and more.

Can any supplements reduce or increase the risk of kidney stones?

Find out which supplements, foods and beverages may increase or decrease the risk of kidney stones, including information about potassium, calcium, choline, turmeric and curcumin, vitamin C, as well as foods and beverages such as green tea, lemon juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, chocolate and almonds.

What is Consumer Labs?

Consumer labs is the goto for advice on supplements if one is interested in ones health. Gives me a better option as to which particular supplement to take. Educational! What better way to go when in doubt since this company does the testing for the quality, contents, pricing and studies available, with or without control groups. Thank You

How many stars does ConsumerLab have?

ConsumerLab.com has a consumer rating of 4.72 stars from 428 reviews indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Consumers satisfied with ConsumerLab.com most frequently mention accurate information, side effects and valuable resource. ConsumerLab.com ranks 2nd among Alternative Medicine sites.

Is ConsumerLab a good source of information?

ConsumerLab is my "go to" resource for quality, accurate information. Everything is well researched and I really like the fact that they provide references for you, if you wish to read the studies for yourself. They also update earlier reports when new information/studies become available. The search function makes it easy to find what your looking for. I highly recommend ConsumerLab to anyone looking for a reputable source of information on health and nutrition products.

Pricey to view content

I love the idea of a lab testing different brands of vitamins and sharing the results. However, I didn’t get very far. I was reading what felt like an article about vitamins on their website, although it was more of a teaser about a report they created.

Sometimes misleading hotlinks

I find the information in ConsumerLab reports very useful, however your hotlinks leave something to be desired. They don't always take me to the relevant topic that I'm attracted to and the search to find the relevant topic isn't always successful. Also, I hate to say, but your page layouts are not very interesting or good.

Consumerlab. Poor consumer service

Consumerlabs communication is exceptionally poor. For a company saying it informs consumer advice, Consumerlab did not respond to the many emails sent to them. When eventually they did, they did not answer my questions. What is the problem with this company, Consumerlab, that cannot respond to consumer queries!

Who is the founder of ConsumerLab?

ConsumerLab.com was first to the party. The website was founded in 1999 by Dr. Tod Cooperman , a physician, writer, and consumer advocate, who is also founder of PharmacyChecker.com, an online pharmaceutical price comparison tool. Based in White Plains, NY, ConsumerLab operates on a subscription model ($39 for a one-year membership).

How often does ConsumerLab test for vitamins?

Roughly once every two years, ConsumerLab takes a category of supplement (like multivitamins), gathers up samples of the major brands, and contracts with independent laboratories to test them for identity, potency, purity, bioavail ability, and consistency.

How much money does Labdoor get?

Labdoor has received a total of $220,000 in funding; that money won’t last long when there are labs to be paid for their work. But users may like Labdoor’s more visually appealing interface and complementary content. That, plus the free access model, makes the offering very compelling.

What is Labdoor.com?

Labdoor.com is the newcomer to the supplement rating game, and it has a different business model than ConsumerLab. The company, a startup founded in 2012 but funded in 2014, provides supplement analysis information free of charge. That’s because it sells supplements on its site and gets fees from affiliate links.

Does Labdoor have a press release?

Whenever Labdoor completes a testing process, it issues a press release. Users get Labdoor’s latest supplement rankings by following the company on social media. The company is planning to issue reports on dozens more supplement categories, prioritized and fast-tracked according to level of interest from its social media followers.

Can a supplement be certified?

If the supplement passes all the tests, it can be listed as certified on the ConsumerLab website. Worrisome findings can give the manufacturer the opportunity to address potency or other issues privately.

Is Labdoor a supplement review site?

Enter supplement review watchdog sites Consumer- Lab and Labdoor, both with the ambitious aim to help practitioners and consumers sift through the noise and find safe, contaminant-free supplements that contain what their labels say they do.

Overview

Products and services

ConsumerLab.com reports that its main revenue are from online subscriptions. Other revenue-generating products include books, survey reports and the sale of licenses to publish its proprietary information. Tests are not conducted by ConsumerLab.com but are contracted to independent laboratories. A 2000 New York Times article reports one of the laboratories is Alpha Chemical and Biomedical Laboratories in Petaluma, CA.

History

Personnel

Government and legal interactions

Dietary supplement testing

See also