Quality of Herbal and Dietary Supplements

Ms. Parker says "The other thing that really confuses me is what supplements to buy.  Many supplement labels claim that they are the highest quality and are very expensive. Do I really need to buy an expensive product if I want the best quality? You know my situation--I just can’t afford to buy the expensive stuff."

You answer:

(INCORRECT) Yes, you will have to spend a lot more for higher quality products, since the ingredients are made with more regulations in place and require more investments in the production process.

(CORRECT) No; spending more won’t necessarily guarantee higher quality. In fact, quality is regulated by the US government under Good Manufacturing Practices. There are also quality seals you can look for.