Key Takeaways
- Dr. Parsons says Amazon acts as a distributor and doesn't perform quality control on supplements.
- Counterfeit supplements can look like the real product while containing something different.
- Buying direct is the safest way to know you're getting what's on the label.
It's easy to assume a supplement bought on Amazon is the same as one bought directly from the company. In this myth-versus-fact video, Dr. Parsons says that's simply not true.
Why Amazon Supplements Can Be Risky
According to Dr. Parsons, Amazon acts as a distributor and doesn't do quality control on the supplements sold there. That makes it possible for someone to buy bottles, recreate a label, and fill them with something else entirely, and the product can look exactly the same to you.
A Real-World Example
Dr. Parsons describes a test Nordic Naturals ran years ago, when the company couldn't figure out why its supplements were showing up on Amazon. After ordering the product and running it through quality control, the company found that what was on the label wasn't in the bottle, and the product didn't come from them.
She's seen this with her own patients, too. Some have bought a supplement from her and later reordered it on Amazon, only to find it looked and tasted different, because it was different.
The Bottom Line
Dr. Parsons' advice is not to order supplements from Amazon. There's no guarantee the product actually came from the company, and you could be putting something harmful into your body.
Supplement quality is one of the biggest reasons supplements don't work. Learn more in Dr. Parsons' video, 10 Reasons Your Supplements Aren't Working, or explore our functional nutrition services.
Read the full video transcript
Myth versus fact: supplements from Amazon are safe and the same. Whoa. Which is it? That is a lie. It's not even in this category. You are risking high-quality, accurate supplements if you buy things from Amazon. Amazon is just a distributor. They do not do any quality control. And in this day and age, it is easy for a Joe Schmo bad guy to purchase bottles, recreate a label, put who knows what in the bottle, and it looks the same to you, but it's not the same. How do we know? Many, many years ago, Nordic Naturals did a test, because they couldn't figure out why their supplements were on Amazon. They ordered from them, ran that product through their quality control, and found out that what was on the label was not in the bottle, and it did not originate from them. Now, especially since COVID, I've had many people purchase something from me first, and then for whatever reason try to reorder it off of Amazon. They already knew what it should look like and taste like, because they got the original from the direct company through me. And when they got their Amazon product, it looked different. It tasted different, because it was different. Do not order supplements from Amazon. You have zero guarantee that it actually came from the company, and you might actually be putting something harmful into your body. So that is a lie. Stop doing it.
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB is a Doctor of Chiropractic, certified clinical nutritionist, and brain wellness expert with 34+ years serving Fresno families at The Natural Path Health Center.
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