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NOW tests SAMe supplements; most were low potency
As part of an ongoing program, supplement manufacturer NOW tested SAMe products sold on Amazon. Most were low potency, and some had no trace of the bioactive ingredient.
2 Min Read
At a Glance
- NOW tested 23 “suspect” SAMe products.
- Most were low potency, and some contained none of the bioactive ingredient.
- This is the second round of SAMe testing, both showing dismal results.
Testing done by supplement manufacturer NOW shows that serious quality problems persist among SAMe products marketed by lesser-known brands. Only three of the 24 products tested met label claim for potency.
This is the 19th round of tests that NOW has conducted on supplements marketed by lesser-known brands on Amazon. As in the other rounds of testing, NOW purchased two bottles of each product. The company tested one sample in its in-house laboratory and sent the other to a Eurofins lab for independent confirmation. As has become common practice, NOW also tested one of its own SKUs along with the others.
SAMe, or S-adenosyl-L-methionine, is a compound found naturally in the body, helping to produce and regulate hormones and maintain cell membranes. As a supplement, SAMe is often used for mood support, joint health and liver support.
NOW noted SAMe is considered an expensive ingredient, which tends to increase the likelihood of economic adulteration, in which brands substitute less expensive material for an expensive bioactive ingredient.
Second round of testing almost as bad as first
This is the second time that NOW has tested SAMe products for sale on Amazon. In the first round of testing done in 2020, NOW tested 11 products and found that all of them were low potency, with two of the brands having none of the bioactive ingredient.
In this round of testing, NOW bought two bottles each of 23 suspect SAMe supplements, and the company included its own SAMe SKU for comparison.
Only three of the products met label claim, as did the NOW product. The rest were significantly understrength, and six brands had no detectable levels of SAMe in the bottles.
Two of the brands tested were gummy products. Gummies are popular with consumers but are not an appropriate delivery system for every bioactive substance as the high temperature processing required can damage delicate ingredients.
Is SAMe appropriate for gummies?
NOW said it was interested in testing the gummies since SAMe has well known stability problems. That issue has led at least a few ingredient suppliers to offer enteric coated beadlet versions of the ingredient.
Neither of the gummy products contained any detectable levels of SAMe.
Some patterns have emerged from NOW’s testing. Five brands that market low-potency products have shown up frequently: aSquared, Healthy Way, Mono Herbs, Nasa B’Ahava and Superior Health. Mono Herbs, which was included in the 2020 round of SAMe testing, tested at zero potency for the second time in four years.
The aSquared brand is a standout among the repeat offenders. Over the years, NOW has tested 13 different lots of the company’s products in various categories and has never found one that met label claim.
As has become standard practice, NOW forwards the test results to Amazon. The online retailing giant has never responded to NOW concerning NOW’s findings.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
SupplySide Supplement Journal contacted those repeat offender brands for which contact information could be found. No responses were received in time for publication.
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