CL Reports Problems with Vitamin D Supplements

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.Vitamin D has made headlines in the media of late for its potential health effects; however, a new report from ConsumerLab.com found problems with 29 percent of vitamin D supplements it tested. Among the most serious issues were lead contamination found in two combination vitamin D/vitamin K/calcium products; and missing label claims for active amounts. One supplement gummy for children had 251 percent of the listed amount of vitamin D, while a gummy for adults had only 32 percent. Additional label concerns were associated with missing allergen disclosures and FDA disclaimers.

ConsumerLab includes the names of companies involved in the reviews in its general news releases, but doesnt indicate which ones passed or failed testing, nor the levels of active ingredients in the products. However, the reports with complete findings are available for purchase from ConsumerLab.

The report on vitamin D supplements, including combination products with calcium and/or vitamin K, provides findings for 28 supplements randomly selected for testing, 21 additional products that passed the same testing under ConsumerLab.coms Voluntary Certification Program, whereby companies can pay to have their products tested by ConsumerLab, and three supplements similar to ones that passed testing. The report also includes cost comparisons among products, differences between vitamin D2 and D3, recommended dosages by age and usage, and potential drug interactions and side effects of vitamin D supplements.