Why You Shouldn’t Buy Generic Vitamins and Supplements

When you browse the hundreds of vitamins and supplements at your local grocery or health food store, which one do you choose? The cheapest, right? Aren’t all vitamins the same? 

Not at all. Much like the rest of the groceries you buy, vitamin brands significantly vary in both quality and price. Quality of ingredients, bioavailability, manufacturing standards, and additives all affect your ability to benefit from your vitamins. 

Choosing cheap supplements is a bit like opting for a $1.99 pack of hot dogs instead of cured sliced meat from the deli. The difference in quality is apparent from production to nutritional value. 

When it comes to providing your body with the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need to live, well, you don’t want to choose the “hot dogs” of supplements. In this article, the Manna team explains why generic supplements may not be made with your best health in mind. You will also learn how to identify quality vitamins next time you go shopping. 

Why Generic Supplements Risk Your Wallet and Your Health

Many people trust their generic vitamins to get the job done because they think vitamins are regulated like medicine. After all, they come in pill form, they’re sold at the pharmacy, and they claim to improve your health. 

But the FDA actually doesn’t regulate supplements as drugs. They regulate supplements as food, since their definition of a supplement is “a product taken by mouth that contains a “dietary ingredient” intended to supplement the diet.” While these supplement companies need to be honest about what’s inside the bottle and on the label, they don’t necessarily have to go into depth on the quality of the product as a whole. 

The quality of supplements can vary as much as the quality of all other edible products. And as you know, many food products are not good for you. For example, the manufacturer of off-brand hot dogs is also required by the FDA to accurately list their ingredients on the label—but it doesn’t mean those hot dogs are healthy. In fact, they contain a lot of questionable ingredients—much like generic supplements.

And it gets worse. Generic supplements are made to undercut quality brands that cost more, and they’ll do anything to keep prices low. Sometimes, they add prohibited and harmful substances to their supplements, knowing that the FDA doesn’t have the resources to control every batch of vitamins they produce [1]. 

Generic supplements are made to be a cheap alternative and not as a product for optimal nutritional support. Shoppers who really want to maximize their daily nutrition shouldn’t waste their cash or risk their health on low-quality supplements. 

Reasons to Avoid Generic Vitamins and Supplements

Low-Quality Ingredients

Vitamins and minerals come in different forms. Some forms are better than others, and some are used for specific conditions (as opposed to foundational daily nutrition). For example, some magnesium supplements contain magnesium citrate, while others contain magnesium oxide. Magnesium oxide was found to be less effective as a dietary supplement but is sometimes recommended as an antacid [2]. 

Many generic vitamins contain magnesium oxide, along with other less effective forms of vitamins and minerals. While these supplements are cheaper, they may not deliver the nutrition you need. They might even upset your stomach. 

It can be common to find ineffective ingredients in generic supplements. While these supplements might be cheaper, they may not be delivering the nutrition you need.

Low Bioavailability  

Many generic supplements are made with forms of active ingredients that your body can’t easily absorb. A capsule may contain 100% of your daily magnesium, but your body might only be able to absorb about 10% of the nutrition. Even if the product contains a good nutrient source, poor quality control with tableting could mean it wouldn’t properly disintegrate in the stomach.  

It’s much wiser to pay $20 for vitamins with 80% bioavailability than $10 for vitamins with 20% bioavailability. 

You can’t use the % Daily Value (DV) on the supplement label as a gauge on how much of a nutrient your body will receive, either. It’s completely possible for generic supplements to say that a capsule contains 1,000% of your daily vitamin C. Technically and legally, the supplement may contain that much. However, your body may only be able to absorb a fraction of the nutrient-dependent on the method of delivery.  

Other factors limiting bioavailability include additives, packaging, and storage. These are all things that should be considered when choosing a supplement, and not all of this information is typically found on a product’s packaging when cruising down the grocery aisle. 

Harmful Additives

Additives are the other stuff you find in supplements besides the active ingredients. These include preservatives, flavors, and agents to give supplements their shape and color. 

It’s important that these additional ingredients are clean and don’t hinder the efficacy of the active ingredients. For example, Manna uses inactive ingredients like organic cane sugar, sea buckthorn, and Himalayan salt, which have a long history of safe use in human nutrition. We also use the latest science to formulate our supplements so the inactive ingredients don’t prevent the actives from doing their job. 

Generic vitamins often use cheap fillers that affect nutritional value, such as glazes, magnesium stearate, and GMOs. Some even contain potentially toxic additives like heavy metals, lead and mercury [3]. 

Low Manufacturing Standards

Do you know how or where your vitamins are made? Are the facilities clean? Whose (ungloved) hands are touching them? Poor manufacturing practices can lead to contamination of your vitamins and unreliable concentrations of active ingredients. 

While the FDA requires certain good manufacturing practices (GMPs) in supplement production, it doesn’t require supplements to be made in GMP-certified facilities. Without this important certification, it’s difficult to know how your vitamins are being produced, handled, packaged and stored. 

Quality products, such as Manna Liposomal supplements, are made following GMP guidelines and are subject to rigorous quality control standards. 

Science vs. Sales 

High-quality supplements are formulated by nutritionists and food scientists using up-to-date scientific research. They contain nutrient concentrations and forms that are easy for your body to digest and absorb. These supplements are made with a focus on quality and efficacy. 

However, the supplements industry brings in billions a year, so it’s very profitable for big-box store brands to undercut the quality products to make a buck. Their aim is not to create a nutritious product based on science but to “cash in” on the vitamin market. Think of it this way, buyers for the big box stores buy everything from socks to furniture.  Do you really think they know what’s best when it comes to your health and nutrition? 

Without experts and research, their costs are much lower. But what happens to the quality of the final product? The results can be unpleasant. Some brands boost the concentration of vitamins in order to inflate their perceived value and win a perceived “Horsepower” race. But taking too much of a vitamin can cause side effects like an upset stomach, headache or even have toxic side-effects [4]. Others use cheap ingredients that can make you feel sick or render the nutrition ineffective. 

Formulating vitamins is a science. When the scientists are removed in favor of profits, you never know what you’re putting into your body.  

How to Choose High-Quality Supplements

Now that you know why you should avoid generic supplements, it’s time to find a vitamin brand that you can trust. Here are a few tips to help you choose supplements with high nutritional value.

1. Read the Supplement Facts panel (SFP): The SFP is the list of ingredients on the supplement label. This panel will tell you exactly what’s in your product and in which concentrations. 
2. Pay attention to vitamin forms: Remember that not all vitamin forms are created equal. You can find the vitamin form below the vitamin name on the SFP. Do a quick search on your phone to find out if it’s effective or not.  
3. Look for a GMP Claim: GMP procedures are an assurance that the product is produced in a facility that meets good manufacturing standards such as QC validation, documentation, testing, cleanliness, competence of workers, and functional equipment (just to name a few).  
4. Ask an expert: The most reliable way to find out which supplements are best for your specific health goals and needs is to consult with a nutritionist, dietitian or naturopathic practitioner. You can also contact our knowledgeable Customer Service team! 

The Manna Difference

Manna Liposomal Vitamins stand apart from generic supplements and other vitamins you see on the shelves. Manna was founded with the goal of producing products developed by scientists, dedicated to making supplements using the the most up-to-date research and technology to maximize the nutrition you get from each dose. Technology has improved virtually every facet of our lives, including our knowledge of nutrition.  Why would you still use “old technology” like tablets, capsules, and powders, when cutting-edge liposomal delivery is an option? By putting quality and science above profit, we have optimized your health experience to be more nutritious, convenient, and sustainable.       

Manna vitamins are:

Highly bioavailable: Manna’s NANOFUSE® liposomal technology is an industry-leading delivery system that maximizes bioavailability. Liposomes form a protective shield around vitamin and mineral compounds, allowing you to absorb up to 10x more nutrition with every dose. 

Easy to take: Manna vitamins come in a delicious liquid form! You won’t have to swallow pills or mix powders to get your daily nutrition. Just tear open a single-serving packet or pour a spoonful!

Made with high-quality ingredients: The best nutrition comes from the best sources. So, Manna uses those sources in our supplements. We take the best that nature has to offer and make it better.  

Based on science: We carefully determine the dosage of our vitamins based on what science says our bodies need. We don’t subscribe to the unscientific “more is better” approach common in generic supplements. 

Made in a Manna GMP facility: We built our own uber-modern manufacturing facility designed specifically for our liposomal technology. Our Chief Scientist and Production Manager observe the production process at every step and ensure compliance with all GMP guidelines. 

Manufactured in the USA: Manna Liposomal supplements are proudly made in California. 

Next time you go shopping for vitamins, remember that the difference between a generic bottle of capsules and a scientifically-formulated supplement can be huge. To get the most nutrition for your money and health (and avoid side effects and unknown ingredients), choose a nutritional supplement formulated by nutritionists.

Ready to find your next multivitamin, immunity booster, or calcium supplement? Explore Manna Liposomal Vitamins here.