Counterfeit Supplements



Vickeree

Member
Mar 11, 2015
110
18
0
I've heard on a podcast about large syndicates making huge money out of counterfeit supplements. The scary part is that it's very hard to tell the difference between the real and fake ones unless you send the sample for a lab test and even fda agents and experts have trouble with it by just scrutinizing the label and packaging... This makes me double think before buying them online or cheaper products... So where do you buy your supplements and how safe are they?
 
I have never bought supplements online. I either buy from my local health supplement store or in an organic store. I usually find a lot of health supplements in my local store. They have a wide variety of known brands. I buy my multivitamins and minerals from here. I usually buy my protein bars from the organic store. I love the variants they have there. Although it's a bit expensive compared to the grocery, the ingredients used are organic and they're non GMO.
 
I guess a tell tale sign that a supplement may be counterfieted is if you see the same brand at a way cheaper price. It's kinda scary because I hear things like counterfeiters mixing the ingredients with saw dust and other ingredients or reselling expired products by replacing the labels! What supplements do you find gives you the most bang for your buck? @briannagodess? The only supplement I take on a daily basis is creatine, I have fish oil, whey protein too but I only take them when I don't get enough protein or omega 3 fatty acids for that day...
 
Pardon me for this post because this is against so called supplements. One film director who is now in the hospital is suffering from colon cancer despite undergoing surgery 2 years ago. The specialists who is in charge of him now is mentioning the supplement that the director was taking - it has no approved therapeutic claim and may have, take note of that.. may have aggravated the condition of his colon problem. The specialists are advising against the taking of any supplement whether herbal or not.
 
@corzhens i agree on the fact that supplements are not to be taken as a cure for a disease you already have (the best way is to prevent them in the first place is with healthy eating) if you lack certain micronutrient and minerals tho (a lot of people are surprisingly vit d deficient even athletes, ) or macronutrient ( most vegans dont get enough protein and omega 3,) in your diet then the advise against taking all kinds of supplements is downright preposterous. It will depend on your individual needs and goals. And if you do your own investigation, youll find that supplements like creatine are backed with decades of clinical studies and meta analysis research that proves its benefits and safety. There are those tho that are just plain wack and these are usually the ones that promises instant results. It is the responsibility of the consumer to figure out which ones are snake oils and which ones are the real deal
 
  • Like
Reactions: Corzhens
I've personally never felt comfortable buying supplements online. Like you said, realistically there's no way to verify that the product you receive is actually what's it's claimed to be. You can make a guess based on the price and the apparent legitimacy of the seller, but if I'm going to be putting any kind of supplement or vitamin into my body I want to know exactly what it is and where it came from.

I have nothing against taking supplements in general though, and I usually go to an organic or health food store. There are also some athletic places in the area that carry nutritional supplements and even though I've never bought any there it's only because the locations aren't as convenient. Basically any non-sketchy brick and mortar store that gets their product from a legitimate supplier works for me.
 
Yeah I'm aware. Life on a whole is a risk. We won't definitely know if they are bogus until the news actually comes out. We ordinary people have no time to send what we purchase to labs and so forth. I pick up whatever I can whenever I can at the pharmacy near my house. I don't know if they're good. I just pray and swallow the tablets.
 
Most supplements are snake oil anyway. Absorption is an issue with vitamin supplements and the effectiveness and need of other supplements are questionable as well. People need to stop looking for a pill and start eating right.
 
That is the biggest danger of supplements, we don't know what we are ingesting. Nothing like water and bananas as far as I see it.
 
That's why it's always best to buy supplements straight from the store. It's really not advisable to order and buy online specially from non store merchants. There's a lot of counterfeits being sold online, specially in social media sites.
 
That is the biggest danger of supplements, we don't know what we are ingesting. Nothing like water and bananas as far as I see it.

Over here, the disclaimer in the label is clear - no approved therapeutic claims - which means supplement are just like vitamins and they cannot guarantee any prevention of diseases. To be safe, it is better to eat healthy foods instead of buying supplements which has no proof of its efficacy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kakashi
Over here, the disclaimer in the label is clear - no approved therapeutic claims - which means supplement are just like vitamins and they cannot guarantee any prevention of diseases. To be safe, it is better to eat healthy foods instead of buying supplements which has no proof of its efficacy.

A few weeks back there's a government crackdown on fake medicines including beauty products and supplements and moat of these came from China and other southeast asian countries. What's good about our government is that they are now protecting the consumers unlike the previous administrations in which fake supplements was being sold in side streets and wet markets and even small drugstores and salons. Nowadays you get to spend jail time if you're caught selling or importing fake products. Under strict compliance all Sales Clerks and employees caught selling and or present in the selling area would also be liable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Corzhens
A few weeks back there's a government crackdown on fake medicines including beauty products and supplements and moat of these came from China and other southeast asian countries. What's good about our government is that they are now protecting the consumers unlike the previous administrations in which fake supplements was being sold in side streets and wet markets and even small drugstores and salons. Nowadays you get to spend jail time if you're caught selling or importing fake products. Under strict compliance all Sales Clerks and employees caught selling and or present in the selling area would also be liable.

This reminds me of the experience of an actress who is now a beauty queen. Winwin Marquez got hospitalized after taking slimming pills that she bought in Chinatown. Marquez got very sick that she was in critical condition when she reached the hospital. Fortunately she survived that sad episode in her life and later on win the beauty pageant and earns the crown of the Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas. Indeed, we should be discerning with any kind of medication particularly pills and tablets that we ingest.
 
This reminds me of the experience of an actress who is now a beauty queen. Winwin Marquez got hospitalized after taking slimming pills that she bought in Chinatown. Marquez got very sick that she was in critical condition when she reached the hospital. Fortunately she survived that sad episode in her life and later on win the beauty pageant and earns the crown of the Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas. Indeed, we should be discerning with any kind of medication particularly pills and tablets that we ingest.

I hate to admit it but when it comes to vanity in general, in our country people tends to believe everything they see in social media and opts for cheaper knockoffs of branded products and unknown brands being sold in the market. And almost all of these are fake beauty products which sometimes can be deadly and most of the times are health hazards that contain toxic chemicals. I think the government now is doing its part in banning all these fake products to protect the people.
 
I hate to admit it but when it comes to vanity in general, in our country people tends to believe everything they see in social media and opts for cheaper knockoffs of branded products and unknown brands being sold in the market. And almost all of these are fake beauty products which sometimes can be deadly and most of the times are health hazards that contain toxic chemicals. I think the government now is doing its part in banning all these fake products to protect the people

Sad but true. This is happening nowadays specially to the younger generation. Wanting to do things or get things the easier way. What happen? They ended up in hospitals, some even worse. Supplements, in general, for me is not advisable to take as a replacement of vitamins and minerals. Nothing beats eating the right foods. But we can't also deny some of this supplements works. The big NO is buying this in the internet or social media especially if it is cheaper. It's advisable to buy this on the pharmacy or drugstore.
 
Pardon me for this post because this is against so called supplements. One film director who is now in the hospital is suffering from colon cancer despite undergoing surgery 2 years ago. The specialists who is in charge of him now is mentioning the supplement that the director was taking - it has no approved therapeutic claim and may have, take note of that.. may have aggravated the condition of his colon problem. The specialists are advising against the taking of any supplement whether herbal or not.
Oh my God! is the director doing better? I hope so. Honestly, this keeps happening everywhere because we don't make ourselves aware of it. I had a very bad issue years ago, due to some organic/natural drops. They were supposed to help me out with my irritable colon syndrome, and all I got was a bacterial enterocolitis, with some days at the hospital. My fault for trusting on an easy, counterfeit option, instead of a regular one.
 
Oh my God! is the director doing better? I hope so. Honestly, this keeps happening everywhere because we don't make ourselves aware of it. I had a very bad issue years ago, due to some organic/natural drops. They were supposed to help me out with my irritable colon syndrome, and all I got was a bacterial enterocolitis, with some days at the hospital. My fault for trusting on an easy, counterfeit option, instead of a regular one.

My take on supplements is the proof of efficacy and good results. Here in the Philippines, all supplements have a note at the bottom that says - No Approved Therapeutic Claims. That is very clear that the product did not undergo thorough and proper testing methodology that we should not trust the claims of healing and treatment effects. And with the herbal treatments, one advocate named Ernie Baron died of diabetes complications before reaching the age of 60. Obviously, his cleansing diet had no effect on him.
 
My take on supplements is the proof of efficacy and good results. Here in the Philippines, all supplements have a note at the bottom that says - No Approved Therapeutic Claims. That is very clear that the product did not undergo thorough and proper testing methodology that we should not trust the claims of healing and treatment effects. And with the herbal treatments, one advocate named Ernie Baron died of diabetes complications before reaching the age of 60. Obviously, his cleansing diet had no effect on him.
That's one of our biggest issues here, where I live regulations are not as strict as they're supposed to be. In some ways the benefit of it, is the chance to be able to buy meds without many protocols, so population can have access to medications and supplements easier than average. On the other hand, the big issue is that by paying big money, you can sell/buy whatever you want, even if that product can cause future issues. Final result: a lot of terrible results with no responsible person or company.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Corzhens

Similar threads

D
Replies
14
Views
1K
J