10 replies to this topic

[Alistair]

I have been doing some research into different brands of supplements with particular reference to quality of manufacture. I would be interested to hear how people rate Solgar as a brand.

http://www.solgar.co...ufacturing.aspx
http://www.solgaronl...o.uk/index.html

Personally, I found the second link more informative, although it is not from Solgar's own website.

Do many of you have sufficient confidence in this brand to become purchasers?

If not, which brands and why?

Thanks,

Alistair

[pycnogenol]

I have been doing some research into different brands of supplements with particular reference to quality of manufacture. I would be interested to hear how people rate Solgar as a brand.

http://www.solgar.co...ufacturing.aspx
http://www.solgaronl...o.uk/index.html

Personally, I found the second link more informative, although it is not from Solgar's own website.

Do many of you have sufficient confidence in this brand to become purchasers?

If not, which brands and why?

Thanks,

Alistair

I spoke to one of the representatives on the phone today at Solgar and she confirmed that they get all their ascorbic acid (vitamin c) sourced from CHINA.

Question:

Besides The Vitamin C Foundation, who sells vitamin C that is NOT sourced from CHINA? Anyone know? Please help!

What supplement companies use Quali-C (www.quali-c.com) aka DSM Nutritional Products in their C products??? This sure is frustrating.

Edited by pycnogenol, 05 December 2008 - 07:05 PM.

[nameless]

I think Solgar is considered a reputable company. A bit overpriced, but their quality should be okay. I don't like their multi formulations though, but then again, I dislike most multi formulations.

And I wouldn't hold the fact they get vitamin C from China against them. Pretty much every vitamin company gets their vitamin C from China. DSM Nutritional Products is the exception, and I think the only manufacturer of C outside of China now, but I am not aware of who actually uses them.

You could alternatively try vitamin C powders from Now Foods (Amla, Acerola) which may not be from China. Although it wouldn't surprise me if they were. I know Nature's Way has an Alive! C product now from fruit powders (amla, acerola, kiwi, etc). but some of the fruits are from China, one is from India, and I forget where the other one comes from.

[ajnast4r]

solgar is what i consider a mid level brand... maybe my 3rd or 4th choice when I'm looking for a specific product.


dont worry about where your vitamin C is sourced, just worry about a clean certificate of analysis.. as long as the product has tested clean, that's all that matters

[rwac]

solgar is what i consider a mid level brand... maybe my 3rd or 4th choice when I'm looking for a specific product.


dont worry about where your vitamin C is sourced, just worry about a clean certificate of analysis.. as long as the product has tested clean, that's all that matters

AJ,

It'd be great if you could post your brand preferences.
Perhaps, with caveats like expensive or cheap or ....

I have fairly large regimen, but I haven't been paying too much attention to brands yet.

rwac

[pycnogenol]

solgar is what i consider a mid level brand... maybe my 3rd or 4th choice when I'm looking for a specific product.


dont worry about where your vitamin C is sourced, just worry about a clean certificate of analysis.. as long as the product has tested clean, that's all that matters

Hi, ajnast4r

I understand what you're saying, but the source matters to me.

Question:

How does a consumer go about getting a "clean certificate of analysis" anyway? I'm asking you this because I really don't know what the protocol is.

For now, the only sure thing is getting my vitamin C exclusively from The Vitamin C Foundation which is a China-free product (Quali-C).

I really like this quote regarding supplements:

"Many supplements are appallingly badly designed. They're designed by companies who don't know what they're producing
and being bought by consumers who don't know what they're buying. Profound mutual ignorance." - Doctor Paul Clayton

Thanks!

Edited by pycnogenol, 05 December 2008 - 07:57 PM.

[desperate788]

solgar is what i consider a mid level brand... maybe my 3rd or 4th choice when I'm looking for a specific product.


dont worry about where your vitamin C is sourced, just worry about a clean certificate of analysis.. as long as the product has tested clean, that's all that matters

Hi, ajnast4r

I understand what you're saying, but the source matters to me.

Question:

How does a consumer go about getting a "clean certificate of analysis" anyway? I'm asking you this because I really don't know what the protocol is.

For now, the only sure thing is getting my vitamin C exclusively from The Vitamin C Foundation which is a China-free product (Quali-C).

I really like this quote regarding supplements:

"Many supplements are appallingly badly designed. They're designed by companies who don't know what they're producing
and being bought by consumers who don't know what they're buying. Profound mutual ignorance." - Doctor Paul Clayton

Thanks!

Solgar is the only brand I use, I don't know it seems quality to me.

[desperate788]

solgar is what i consider a mid level brand... maybe my 3rd or 4th choice when I'm looking for a specific product.


dont worry about where your vitamin C is sourced, just worry about a clean certificate of analysis.. as long as the product has tested clean, that's all that matters

Hi, ajnast4r

I understand what you're saying, but the source matters to me.

Question:

How does a consumer go about getting a "clean certificate of analysis" anyway? I'm asking you this because I really don't know what the protocol is.

For now, the only sure thing is getting my vitamin C exclusively from The Vitamin C Foundation which is a China-free product (Quali-C).

I really like this quote regarding supplements:

"Many supplements are appallingly badly designed. They're designed by companies who don't know what they're producing
and being bought by consumers who don't know what they're buying. Profound mutual ignorance." - Doctor Paul Clayton

Thanks!

Solgar is the only brand I use, I don't know it seems quality to me.

By the way I started solgars zinc picolinate recently, I wonder if it will have any effect on my diminishing libido.

[ajnast4r]

Question:

How does a consumer go about getting a "clean certificate of analysis" anyway? I'm asking you this because I really don't know what the protocol is.

just contact them... any good company will readily produce them.. a good portion have them right on their websites

[pycnogenol]

Question:

How does a consumer go about getting a "clean certificate of analysis" anyway? I'm asking you this because I really don't know what the protocol is.

just contact them... any good company will readily produce them.. a good portion have them right on their websites

Yeah, well, that is easier said than done unfortunately. I contacted Now Foods in the Fall of 2007 with questions regarding their quality
of ingredients and requesting CoA's and all I got back via email were non-responsive answer "answers" that did not help me one bit. So I
called them up and basically got shuffled around from voice mail box to voice mail box. I left nice, short, friendly messages and guess what?
Nobody called me back! Not one person. Figures, huh? The bottom line is these companies just want you to buy their products and not
ask them any questions.

I find the whole thing sad and troubling. Its all about money. Apparently, contacting supplement companies directly for more detailed information is a no-no.

I really wish all supplement companies were required by law to put on the product label: "The raw materials in this product is sourced from China"
(or whatever country) and have an independent CoA insert in each bottle so the customer knows what they're buying, ingesting, etc.

But wait! That makes way too much sense! I can dream, can't I?

(the Nature's Plus brand puts independent CoA inserts in their products. Are they the only ones that do that?)

I also know most of the people that work for iHerb including Ray Faraee the CEO and even they tell me how "Cro-Mag" the supplement industry is!

I'll just buy my vitamin C from the The Vitamin C Foundation.

Edited by pycnogenol, 06 December 2008 - 03:20 PM.

[pycnogenol]

Solgar is the only brand I use, I don't know it seems quality to me.

Hi, desperate788

What specific products from Solgar do you use? I'm curious.