ConsumerLab in review

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Dear ConsumerLab.com Newsletter Member:

As the year draws to a close, we want to provide you with a quick recap of

this year’s Product Reviews of over 230 supplements, as well 26 important

Recalls & Warnings. Now is the time to catch up on CL’s information (see

below if you are not already a subscriber).

For those who prefer their information in a convenient, printed format,

ConsumerLab.com’s Guide to Buying Vitamins & Supplements was published in

September. The Guide has received glowing reviews and is already in its

third printing.

Subscription to Consumerlab.com and the book also make great gifts to help

protect the health of those you love! See below for easy ways to give them

as gifts.

We hope that you continue to use CL’s information to make informed

decisions on buying and using supplements. Happy Holidays!

In this Newsletter:

***Recap of Reviews***

***Recap of Recalls & Warnings***

***Upcoming Product Reviews***

***Give ConsumerLab.com for the Holidays***

***Recap of Reviews***

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This year was a busy one for CL. New Product Reviews covered 17 types of

popular supplements -- including vitamin, mineral, herbal and non-herbal

supplements. Pet supplements were also included for the first time in one

of our reviews (Joint Supplements) and we will continue to include pet

products in selected reviews going forward.

We also had a major policy change in 2003. As of April 2003, we started

disclosing the names of products that did not meet our testing

criteria. Below, in chronological order, are highlights and a link to each

Review.

PROBIOTICS (January) -- " Acidophilus " and other probiotic supplements gain

in popularity but live bacteria missing in many. One third of the products

tested contained less than 1% of the expected number of viable bacteria ­

with several products containing one-ten thousandth of the amount

expected. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/probiotics.asp

VITAMIN C (March) -- ConsumerLab.com finds improvement in quality of

vitamin C products. In contrast to its prior research, ConsumerLab.com

found that all 15 products evaluated in its newly announced Product Review

of Vitamin C Supplements passed its

testing. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/vitaminc.asp

MEMORY ENHANCERS/Ginkgo Biloba & Huperzine A (April) ­ Low quality

ingredient appears widespread among Ginkgo supplements according to

ConsumerLab.com; points to challenge for FDA's proposed regulations. In

contrast to its findings three years ago, only 22% of the Ginkgo biloba

supplements it tested in 2003 met its quality standards. In late 1999, 75%

of the products it tested met these

standards. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/ginkgobiloba.asp

SAW PALMETTO (May) ­ Consumers advised to read labels carefully when

selecting herbal supplements for prostate. Only two-thirds of the saw

palmetto supplements it recently evaluated contained ingredients similar to

those known to work in clinical

studies. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/sawpalmetto.asp

CALCIUM (June) ­ ConsumerLab.com finds lead in coral calcium product;

Product also charged with false advertising by

FTC. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/calcium.asp

CHOLESTEROL LOWERERS/Guggulsterones, Policosanol, Sterols (July) ­

ConsumerLab.com finds many cholesterol-lowering supplements poorly

made. More than half of the cholesterol-lowering supplements that it

recently purchased failed to contain their listed ingredients and/or could

not adequately break apart to release their

contents. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/cholest.asp

GINSENG (August) ­ Some problems persist with ginseng supplements but

overall quality improves. In contrast to its testing three years ago in

which nearly 60% of Asian and American Ginseng supplements were found to

have significant problems, testing of recently purchased products by

ConsumerLab.com found problems with a far lower percentage ­

17%. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/ginseng.asp

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MUSCLE ENHANCERS/Creatine, HMB, Glutamine (September) ­ Consumerlab.com

finds new forms of creatine (liquid, effervescent and chewables) prone to

problems. Problems were not found among standard creatine " powder "

products. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/creatine.asp

JOINT SUPPLEMENTS/Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM & Pet supplements

(November) ­ Key ingredient missing in some arthritis supplements for

people and pets. Two products for use by people contained less than 20%

and 85%, respectively, of the expected chondroitin. More shocking, two pet

supplements had no detectable chondroitin despite a " guaranteed analysis "

on the label of each showing significant

chondroitin. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/gluco.asp

SAMe (November) ­ Improvement in quality of SAM-e supplements used for

osteoarthritis and depression; but a high priced product found to contain

only 30% of label claim. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/same.asp

HGH (December) -- ConsumerLab.com dispels myths about “HGH†human

growth hormone supplements sold widely on Internet. This article covers

the science behind human growth hormone -- the controversy and limitations

of HGH as a non-prescription supplement. We reviewed the scientific

literature and information about the

products. http://www.consumerlab.com/results/hgh.asp.

You can access any of over 40 past Reviews from

http://www.consumerlab.com/results/index.asp.

***Recalls & Warnings***

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As an important aspect of educating consumers on supplements, CL posted 27

Recalls & Warnings on its web site this year. Topics covered included:

Supplement promoted as cancer treatment removed from market

Government stops supplements claiming to treat obesity & impotence

FTC charges marketers of Seasilver with false & deceptive claims

Non-prescription anti-hypertension pills recalled

The most recent Recall & Warning, as well as an archive of past articles,

is available at http://www.consumerlab.com/recalls.asp.

***Upcoming Reviews***

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Reviews scheduled for release in coming months include CoQ10, Echinacea and

Zinc, Eye Supplements (Lutein and Zeaxanthin), Multivitamins/Multiminerals

and St. ’s wort. You will be notified via this newsletter as these

become available. Many others are scheduled.