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"Every time we do a story that talks about OTC vitamins and supplements, I find myself reminding readers that natural doesn&amp;#039;t always equal safer. These products aren&amp;#039;t regulated by the FDA the same way that OTC (and prescription) drugs are, so there&amp;#039;s no guarantee of what&amp;#039;s in your bottle. Does it contain as much (or too much) of the active ingredient that&amp;#039;s advertised on the label? Will that ingredient do anything to help your health? Does it also contain dangerous contaminants? Who knows!  Fortunately, the FDA is pretty good about stepping in if anything really bad happens (i.e.- people developing liver problems from Hydroxycut), so chances are you&amp;#039;ll hear about a problem (and a product might get pulled) if anything serious crops up. Rather than wait around for bad news, here are some easy ways to protect yourself: \u00E2\u00A2Ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend specific supplement products and brands that they trust. \u00E2\u00A2Look for a seal that shows it&amp;#039;s been tested by an independent organization. For example, The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) tests dietary supplements for quality and purity. Products that pass muster get to put the USP seal on their labels. ConsumerLab has a similar program. \u00E2\u00A2Remember that supplements can be just as powerful as drugs. So if you start taking something new, make sure your doctor knows (to check for interactions with other stuff you might be taking) and keep an eye out for any possible side effects  Which dietary supplements do you trust? \u2014Barbara Brody, Health Editor "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/a43893/safer-supplements-4326/>