When a supplement company is International Drug-GMP certified, it means the consumer is protected. Yes, that’s right, you the consumer are protected against harmful additives in supplements, as well as given a guarantee that what’s listed on the label is what is actually in the bottle.
My probiotic brand, Natren, is the only one I know of in the nation that is Drug-GMP certified.
A Drug-GMP certification entails a third-party, government agency that comes out every 3 years to check the manufacturing plant and production processes. Once the rigorous and detailed inspection is passed, the supplement company can say that they have been Drug-GMP certified.
This process is so important in nutritional supplements, ESPECIALLY probiotics, because there is so little common knowledge about probiotics and what different bacteria can do. Most probiotic strains are beneficial, but those that are still under-studied and are questionable at best are the cheapest and most durable strains. These are the strains that, if left unchecked, can leave a consumer deathly ill.
In the USA, the FDA needs to start regulating supplement companies, but they don’t do so. Currently, a supplement company can say whatever it wants to on its label, with no third party confirming the safety and accuracy of those ingredients. You could literally be taking sawdust or unsafe probiotic strains in a bottle. These risks are just not worth taking.
That’s why in my blog I only recommend Natren, because I am most concerned with safety and efficacy—two words my products are synonymous with! In fact, I was asked to present a case to the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Association of Australia) documenting why certain “probiotic” strains are unsafe to use.
In 1998 and 1999, I presented evidence to the TGA that certain ”probiotic” species were dangerous:
- Bacillus coagulans (deceptively marketed as Lactobacillus sporogenes)
- Bacillus laterosporus
- Enterococcus faecium
- Enterococcus faecalis
Make sure to check your probiotic label for any of the specific species mentioned above, as I and the TGA feel that these are unsafe species of bacteria. Remember, because the FDA does not regulate supplements in the US, these strains could be in the probiotic supplement you are taking right now!
In the future, when buying your probiotic supplements, remember that Natren is the the only international drug-GMP certified safe and efficacious probiotic supplement in the whole NATION.
Visit Natasha's blog at Truth About Protiobics.
