Q: I knew there would be a difference in the strength of supplements but is there a difference in brand names? For instance, I just heard about a brand Herbalife. Do the expensive brands of supplements work better?

A. No, they shouldn’t if the ingredients are identical. When it comes to herbal supplements, the FDA regulates them as just that – dietary supplements and not as drugs or foods. Manufacturers of herbal supplements do not require approval from the Food and Drug Administration before a product can be placed on the market. As such, manufacturers can claim a product addresses a nutritional deficiency, supports health, and so forth. The rules do not guarantee herbal supplements are safe for everyone to use or that one is superior to another. Keep in mind that any manufacturer of herbal supplements is responsible for ensuring that any claims made are not misleading or false and those statements are backed up by sufficient evidence. The key here is that while the manufacturer makes the statement, there is no requirement to submit such evidence to the FDA.

One easy method of comparing the ingredients in supplements is through the use of the Dietary Supplement Labels Database available on the National Library of Medicine’s website (http://dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/). The database will allow you to review a product by the brand name and will provide information on the active ingredients, manufacturer and uses for the product. This is where you must remain alert by taking a supplement as it is recommended and not exceeding the dosage. Be wary of supplements manufactured in such countries as Mexico, India and China where toxic ingredients and even prescription drugs have been found in some supplements. Be sure to only take one supplement at a time and document its effectiveness or lack thereof.

In a study in the journal BMC Medicine, Canadian researchers tested 44 bottles of herbal supplements bought in the US and in Canada, according to a New York Times article. The report did not indicate the manufacturing location of the products. One third of the samples tested failed to have any of the key ingredients promised. Fillers such as rice, wheat and soybean were used to replace the actual ingredients consumers thought they were getting.

According to one report from 2009, many of Herbalife’s weight management, nutritional and personal care products were manufactured by third-party manufacturing companies, with the exception of products distributed in and sourced from China, where Herbalife has their own manufacturing facility. In 2010 the company held a groundbreaking ceremony in China for a botanical extraction facility for its inner and outer nutrition products. It purchases botanicals directly from farms in Hunan province, China and other regions and sends processed raw materials directly to Herbalife’s manufacturing facilities in both China and California or to its third-party manufacturers throughout the world.

You do not indicate if you are considering a one-a-day vitamin, a weight loss supplement, or something else. The best way to approach the issue is to review your diet. Determine if you can receive your nutrients naturally through fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken, grains, and lean cuts of meat which is the best way to go. If you can’t, compare the ingredient panels on an Herbalife product with a one-a-day generic manufactured in this country to determine if they are compatible. Only then will you have your answer.