Vitamins and supplements can be essential tools on one’s path to better health. The FDA doesn’t regulate dietary supplements the same way as pharmaceuticals which makes it a paramount concern to only buy from top quality supplement brands.
I’ve taken more supplements, from more supplement brands, for more reasons, than I can recall. I’ll not ever presume to offer the final word on which brand is the best. What I will offer is a list of the brands I’ve come to regard as the best options for buying supplements, with a brief description of each.
Table of Contents
Best Supplement Brands
Below you’ll find a list of the supplement brands I’ve come to know and love. There are plenty of other quality brands out there but these companies to offer quality products, have large catalogs to choose from, and have reasonable availability. After all, what good is a companies quality assurance if you aren’t able to buy their products? In no particular order:
Thorne Research
Thorne Research has a dedicated team of scientific advisors, their own dedicated laboratory and research facilities, and is a pioneer in the field of nutritional science. Their products are produced in NSF Registered GMP facility that is also NSF Certified for Sport. I’ve used many Thorne products over the years and have always felt they offer a higher purity. For example, I had to lower my daily magnesium dose when I switched to Thorne. Apparently, Thorne’s was that much better absorbed! Their amino acid blends are particularly wonderful in my opinion.
Type: Practitioner Brand
Price: High
Quality: High
Availability: Doctor, Authorized Re-Sellers, Direct
Parent Company: Merged w/ Diversified Natural Products (DNP)
Pure Encapsulations
Pure Encapsulations is a practitioner channel brand with a large catalog. They have lots of isolated compounds such as magnesium glycinate and also formulated blends such as multivitamins. Pure Encapsulations is NSF Registered GMP, GFCO-Certified Gluten-Free, and assured to be free of common allergens. Their products are self-certified as Non-GMO. I’ve used a lot of their mineral supplements and amino acids over the years and have always been very happy with the quality.
Type: Practitioner Brand
Price: High
Quality: High
Availability: Doctor, Authorized Re-Sellers
Parent Company: Atrium, Inc (Nestle, Inc. Subsidiary)
Herb Pharm
Herb Pharm is my favorite brand for herbal extracts (tinctures) and has an incredible catalog of products to choose from. Their ingredients are usually organic and non-GMO, are sourced through ethical guidelines from local farmers around the world, and even use wildcraft-harvesting techniques to assure maximum potency. Many of their products are available in either grain alcohol or vegetable glycerine suspensions. I’ve noted benefits from their products when other brands didn’t seem to do much at all.
Type: Consumer Brand
Price: Medium
Quality: High
Availability: Online, Direct, Local Stores
Parent Company: Herb Pharm, LLC
Solgar
Solgar is possibly the highest-quality supplement brand one can expect to find in local stores. Their products are NPA GMP-Certified, often contain USDA Certified Organic Ingredients, are sourced from whole-food ingredients, and are packaged in dark amber bottles to avoid trace levels of toxins and preserve potency. The best part? They’re affordable! I usually stick to practitioner brands I’ve ordered online but when I need something from the local health food store Solgar is a brand I trust to deliver a quality product.
Type: Consumer Brand
Quality: Medium/High
Price: Medium
Availability: Online, Local Stores
Parent Company: Nature’s Bounty (NBTY)
Life Extension
Life Extension has been a beacon of quality and advocacy in the natural products industry for more than 40 years. They have a dedicated scientific advisory board, operate their own NSF Registered GMP manufacturing facility, and produce incredibly affordable supplements. Life Extension is one of my go-to brands when shopping in local stores. They also have an extensive catalog of in-depth health articles to help better understand the complexities (and simplicities) of optimal health.
Type: Consumer Brand
Quality: Medium
Price: Medium
Availability: Online and Local Stores
Parent Company: Quality Supplements and Vitamins Inc.
Gaia Herbs
Gaia Herbs has set the standard for plant-based medicine over the last 25 years. They offer a consumer line of products and a professional line, targeting more specific health needs—both produced under the highest of quality standards. They own and operate a farm in the Mountains of North Carolina from which their ingredients are sourced. Gaia Herbs is B-Corp of whom I find it hard to find enough good things to say about. I’d recommend anyone considering herbal supplements to keep Gaia in mind.
Type: Consumer Brand
Price: Medium
Quality: High
Availability: Online, Direct, Local Stores
Parent Company: Gaia Herbs, Inc.
Douglas Laboratories
Douglas Laboratories has a great product catalog with a strong focus on sports nutrition. They have a product line (technically a separate brand) called Klean Athlete that sells only NSF Certified for Sport products. Douglas Laboratories is an NSF Registered GMP company whose facility is also NSF Certified for Sport. Their products are self-certified as Non-GMO. My experience with Douglas Labs has been primarily with their amino acid supplements, which I find to often be the best value in terms of price vs. quality.
Type: Practitioner Brand
Price: High
Quality: High
Availability: Doctor, Authorized Reseller
Parent Company: Atrium, Inc (Nestle, Inc. Subsidiary)
Klaire Labs
Klaire Labs specializes in probiotics but also offers many other products. Their probiotics are the most highly-regarded, generally speaking, among most health practitioners I’ve spoken with. They have formulations for detox, everyday support, and more specific concerns as well. Their products are available online but—if you’re ordering probiotics—make sure the seller ships them in refrigerated containers!
Type: Practitioner Brand
Price: High
Quality: High
Availability: Doctor, Authorized-Reseller
Parent Company: Soho Flordis International Pty Limited (SFI Int’l)
Vital Nutrients
Vital Nutrients works closely with health professionals around the world to develop powerful nutritive supplements. Their product catalog features isolate compounds, blends based on the latest clinical research, and products designed to address specific health concerns. I’ve been a tremendous fan of their mineral products over the years and believe they have the best deal in town for lithium orotate (know for its neuroprotective benefits.)
Type: Practitioner Brand
Price: High
Quality: High
Availability: Doctor, Authorized-Resellers, Direct
Parent Company: RHG & Company, Inc
Ecological Formulas
Ecological Formulas, a subsidiary or Cardiovascular Research, specializes in products designed to support metabolic and vascular health. Over the past 20 years, their catalog has evolved to include many other products as well. I’ve found their mineral supplements and immune-boosting products to fall within an incredible range of price vs. quality.
Type: Practitioner Brand
Price: Medium
Quality: High
Availability: Online, Local Stores
Parent Company: Arterio, Inc.
Garden of Life
Garden of Life has a large catalog full of products that are focused on organic and certified Non-GMO whole food ingredients. Their supplements are formulated to ensure the natural cofactors and enzymes found with certain compounds are included to maximize bioavailability. Garden of Life supplements are third-party certified to be Organic and Non-GMO and are produced in an NSF Certified for Sport facility. I can’t think of a better whole-foods-based supplement brand on the market today.
Type: Consumer Brand
Price: High
Quality: High
Availability: In stores and Online
Parent Company: Atrium, Inc (Nestle, Inc. Subsidiary)
Jarrow Formulas
Jarrow has a very large category featuring just about any supplement one could hope to find. They’re a consumer brand but I’ve been in many practitioner offices that sell their products directly. Many of their amino acid and nootropic products can be found in local stores such as The Vitamin Shoppe and Whole Foods. They are NSF Registered GMP, feature many NSF Certified Non-GMO products, and maintain their own dedicated production facilities. I’ve had a great experience with the L-Theanine, L-Glutamine, Reduced Glutathione, and 5-HTP products in the past.
Type: Consumer Brand
Price: Medium
Quality: Medium
Availability: Online, Direct, Local Stores
Parent Company: Jarrow Industries Inc
NOW Foods
NOW Foods is perhaps the best all-around supplement brand there is. They produce high-quality products at very affordable products and are available just about anywhere supplements are sold. They’re unbelievably transparent about the certifications their products carry, including USDA Organic, QAI Organic, Non-GMO, and GMP practices. As a company, they continue to demonstrate their dedication to improving nutritional science, consumer safety practices, and educating the public. They have become one of my go-to brands—in stores or online.
Type: Consumer Brand
Quality: High
Price: Medium
Availability: Online and Local Stores
Parent Company: NOW Health Group, Inc.
Bluebonnet
Bluebonnet operates with a mission of keeping ingredients as close to their whole-foods form as possible. They operate their own NSF Registered-GMP facility and many of their products are either NSF Non-GMO, USDA Organic, or Project Non-GMO certified. I’ve found their mineral, vitamin, and amino acid supplements (particularly their N-Acetyl Cysteine) to be very potent. I also like that their products all come in amber glass bottles to avoid residual toxins and preserve purity.
Type: Consumer Brand
Price: Medium
Quality: Medium-High
Availability: Online, Direct, Some Local Stores.
Parent Company: Bluebonnet Nutrition Corp.
Standard Process
Standard Process stands apart from many supplement manufacturers in that they grow many of their own ingredients. Their sustainable farming and production practices make them one of the best whole-foods vitamin brands around. Standard Process might not be a great choice for those with food sensitivities considering their ingredients panels read like grocery lists. I’d recommend them to anyone looking for a whole-foods-based product.
Type: Practitioner Brand
Price: High
Quality: High
Availability: Doctor, Online
Parent Company: Standard Process, Inc.
KAL
KAL has been around since th3 1930s and specializes in mineral blends. They are one of my favorite store brands and adhere to GMP standards, though they aren’t third-party certified. Their chelated magnesium, calcium, and zinc supplements are particularly popular. One of my favorite aspects of the KAL brand, besides being a trustworthy in-store brand, is that their minerals are available in many different forms.
Type: Consumer Brand
Quality: Medium/High
Price: Medium
Availability: Online, Local Stores
Parent Company: Nutraceutical Corporation
Solaray
Solaray products are a great option when shopping in local stores. Their products are produced under cGMP guidelines and avoid using artificial flavoring, sweetening, or preservatives, though their manufacturing facilities are not NSF GMP-Registered. Solaray supplements offer a wide-ranging catalog with a strong focus on botanical and herbal blends but also include such products as probiotics, minerals, and vitamins.
Type: Consumer Brand
Quality: Medium/High
Price: Medium
Availability: Online, Local Stores
Parent Company: Nutraceutical Corporation
Integrative Therapeutics
Integrative Therapeutics is a doctor-trusted supplement brand whose products are developed under the guidance of a scientific advisory board. Integrative Therapeutics operates its own NSF Certifed GMP facility that is also certified to produce OTC-quality products. This is a step above other high-quality supplement brands. I’ve had a very positive experience with their products over the years and have had many health professionals express the same sentiment to me.
Type: Practitioner Channel
Quality: High
Price: High
Availability: Doctor, Authorized Re-Sellers
Parent Company: Schwabe North America
Nature’s Way
Nature’s Way has an incredible catalog of high-quality botanical supplements that range from single ingredient isolates to full herbal blends. Many of their products are TRU-ID verified (DNA-verified ingredients) and Project Non-GMO certified free of GMO compounds. Nature’s Way is NSF GMP-Registered and is one of my absolute favorite in-store brands. I’ve used their products for years and always trust them to deliver quality and potency.
Type: Consumer Brand
Quality: Medium to High
Price: Low to Medium
Availability: Online, Local Stores
Parent Company: Schwabe North America
Xymogen
Xymogen makes some of the most targeted formulations I’ve ever come across. Every Integrative doctor I’ve ever been to relies on their products to deliver potent results. Their products are manufactured in an FDA registered, NSF Registered GMP, and NSF Certified for Sport facility. Xymogen is a practitioner-only brand that can only be purchased directly from a licensed medical professional or through their website with a code given to you by your doctor.
Type: Practitioner Brand
Quality: High
Price: High
Availability: Doctor
Parent Company: Xymogen, Inc
Biotics Research
Biotics Research has been a pioneer in the practitioner channel supplements market for nearly 40 years. Their products are as pure as they come, formulated for maximum efficacy, and trusted by doctors around the world. Biotics Research maintains its own manufacturing facility where they do exhaustive testing to ensure product quality and identity. Biotics Research supplements are available from health practitioners or directly from Biotics Research with a practitioner-provided registration code. You can find their products on Amazon but they are not from licensed resellers.
Type: Practitioner Brand
Quality: High
Price: High
Availability: Doctor
Parent Company: Biotics Research Corporation
Resources
The vitamin and supplement brands listed here are the ones that I’ve come to know and love over the years. My best advice: do not believe a word I’ve written and learn to qualify quality brands yourself. I’ve put together a list of articles and resources that are meant to help anyone better understand how to find quality supplements.
cGMP & Dietary Supplement Manufacturing
NSF Certifications for Dietary Supplements
