ConsumerLab.com finds many arthritis supplements lacking labeled ingredients; Glucosamine and Chondroitin product review published online today.

WHITE PLAINS, NY, March 7, 2000 — Among 25 major brands of supplements containing glucosamine and/or chondroitin used for treating osteoarthritis, nearly one-third were found not to contain all labeled ingredients. These results were reported today by ConsumerLab.com, which conducts the largest independent analysis of dietary supplements sold in the U.S. More alarming, almost half (6 out of 13) of the glucosamine-chondroitin combination products tested did not pass — all due to low chondroitin levels. Similarly, the two chondroitin-only products tested did not pass. In contrast, all ten of the glucosamine-only products tested passed.. One possible explanation for the low pass rate for chondroitin-containing products is economic — chondroitin costs manufacturers approximately four times as much as glucosamine.

"Consumers have to be very careful when selecting these products due to the variability in chondroitin levels," said Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of ConsumerLab.com. Supplements containing glucosamine and/or chondroitin represent one of the largest segments of the estimated $14 billion U.S. dietary supplement market.

The list of products that passed ConsumerLab.com's independent testing, as well as more information about the Product Review, are available at www.consumerlab.com. To further assist consumers, ConsumerLab.com is licensing its flask-shaped Seal of Approved Quality to manufacturers and distributors to use on products that have passed testing. ConsumerLab.com will periodically re-evaluate these products to ensure their compliance with its standards.

ConsumerLab.com purchased the tested products through retail stores, on-line retailers, and direct sales or multi-level marketing companies. This is the third major dietary supplement Product Review reported by ConsumerLab.com. The next Product Review, to be released in late March, is of SAMe (S-adenosyl-methionine) products. SAMe is used in treating arthritis and depression and has grown rapidly in popularity in the U.S. over the past year. By year-end, ConsumerLab.com will have tested most of the popular dietary supplement categories sold in the U.S.

ConsumerLab.com provides online reviews and consumer information about health, wellness, and nutrition products. The company is privately held and headquartered in White Plains, New York. It is not affiliated with companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. Parties interested in licensing content or requesting testing of additional products may contact Lisa Sabin, Vice President for Business Development, at lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com. More information about ConsumerLab.com is available at www.consumerlab.com

Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2000. All rights reserved. For use only by news organizations. Other parties wishing to republish this information are required to have prior written permission from ConsumerLab.com



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