What's Really in Resveratrol Supplements? Some Contain Little Resveratrol or Do Not Meet Quality Standards According to ConsumerLab.com

WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK — September 19, 2013 — Resveratrol supplements have been popular since 2006, when studies in animals showed "life-extending" and "endurance-enhancing" effects, among other potential benefits. In fact, a recent survey by ConsumerLab.com of more than 10,000 supplement users showed that 20% had taken a resveratrol supplement in the past year. But how good is the quality of these supplements on the market, and how do they compare? To answer these questions, ConsumerLab.com recently purchased and tested many resveratrol supplements.

ConsumerLab.com found that most resveratrol supplements contained their claimed amounts of the ingredient (50 mg to 250 mg of trans-resveratrol per serving), passed tests for lead and cadmium contamination, and, if tablets, were able to properly break apart. However, ConsumerLab.com discovered that one resveratrol supplement contained only 2 mg of resveratrol per capsule less than 2% of the amount provided by most other products. Another supplement failed to break apart properly in disintegration testing. A third resveratrol product lacked a proper description of the plant source of resveratrol as required by the FDA. Among the products which passed testing, ConsumerLab.com found the cost to obtain 100 mg of resveratrol ranged from more than $3 to as little as 6 cents, indicating a large potential savings for consumers who comparison shop.

ConsumerLab.com's Resveratrol Supplements Review is available at https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/resveratrol_review/resveratrol_red_wine/. It includes quality ratings, price comparisons, and ingredient comparisons for 10 products selected, tested, and rated by ConsumerLab.com as well as for seven that passed ConsumerLab.com's Quality Certification Program. Also listed is a product which is similar to one that passed testing. Resveratrol supplements included in the report are 21st Century Resveratrol Red Wine Extract, Country Life Resveratrol Plus, Finest Nutrition (Walgreen) Extra Strength Resveratrol, Life Extension Optimized Resveratrol, Nature's Code (QVC) Resveratrex, NutriGold Resveratrol Gold, Olympian Labs Clinical Trans Resveratrol, Pure Encapsulations Resveratrol VESlsorb, Puritan's Pride Resveratrol, Puritan's Pride Resveratrol Plus Red Wine Extract, Reserveage Organics Resveratrol, Resvinatrol Complete, Shaklee Vivix, Solgar Resveratrol with Red Wine Extract, Swanson Resveratrol, Trunature (Costco) Maximum Strength Resveratrol, Vitamin Shoppe Reservie Trans-Resveratrol, Vitamin World Extra Strength Resveratrol Plus Red Wine Extract. The report also provides information about the cis- and trans- forms of resveratrol, dosage, side-effects, and concerns and cautions with resveratrol supplements, as well as information about resveratrols clinical effects.

ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online, providing immediate access to independent reviews of more than 1,000 products. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. ConsumerLab.com is affiliated with PharmacyChecker.com, which helps consumers evaluate online pharmacies and compare drug prices, and MedicareDrugPlans.com, which reviews and rates Medicare Part D plans.



— END —

back to top