Doctor Trusted Quality

There are several brands of supplements considered to be Doctor-Trusted-Brands which have pharmaceutical-grade ingredients. These supplement brands go above-and-beyond the call of duty to adhere to very rigid manufacturing guidelines ¹ required by the FDA to be able to be trusted by healthcare practitioners around the world. These supplement brands will also be free of Gluten, Soy, Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, Dairy, Wheat, and many other common allergens

Products such as Fish Oil, or Lactobaccillus Probiotics will sometimes contain one of these major allergens, but they are required by law to be clearly listed on the label ². These products are also produced on specialized manufacturing equipment, and will not share the same manufacturing facility as products containing these allergens. Larger companies, such as store brands, are often unable to offer this extra degree of purity, and you will see disclaimers on the label similar to ‘This product was manufactured in a facility that also produces…’ which doesn’t necessarily mean that supplement brand is low quality—but usually means its not pharmaceutical grade quality.

The Best Supplements Support Natural Balance

More and more people are starting to use vitamins, supplements and other forms of alternative therapy—such as using juicers for better nutrition—to help treat such conditions as obesity, menopause, depression, anxiety, food intolerance, Celiac’s Disease, and many, many more chronic health conditions. Many of the factors standing accused of contributing to this global health crisis, such as GMO foods, synthetic food additives, and toxic residues are in many supplements found in stores. In many cases, these ingredients aren’t required by law to be listed on supplement labels—which is why it is so important to buy from Doctor Trusted supplement brands.

More and more people are starting to use vitamins, supplements and other forms of alternative therapy

I have personally taken products from each and every one of these manufacturers, and can attest to their quality, potency, and purity. To get a better understanding of the considerations made when qualifying a supplement as “pharmaceutical grade,” check out our article Pharmaceutical Grade Supplements. Now, without any further ado, and a much better perspective on why it is important to purchase quality supplements; here is the list of the best supplement brands—with the pros and cons of each one. Do keep in mind that any of these brands are almost certain to be much better than any product you’ll find in stores—even your local health food store—and are often only available for purchase online, or through a licensed healthcare practitioner. You’ll be able to find a wide array of supplements made by these manufacturers ranging from some of the best protein powder on the market, to very obscure, hard-to-find isolations that offer powerful support for a wide range of health concerns.

The Best Supplement Brands

1. Pure Encapsulations

Pure Encapsulations supplements are ultra-pure, hypoallergenic, and independently tested for potency. These supplements live up to their name by providing one of the purest and uniquely-blended products on the market. They maintain an FDA-inspected facility, are GMP certified, and are among the elite tier of supplements brands that frequently sell directly to Health Practitioners. These supplements are certified to be free from wheat, gluten, eggs, peanuts, glazes & coatings, GMOs, hydrogenated oils, and many more common allergens. You can learn more about their quality standards on the Pure Encapsulations quality assurance page.

GMP certified, and are among the elite tier of supplements brands that frequently sell directly to Health Practitioners

In addition to such rigid standards of ingredients Pure Encapsulations also tests their products after they’ve been manufactured, to ensure that no contaminants are found before the supplements are made available to consumers. Included in these tests are measures to verify or check for identity, potency,  contaminants, heavy metals, pesticide residue, and several other specialized attributes. These tests and practices help ensure their supplements are of the purest quality. For example, Pure Encapsulations’ L-Theanine, has an average rating on Amazon of 5 stars.

Part of Belnys’ strategy is to have the products independently tested in investigator-run clinical trials. The brand works with global partners to help promote the advancement of the evidence base for complementary health.

3. Thorne Research

Thorne Research is one of the industries leading manufacturers of pharmaceutical grade supplements, with an extensive product line and a quality line of specially-formulated products that aren’t found anywhere else. They are a NSF cGMP facility, and maintain some of the most rigid quality assurance practices within the country. Thorne Research has also partnered with such health authorities as The Mayo Clinic to develop clinical trials meant to help provide useful data on the effectiveness of supplements in addressing modern health concerns. As opposed to many supplement manufacturers, Thorne Research doesn’t simply abide by FDA regulations; they help define them, and push to increase their stringency on a regular basis.

Partnered with such health authorities as The Mayo Clinic to develop clinical trials meant to help provide useful data on the effectiveness of supplements in addressing modern health concerns

Throne Research offers a tremendous line of products that help to address very specific health concerns. These supplements are trusted my many healthcare professionals around the world as an effective means of treatment for many different concerns. Another great part about Thorne Research supplements is that, unlike many brands on this list, they are available for purchase in some local health food stores. Thorne feels confident enough in their own science backed data to sell directly to consumers.

4. Douglas Laboratories

Douglas Laboratories has been around for over 60 years, hailing as one of the most well-respected manufacturers of pharmaceutical grade supplements on the market. They offer a wide variety of supplements and are most-renowned for addressing metabolic issues through natural endocrine supporters as well as highly bioavailable enzyme formulas. Douglas Laboratories is a socially-responsible company which donates a portion of their revenue to SOS Children’s villages, which helps care for orphaned and abandoned children.

Offers a unique guarantee to athletes that their products are free of any substances banned for formal competition.

An excellent example of the type of quality, specialized products from Douglas Laboratories is their Calcium D-Glucarate product, which aids in detoxification and energy production within the body. This supplement is not commonly found on store shelves, and rarely offered in a pharmaceutical grade form. To learn more about this supplement, check out our article Calcium D Glucarate: Aids Liver Detox & Cancer Prevention. These supplements aren’t found in stores and are only available online and from licensed healthcare professionals.

5. Metagenics

Metagenics was Founded in 1983, and this California based manufacturer prides themselves in their utilization of science-backed supplements. They have conducted extensive research in the field of nutrigenomics—using supplements to help establish and maintain balance on a genetic level. By using this unique and powerful approach, Metagenics have firmly carved out a position amid the top five list of best pharmaceutical grade supplement manufacturers. Metagenics boasts the following quality assurances:

• Triple GMP certified
• 400+ Product Assays per year
• 3000+ Raw Ingredients Tested Annually
• Integrated Lifestyle Management programs
• 230+ Patents
• 80+ Published Scientific Essays

Metagenics excels at producing supplements like Magnesium Glycinate, which is a unique form of magnesium that is able to use channels that are normally associated with amino acid absorption. This allows a much higher bowl tolerance, as well as a much higher level of absorption. This attention to detail and focus on specialized formulations has earned Metagenics a well-deserved spot on this list.

6. Vital Nutrients

Vital Nutrients is another pharmaceutical grade supplement manufacturer that is trusted by doctors to treat a variety of health conditions. They have their own in-house team of qualified health professionals to develop their products in accordance with scientific data. Their manufacturing facilities are certified cGMP by the FDA. Before one of their products hits the shelves, it is tested for Microbiological contaminants, residual solvents, heavy metals, aflatoxins, pesticides, melamine, PCBs, Dixions, and GMOs

Vital Nutrients has their own team of qualified health professionals which develop their products in accordance with data gathered from scientific research

Vital Nutrients truly excels in their offering of unique compounds such as their Lithium Orotate supplement. For example, 5MG of Lithium Orotate is as effective as a 180MG dose of Lithium Carbonate. This allows for the neuroprotective benefits of lithium ⁴ to be seen without the commonly-associated toxic effects from prolonged usage. To learn more about this supplement, check out the article Lithium Orotate: A Powerful Neuroprotective Supplement. Overall, Vital Nutrients has a well-deserved place on this list and is recommended by professional health practitioners globally.

7. Designs for Health

Designs for health is another manufacturer that touts the classification of being doctor-approved, and is quite frequently prescribed by Health Practitioners and integrative doctors. They began their trip to the circle of most-trusted supplement manufacturers by providing nutritional counseling and educational services, which was so successful it lead to their development of customized supplements especially for their programs. As with many manufacturers on this list, Designs for Health has been able to develop quality products and unique synergistic blends by relying on science-based research conducted by their own investigations. Quite appropriately, this company’s motto is “Science First.”

Specifically designed to assist your unique dietary lifestyle, and is the self proclaimed—Paleo Company

Designs for help has an extensive product line, which covers all the basic vitamins and minerals that one is accustomed to seeing on the shelves. In addition, they also specialize in synergistic blends of very specific compounds. For example, their GI-Revive product is a blend of herbal ingredients as well as isolated compounds such as L-Glutamine. This product is designed to help restore digestive health, and is often recommended to take after exposure to prescription medications such as anti-fungals, anti-parasitics, and anti-biotics. Such restorative supplements are great after completing such treatments as a parasite cleanse or other similar protocols that cause stress to the digestive system.

8. Klaire Labs

Klaire labs, owned by parent company ProThera, has a strong focus on digestive health, and offers a very powerful line of digestive and proteolytic enzymes as well as some of the best probiotics on the market, all of which are hypo-allergenic and very pure. Klaire Labs’ Ther-Biotic Detoxification Support probiotic product is regarded by many as being un-comparably potent. It can be a bit pricey, has to ship 2 Day FedEx, and has to have a  special ice-pack packing supplied. Klaire Labs produces the most-potent products available for commercial sale, and is trusted by healthcare professionals worldwide to deliver powerful results.

[ProThera & Klaire Labs’] probiotics are regarded as the purest and most potent available, and often provide results to patients that have otherwise seen little effect from probiotic use

Also of note, is their biofilm-busting superstar Interfase Plus, which has a specially formulated blend of proteolytic and anti-fungal enzymes. These powerful enzymes offer support in any anti-fungal or anti-biotic treatments by helping to “soften up” the targeted organisms making them more susceptible to effective treatment ⁵. Therbiotics and Klaire labs products aren’t available in stores, and can only be bought directly from a licensed medical professional or online.

9. Biotics Research

Biotics Research is renowned for offering a highly-pure, highly bio-available product that helps to ensure effectiveness and viability once in your system. They employ highly-specialized quality assurance teams that perform rigorous testing through the use of sophisticated analysis technologies such as high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). This testing is conducted on all incoming raw material, during manufacture, and also on finished products before they are released for sale. All of their facilities are cGMP (current good manufacturing practices) certified, and is considered by many to not just be within this scope of compliance, but one of the companies that helps push such expectations.

Biotics Research’s focus on co-absorption factors such as minerals for chelation or added enzymes for better absorption really set this brand apart.

For example, their product Neuro-5-HTP Plus is a market contender for 5-HTP, which is used to help calm stress and acts as a precursor to serotonin—our bodies’ most abundant neurotransmitter. This product is also thought help in the body’s digestive processes, helping to maintain healthy Microvilli (they line the gut walls.) To ensure their 5-HTP product is completely bio-available, Biotics Research has included Niacin and Vitamin B6 to help with absorption, as well as Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase to help with enzymatic breakdown. This is a prime example of why this company belongs at the top of this list—their products are developed and manufactured in a superior manner, which helps get superior results. Biotics Research supplements aren’t available for purchase in local stores, and are only found through licensed professionals and online.

Honorable Mentions

There are many other pharmaceutical grade manufacturers out there that offer truly magnificent products at very reasonable prices. With the rise in consumer demand for toxin free health products, as well as the growing interest in treating health conditions naturally, it is becoming easier to find these products. The following list details some of these companies that offer amazing products, and often manage to find a way to do so in an affordable way.

• Ecological Formulas
• Belnys
• Energetix
• Gaia Herbs Professional Solutions
• Herb Pharm
• Transformation Enzymes

These companies all put quality above price considerations, and commit themselves to providing non-GMO ingredients, non-allergenic and gluten-free supplements. Most of these brands can be found in local health food stores or some larger chain stores such as Whole Foods or The Vitamin Shoppe. Each of these brands are also available online from many retailers such as Amazon which can save you a considerable amount of money on cost and shipping.

Buying Supplements Online

As you may have noticed, most of these supplement brands aren’t easily found in local stores, and are only available for purchase online. The FDA regulates these supplements as food items, therefore unable to make any claims as to benefiting or treating health concerns. These companies devote a tremendous amount of time to the development of compounds for specific health concerns, and therefore restrict their sale to licensed health professionals. What this means is that while perfectly legal to purchase without a prescription, you won’t find many of these supplement brands for sale by local retailers or health food stores. You can, however, find nearly all of them online.

The supplement brands on this list represent some of the most-powerful compounds on the market

Buying these supplements online is the best option for most people, as you can easily find the products you are looking for, often buy directly from the manufacturers, and usually save a considerable amount of money. These brands are all very well-trusted, have great reviews on Amazon, and are usually part of retailer programs such as Amazon Prime (a great option to sign up for if you buy from Amazon often). In addition to the Amazon stores for these brands, the Pure Formulas offers a great selection of these high quality supplement brands, as well as many others. They are a great place to learn more about the many different health benefits offered by supplements. Aside from Amazon, they are one of the few manufacturers that carry a consistent line of these high-quality supplements—and they even maintain an ongoing list of doctor-trusted supplement brands.

Final Considerations

The supplement brands on this list represent some of the most-powerful compounds on the market, and are often recommended by licensed health care professionals in the treatment of their patients. It is recommended that you seek the advice of a licensed professional before altering your diet or supplements in any way. You shouldn’t consider this article as advice on which supplements are the best suited for you individual needs—just which supplement brands offer you the most pure, powerful, and trustworthy product available on the market.