Premium supplement brands have one thing in common: use of high quality (not the cheapest) ingredients with the best bioavailability, purity, and potency. These brands typically prefer to use or only use “Whole Food” ingredients and rarely use synthetics, GMO or chemicals. They are not as well known as those Big Pharma, as they mainly target quality-conscious consumers who are willing to pay extra. Just like organic food in grocery stores, they are not cheap. If your budget allows, go for it, and your body will thank you.
Healthcare Practitioner Trusted Brands with Broad Product Line
Metagenics was founded in 1983 on a new scientific concept which they called “genetic potential through nutrition”. Today, it is a global lifestyle medicine company, offering products and programs exclusively to healthcare practitioners. Based on the information on their website, this company sells more than 300 scientifically formulated nutritional products, spent significantly in R&D , had more than 100,000 practitioner customers, and owns 67 patents for diverse nutritional solutions.
The company is headquartered in California.
Founded in 1991, Pure Encapsulations® provides a line of hypoallergenic, research-based dietary supplements available through health professionals and also on Amazon. Their products are formulated using pure ingredients designed to deliver predictable results for the benefit of patients. Manufactured in Sudbury, Massachusetts, products are scientifically tested and validated by third-party laboratories to ensure the highest quality standards. In 2018, it became part of the Nestle family.
Since 1989, Designs for Health® has been one of America’s most trusted sources of superior quality, science-based nutritional supplement products, selling exclusively to the health professionals market. Many of their products are now available on Amazon for the convenience of patients’ refill and general consumers’ choice. This company has two state-of-the-art production facilities in Montana and Nevada. They spend significantly on R&D and only use the best ingredients to produce more than 350 types of products. In 2016 and 2017, it was voted as No.1 Customer Satisfaction by ConsumberLab.com. This company is headquartered in Connecticut, and has about 400 employees.
Thorne was founded in 1984 with its commitment to owning every step of the manufacturing process. Three decades of participating, assisting and investing in clinical trials has earned Thorne the respect of clinicians and the confidence of physicians. Today, it is the leader in innovative, high-quality nutritional supplements. Their science-based supplement products are made with the purest possible ingredients, and contain no gluten or other major allergens. It is one of the most respected premium supplement brands.
The company is headquartered in New York and has a manufacturing facility in South Carolina.
High-end, Organic Brands with Unique Product Lines
Nordic Naturals was created in 1995 by Joar Opheim, a Norwegian student pursuing his MBA degree in California. They source fish for omega-3 products from some of the cleanest waters on earth, notably the Artic Ocean, and bottle all the fish oils in an oxygen-free, nitrogen-rich environment to promote freshness. After 25 years, Nordic Naturals has become known as the omega-3 standard-bearer, claiming to deliver “world’s safest, purest and most effective fish oil”. While fish oil remains its main products, this company has expanded its product line to probiotics, curcumin, and gummy vitamins and now distributes to over 30 countries on 6 continents.
Garden of Life was founded in Florida in 2000. This company has gained great success in providing high-quality whole food nutritional products on the market. All their products are Certified Organic, Non-GMO, Vegan, Gluten-Free & Kosher. Whether they are making a vitamin, or a probiotic, or a protein powder, they always start with real whole foods and these foods provide their formulas the power to be their best. Three principles guide this company: The Science of Whole Food, Clean is healthy, and Traceability. In 2017, it became part of Nestle family.
Newchapter was founded in 1982 and is based in Vermont as an organic herbal supplements maker. All of their multivitamins are fermented with whole foods and beneficial probiotics. Their unique 2-step method brings greater vitality to their vitamins, minerals, and herbs and makes them easily digestible. This company was acquired by, and still operates as a subsidiary of The Procter & Gamble Company. It has 250 employees with estimated sales of $150 million.
MegaFood was created in New Hampshire in 1973. Under their slogan “fresh from farmer to tables”, the company source vegetables, fruits, whole grains and herbs directly from farmers every year, all to use in their supplements. Each vitamin or mineral is paired with an ideal whole food to deliver guaranteed potency and the benefit of health-promoting compounds present in the whole food itself. Their “Big T Transparency” program allows consumers, retailers and partners have visibility into the company’s operations. It creates over 60 handcrafted supplements that make up the MegaFood product line today, found in over 3,500 natural products retailers and vitamin specialty shops throughout the United States. MegaFood is own by Pharmavite LLC, the same company who owns Nature Made brand.
CLE Holistic Health, located in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is a purveyor of unique and potent blended 100% natural health remedies. All CLE ‘s professional-grade nutritional supplements are licensed by Health Canada and have been distributing within North America and around the world since 2010.
All required botanicals are grown organically on CLE’s own farmland plots and are harvested and processed by CLE personnel using CLE’s proprietary methods to obtain highly pure herbal extracts. More than two dozen standards must be met for each CLE product. CLE’s final products are pure, fully organic, potent, and easy to take — and they work.