Place of origin is not necessarily a cause of concern for every type of product. Clothes, for example, can be made in practically any city, state, or country without purchasers giving it so much as a second thought. After all, clothes are for external use. Products that actually enter into our bodies in some capacity, like food, beverages, medicine, and supplements, need to be regulated much more closely.

Depending on which brand of supplements you choose, a product may be manufactured anywhere in the world. However, since vitamins are under FDA regulations, many brands actually do their manufacturing directly within the United States. This does not necessarily mean that the ingredients themselves are also sourced from the US, though. Ingredients may come from around the world to be used in US manufacturing facilities.

But why should you care where your vitamins come from? Well, supplements made in the United States are subject to the strict regulations laid out by the FDA, meaning that they may have to meet different standards than vitamins manufactured in other countries. A majority of US-made vitamins also have to pass rigorous client trials that test both the efficacy and the safety of the products. For these reasons, you may find that supplements manufactured in the United States could be of higher quality than those made in other countries. 

In this article, we will take you through important qualities to look for in the best supplement brands and explore where some notable supplement brands manufacture their products.

Best Supplements Brands

To figure out the best supplement brands, we first need to think about which vitamin brands to avoid. Locating red flags in supplement brands is quite easy as long as you pay close attention to the ingredients list. Ingredients to avoid in your supplement of choice include artificial sugars, dyes, and fillers. Not only are these ingredients completely unnecessary to the function of the vitamins, but some of them could also have potentially harmful effects.

• Food dyes. It may make a vitamin appear more fun and interesting to children, encouraging them to take it. However, some studies indicate that dyes could affect behavior in children with food sensitivities or intolerances (1).
• Artificial sugars. Like dyes, sugars make vitamins more appealing to children and even some adults. High sugar intake increases the risks for several different health concerns, including heart disease, weight gain, tooth decay, and more (2).
• Fillers. Most vitamin fillers are not directly harmful to the body, according to current research, but the bottom line is that they are not essential or helpful ingredients when it comes to accomplishing the goal of the supplement: promoting your health.

On the contrary, the top nutritional supplement brands in the world should be those that utilize all-natural ingredients and cut out the unnecessary additions like fillers, sugars, and dyes that you see in lesser brands. The vitamins that use better ingredients and fewer fillers may be a bit pricier. Still, it is generally worth the investment to ensure that you and your loved ones are getting the most out of your multivitamins while avoiding exposure to potentially harmful or unhealthy ingredients.

The best supplement brands are also often those that have been certified as organic by the USDA. Organic certification from the USDA guarantees that a supplement contains 95% or more organic ingredients. These ingredients must be harvested naturally in accordance with the standards of organic farming laid out by the USDA. These standards ban the use of GMOs, insecticides, and pesticides (3).

Best Vitamin Supplement

The best vitamin supplement should also be one that utilizes ingredients in safe amounts. This begs the question, “Can you have too much of a vitamin?” To which the answer is an overwhelming “Yes!” It is difficult to overdose on a vitamin unless you take supplements in extremely excessive amounts. However, you should still avoid brands that pack in ingredients way over the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for said ingredient.

Let’s look at vitamin D as an example. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that it is stored in the body when there are extra amounts of the vitamin not being used. For this reason, those taking vitamin D supplements should pay close attention to the label to avoid taking supplements that contain excessive amounts of vitamin D. The same goes for all supplements containing fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, E, and K. Whether we’re talking about the best vitamin D supplement for women or the best vitamin D3 and K2 supplements in general, the choice should be those that stay within the boundaries of the RDA for each vitamin.

The RDAs for the average adult taking vitamins in the fat-soluble family are as follows (4):

• Vitamin D: 15 mcg.
• Vitamin K: 90 to 120 mcg.
• Vitamin E: 15 mcg.
• Vitamin A: 700 to 900 mcg.

Though water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body the same way that fat-soluble vitamins are, it may still be best to avoid supplements that exceed the RDA of water-soluble vitamins as well. Either way, you should always talk to your doctor before taking any type of supplement to ensure they are safe for you. Examples of water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and the 8 B complex vitamins.

Where Are Nature-Made Vitamins Made

When comparing supplement brands, it is worthwhile to make a note of where the vitamins are manufactured. As we mentioned, there are some perks to purchasing products that have been made in the USA. For example, USA-made vitamins are subject to strict regulations from the FDA. They are also diligently tested and often undergo numerous clinical trials before ever hitting the shelves.

It is important to pay attention to where a product is actually manufactured, not just the base of operations for the company. Take Nature Made vitamins, for example. Nature Made is technically owned and operated by Pharmavite, an American company, but the parent company of Pharmavite is a Japanese company known as Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. With this confusing hierarchy of ownership, it is only natural to wonder, “Where are Nature Made vitamins made?” Though the brand is technically under the ownership of a Japanese company, the products are mainly made in the United States, with some manufacturing taking place in Australia, Canada, and Spain.

With this consideration in mind, you may be wondering where other supplement brands similar to Nature Made are manufactured. Here are a few more examples.

Where are Organic Farms vitamins made?

Starting out in Puerto Rico 25 years ago, before branching into the United States, Organic Farm's vitamins are made in the USA with natural ingredients.

Where is the Nutrigold multivitamin made?

The Nutrigold company is family owned and operated, with many of its products being made in the USA.

Where are Nature Bounty vitamins made?

Nature’s Bounty combines ingredients from around the world, but its products are manufactured in the United States.

Where are Nature’s Truth vitamins made?

Owned by Piping Rock Health Products, Nature’s Truth is based in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. Manufacturing, shipping, testing, and quality checks for their products all happen in the United States.

Where is Garden of Life vitamins made?

With a headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Garden of Life’s certified USDA organic vitamins are manufactured in the USA.

Where Are Vitamins Manufactured?

And where are vitamins manufactured when it comes to other top vitamin brands? Are there more USA-based supplements on the market than you originally thought? Let’s find out.

Where are vitamins now manufactured?

Though they do make use of ingredients from around the world, NOW vitamins are made in 3 cities in the United States and Canada: Bloomingdale, Illinois, Sparks, Nevada, and Ontario, Canada. As for a NOW supplements review, they do offer a wide variety of products, including pet supplements, essential oils, cognitive support products, athletic products, weight management products, natural foods, sweeteners, and more. The company’s goal is to manufacture entirely non-GMO products, with most of their supplements verified by the Non-GMO Project.

Where are One a Day Vitamins made?

Many people wonder, “Are One a Day vitamins made in China?” In reality, the supplements brand is owned by Bayer Corporation, which has its headquarters in Germany. However, despite the location of the Bayer headquarters, the actual manufacturing of One-a-Day vitamins happens in the United States. As for a One a Day vitamin review, consider the fact that Bayer Corporation is responsible for a large portion of US vitamin production. It may be worthwhile to instead invest in small, family-owned supplement brands that put more time into crafting formulas that are a safe and healthy fit for every member of the family.

It is important to note that while manufacturing for many supplement brands may occur in the United States, some of the ingredients for the vitamins are sourced from the US. Ingredients may often be imported from other countries. This could be true of any company that manufactures in America, so keep that in mind if purchasing products manufactured and sourced in the United States is high on your list of priorities.

Resources

1. Stevens, Laura J. et al. “Dietary sensitivities and ADHD symptoms: thirty-five years of research.” Clinical Pediatrics, vol. 50, no. 4, April 2011, pp. 279-93, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21127082.
2. Mayo Clinic Staff. “Added sugars: Don't get sabotaged by sweeteners.” Mayo Clinic, 3 April 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328.
3. McEvoy, Miles. “Organic 101: What the USDA Organic Label Means.” USDA, 13 March 2019, https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means.
4. Clifford, J. and A. Kozil. “Fat-Soluble Vitamins: A, D, E, and K.” Colorado State University Extension, 2022, https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/fat-soluble-vitamins-a-d-e-and-k-9-315.