This post was developed in collaboration with United States Pharmacopeia

If you’re unsure that the ingredients on dietary supplement labels are the actual ingredients in the supplements, you’re not alone. Seventy-three percent of people polled on HealthyWomen’s Twitter and Facebook pages said they don’t trust what’s on supplement labels. Safe supplement use is important, since over 20,000 visits to the emergency room annually are tied to adverse events related to dietary supplements. Additionally, there is no approval process for dietary supplements, like the one the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has for prescription drugs.

In a separate HealthyWomen Instagram poll, 83 percent of participants said they would be more likely to buy a brand if that supplement brand had a mark signifying what was on the label was in the bottle. Thankfully, such a mark exists. The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is a scientific, nonprofit organization that sets federally recognized public standards of quality for medicines, dietary supplements, and foods. The USP Verified Mark means the supplement has been independently tested to confirm the product meets quality standards. USP’s mission is to help ensure the quality, safety, and benefit of medicines and foods through standards and related programs

To help raise awareness of USP and the awesome work they do, HealthyWomen has partnered with them to create helpful resources you can use when selecting dietary supplements. These resources include:

Supplements Facts You Shouldn’t Ignore

How Do You Know If Your Supplements Are High Quality?

For more information, visit www.quality-supplements.org.