This is a sponsored article written by Lance Lira, co-owner of Boerne’s local natural grocery and supplement shop, Nature’s Presence.

Have you ever tried a vitamin or supplement only to find out it did not “work” for you? Did you know that supplements are not all created equal? Who is in charge of finding out a vitamin or supplement claim is actually even true for the product?

These are questions that have been asked many times but very few folks know the answer of why, or who. There are countless customers we have spoken to who say they have tried a supplement at some point in their life, only to find it did nothing for them.

There are many manufacturers out there that cut corners when sourcing their raw materials, and even when making their products. These unscrupulous companies do not care whether they are making a product that will help anyone, only that they can make a profit on what is being sold.

Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more common in the marketplace. While the supplement industry is regulated, there is very little policing of products as it is rather expensive to look at every product being created, and there is no governmental body providing this oversight.

This is why it is important to know how a product is tested and also to know from where you are purchasing your supplements.

A quick search on Google will show you the increasing occurrence of counterfeit supplements, especially through online sales. Even sites like Amazon are plagued with more and more counterfeit products.

This is primarily due to the high sales volume through these various sites meaning that companies find it difficult to stop the proliferation of counterfeit products. The anonymity often afforded with sites like Amazon make it very difficult to catch the perpetrators as well.

So how do you protect yourself from counterfeit products and know you are paying for a quality and genuine product? This is where it is important to purchase locally from a trusted retail store. Ask if Certificates of Analysis are available for the supplements you are wanting to take (these should be easy to get… if you have to do a lot of digging to get this information, that should be a red flag).

Ask your local store about the companies that make the supplements and how they source their raw materials.

Any reputable store is going to have supplements made by reputable manufacturers who independently test their products. Many of these products may come with money-back guarantees, which makes those products truly stand out in the market.

Most importantly, your local store is going to be working directly with the company making the supplements, so you can be assured you are getting real products and not counterfeits.

Please feel free to reach out to us directly at 830-249-4603 or at Support@NPBoerne.com with any questions.