We need a clean up in the supplement aisle. It seems like every day a new powder, pill, or gummy hits the shelf, largely without adequate testing or substantiated claims. In reality, the supplement market has outpaced regulatory oversight — and the speed at which the category is growing adds to the confusion and lack of clarity around which products and brands can be trusted to deliver exactly what their label suggests.
When considering supplements that are available on the market, there are a few important things to look out for. By bringing more visibility and rigor to these considerations, we can collectively push for higher standards in the category and clean up the confusion surrounding supplements. Some important elements include:
Third-party testing is critical because it provides independent verification that a product meets the highest safety, quality, and transparency standards—rather than relying solely on a company’s own claims about the product or its label. With trusted independent testing and certification, you can rest assured that the product is safe, and it contains exactly what’s listed on the label.
AG1 is proudly NSF Certified for Sport®, one of the most rigorous independent quality and safety certification programs in the supplement industry. NSF conducts annual audits of our manufacturing facilities, reviews ingredients for toxicology, and ensures AG1 label claims are accurate.
In order to certify a product, NSF conducts extensive audits of productions and production facilities. The final and most rigorously audited round is the NSF Certified for Sport® certification.
NSF Certified for Sport® tests dietary supplements for over 280 banned substances, covering a wide range of stimulants, steroids, diuretics, masking agents, and other substances prohibited in sports. NSF Certified for Sport® also guarantees that products are manufactured in GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)-compliant facilities, where every batch is tested for contaminants and banned substances.
The certification is a rigorous, ongoing process—one AG1 has upheld since 2019. These align with global anti-doping regulations, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Because third-party testing is vital for ensuring the quality and safety of dietary supplements, it’s important that testing happens throughout the entire product development process, in which AG1 partners with world-class testing and diagnostic organizations to ensure that raw materials and finished products meet our high standard for product quality and safety specs.
This includes:
In addition to NSF Certified for Sport® certification, we’re proud to partner with industry-leading organizations that are committed to excellence in testing, including IEH, Alkemist Labs, and Mérieux NutriSciences.
Here are a few things to look for when it comes to testing, all of which are rigorously tested for in AG1 Next Gen.
Anything that comes from the ground, including fruits, vegetables, and even drinking water, is likely to contain some heavy metals.
AG1 is tested to ensure levels of heavy metals are below the guidelines set by US Pharmacopeia (USP) and NSF International, two independent, third-party organizations that set rigorous standards for safety, quality, and compliance. USP guidelines are widely used as a regulatory standard for pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and food ingredients.
This includes:
Common allergens:
Chemicals used in agriculture can disrupt the gut and immune system, decreasing or blocking nutrient absorption.
Rather than relying solely on our suppliers and our rigorous internal standards, we periodically conduct additional third-party testing for over 500 pesticides and herbicides, including:
Microbial testing is crucial for ensuring AG1 is safe to drink on a long-term daily basis.
We test for:
Banned substances include:
The value of comprehensive research on how a product works cannot be ignored, especially when clinical testing is not a requirement. Since we launched AG1 in 2010, we’ve consistently upgraded our formula, guided by the latest scientific research, and we continue to build on our history of continuous improvement.
When considering a supplement product, here are a few things that signal rigorous research:
When it comes to nutrition at its most basic level, everything ladders up to physical absorption. You can consume as many nutritious ingredients as you like, but the crucial point is whether or not your body can actually take them in and use them. This is why looking for supplements that focus on bioavailability is so important. Bioavailability is the extent to which your body can absorb, distribute, and eliminate any given nutrient.
Bioavailability has always been an essential consideration for us. In fact, the driving belief behind AG1 is that high-quality ingredients combined with digestive support can improve the body’s ability to use the essential nutrients delivered. This is why AG1 Next Gen includes an upgraded blend of clinically studied probiotics to support gut health and enhanced ingredients for improved bioavailability, including the methylated B complex. Furthermore, a recent clinical study showed that key nutrients in AG1 Next Gen, including folate, vitamin C, zinc, and calcium, were significantly elevated in the blood after drinking AG1 Next Gen versus placebo. In addition, almost 90% of the measured nutrients were significantly elevated in the blood within 30 minutes of drinking AG1.1
When it comes to bioavailability, the form factor of a supplement plays a significant role. Powders like AG1 are generally easily absorbed into the body, and with less time required to break down what’s inside. In earlier in-vitro testing using a prior version of AG1, it was found that minerals were more bioaccessible (meaning more available for absorption) when delivered in a powder format compared to a tablet. While this research was done on a previous formula, it supports the idea that the powder format may help the body better access key nutrients.
Part of cleaning up the aisle is helping customers be more efficient with their supplement stack. With so many products and brands flooding the market, it’s easy to default to single-function supplements that help target certain benefits, but don’t always focus on overall health and building the best foundation for everyday nutrition. That’s where AG1 comes in. AG1 Next Gen is a more-in-one solution that replaces separate needs for multivitamins, probiotics, and superfoods, blending them into one formula to support foundational health, including gut health and support for immune defense and energy. It’s whole body benefits in one scoop vs. many:
It’s important to feel more confident when evaluating your current supplement stack, or searching for new ones. Understanding the value and importance of research and testing is critical to making an informed decision, especially when there are so many brands and products available on the market. To learn more about how AG1 is prioritizing quality and testing, check out these additional resources:
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
1 In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial assessing nutrient gaps and bioavailability in 16 healthy adults ages 18–42 over the course of 8 hours.
2 Based on an in-vitro study conducted using a previous AG1 formula, with stool samples from three donors and a simulated digestive tract model (SHIME), under controlled laboratory conditions. For more information, visit https://www.mdpi.com/2813-0464/2/4/41
