Are Pesticides Lurking in Your Medicine Cabinet?

Pesticides can find their way into dietary supplements, especially in plant-based ingredients. Learn how they get there and how to avoid them.

A boy is looking at a vitamin capsule in his hand - Are Pesticides Lurking in Your Dietary Supplements | NSF

Did you know the dietary supplements you take may contain pesticides? And while it may not be as dangerous for you to ingest them as it is for an unsuspecting bug, it’s certainly best to avoid them, particularly if you use a supplement regularly.

So how do you know if pesticides are in your vitamins and dietary supplements? I asked our NSF experts to help you understand the impact.

Buyer Beware

Small levels of pesticides may not make you feel sick, but they may cause long-term health problems. This is especially true for young children and people with chronic health conditions.

Where Do They Come From?

As you probably know, pesticides are substances used to control or eliminate pests, like insects or fungi. They can be sprayed on plants that make up the ingredients of supplements or used in manufacturing facilities.

How Do I Know if the Supplements I’m Taking Are Safer?

If the supplements you buy aren’t tested and certified, and if you’re ingesting pesticides regularly, the risk of health problems increases. The easiest way to avoid unsafe levels of pesticides in supplements is to look for the NSF Certified for Sport® mark before buying. Certified for Sport^® products are tested in independent, accredited labs to verify that they do not contain unsafe levels of contaminants. You can consume your products confidently, knowing they are free from dangerous levels of pesticides and other harmful ingredients, like heavy metals or banned substances.