Supplements

Most nutritional supplements contain excipients that contribute functional or structural properties, such as fillers, binders, and lubricants. At Thorne, we minimize the use of these “Other Ingredients” and we refuse to include unnecessary excipients that can interfere with dissolution, or absorption, or otherwise detract from the optimal use of the product. Every ingredient in a Thorne product, including the “Other Ingredients,” are sourced from the purest sources possible. Each ingredient is scrutinized and preference is given to ingredients that are free of contaminants and minimize allergens. Thorne believes in total label transparency. That means there are no hidden inactive ingredients. Every ingredient in a Thorne product, whether active or inactive, is listed on the product label.

Many Thorne customers who take prescription or over-the-counter medications want to know if nutritional supplements can be taken at the same time. For medication/supplement interactions we know about, we note them on the product label and our website. However, there is always a possibility that you could have an individual reaction to taking a particular medication and a particular nutritional supplement at the same time. Therefore, we always advise that you consult with a qualified health-care practitioner – preferably the one who prescribed or recommended your medication – before you begin taking a nutritional supplement at the same time. If you are looking for a qualified health-care professional who will discuss nutritional supplements with you, then Thorne has a wonderful resource, our Find a Professional webpage, to help you find one. You can also find a functional medicine practitioner through The Institute of Functional Medicine website or locate a licensed Naturopathic Doctor through the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

Thorne has a longstanding policy to not use genetically modified ingredients in our products. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, every Thorne product is GMO-free, even though we don’t label our products as being non-GMO. The reason we don’t label our products as non-GMO is because there are no current tests that can be performed to confirm an ingredient’s non-GMO status. Currently, an ingredient’s non-GMO status can only be affirmed by a supplier affidavit, and Thorne has chosen to wait for the time we can use scientific methods to confirm every ingredient’s non-GMO status.

We put a manufacture date on a product that has had a formula revision or is a new product, but we do not yet have a completed stability study to support an expiration date. The first several lots of a product with a manufacture date is put on accelerated stability testing, and as soon as results are received the product’s shelf life is determined. Until an expiration date is determined, we recommend that a product with a manufacture date be used in the first 18 months after the manufacture date on the bottle.

While we don't express our views about the claims that other companies make, we can tell you that Meriva's efficacy has been validated by more than 25 clinical trials that have been conducted with Meriva as the tested ingredient. Thorne is convinced this testing provides adequate technical substantiation for the structure/function claims we make about our Meriva product suite.

Before we launch a new product, we subject it to accelerated stability testing. This testing subjects the product for 90 days to heat (40° C / 104° F) and 75-percent relative humidity. The product formula must demonstrate stability at the conclusion of this testing. If the formula fails this testing, then the product is reformulated and the accelerated stability testing is conducted on the new formula.

Although the ingredients in Thorne's nutritional supplement products are not derived from whole foods, many are derived from natural sources. Some ingredients are fermented and some are synthesized, and we select every ingredient for being in its most absorbable and usable form. These synthetic nutrients are bio-identical and used by the body in the same way as naturally derived ingredients – whether natural or synthetic – and every ingredient is tested to ensure it meets its specifications for identity, purity, and potency.

Yes. Thorne's probiotic products are stable and do not require refrigeration. Thorne periodically tests retained samples of each probiotic product throughout the product's shelf life to ensure the products remain stable and meet label claims at the expiration date.