07.01.08
Analysis of more than 16,000 scientific studies on dietary supplements has led to the creation of the Natural Medicines Brand Evidence-based Rating (NMBER) system, which evaluates nearly 30,000 brand name supplements. Therapeutic Research Center, Stockton, CA, has assigned both safety and effectiveness ratings for the natural ingredients contained in products after researchers reviewed published research. They also utilized manufacturing quality data from adverse event reporting systems and information from the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) and various regulatory agencies. The NMBER system rates each commercial product from 1 to 10, with lower numbers indicating potential safety concerns or quality problems. A higher number suggests research on a product has been generally positive. There are 820 products that have been given a NMBER rating of “1.” Only 250 products have received a “10.” About 250 new commercial products will be added to the database each month.