Why Your Supplements Should Stink.

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Articles, Supplements

Reader Tandra recently asked in the comments section of my “A Quest To Discover The Greatest Multivitamin On The Face Of The Planet” article:

“I realize how great these vitamins are, but the AM pills smell so bad that I almost gag! What causes them to smell so bad? :(“

Sad face, indeed.

Here was my response to Tandra:

“In Thorne products, they don’t use vitamins that are coated, diluted, or masked with agents to conceal smell/taste. They instead use pure, undiluted nutrients – in a capsule, not wrapped in the coating of pharmaceutical glaze of a tablet. Vitamins in their pure forms can smell. For example, thiamine (B1) smells, frankly, a bit like sweaty socks if you smell it alone…but that's the trade off for purity. Get a clothespin perhaps? ;) Hope that helps! Ben.”

But really, my reply only scratched the surface of why supplement ingredient sourcing matters so much…

…how vitamin and supplement companies choose their raw ingredients…

…why a nutrition label many not really tell you everything you need to know…

…why third party verification is so important…

…and much, much more.

So without further ado, I present to you one of the most insightful, educational, and easy-to-read supplement ingredient infographics you'll ever see, straight from Thorne. It should be pretty self-explanatory at this point why I recommend Thorne so often in my podcasts and blog posts, and why your supplements should stink, but if you have any follow-up questions, just leave them in the comments section below.

On some browsers, the graphic below may seem really small. If clicking on it doesn't magnify it for you, just click here to download the high resolution .pdf version! Also, you can click here to peruse the EXOS line of supplements.

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16 thoughts on “Why Your Supplements Should Stink.

  1. jiby says:

    using well multivitamin and it smells like shit…

    whats the reason for that smell..

  2. Karen says:

    I am taken B-Supreme and this bottle really smells and I’ve been taken them but never noticed such a strong smell than my previous bottle. Is this normal?

    1. I would check to see make sure that they have not been heated, and if not it is likely just the fillers you're smelling.

  3. Linda says:

    Hi! I picked up some D3 gel caps from Walgreen’s today (Finest Nutrition is the brand, I believe) and when I first opened and smelled them I got a whiff that made me think of literal garbage. The expiration date listed isn’t until 2018, so I’m unsure of whether or not this is normal.

    1. I’d toss ’em. Bad news bears. I’d vouch for this: https://greenfieldfitnesssystems.com/product/vita…

      1. MamaMOB says:

        If you’re recommending a different product than the one you’re telling someone to throw out two years before it expires I think you’re a scammer. This is just your way of getting people to waste money on your product. You’re a horrible human being!

  4. jaketanz says:

    I have been taking supplements, but at the last visit with my Urologist I was told that my urine is too yellow and that my frequent need to urinate is linked to taking supplements, The yellow urine is the body disposing of all the supplements/excess that is not needed. Your comments?

    1. Not really. It's usually just normal Vitamin B metabolism!

      1. Healthcare provider says:

        I love that you think you know more than a urologist. Why aren’t you a MD working as a EVP for Thorne?

    2. MamaMOB says:

      Please don’t listen to the shell. Please listen to your doctor. And please don’t go around asking other shells on the Internet what you should do when your doctor has told you what to do! This man is trying to sell a product your doctors trying to take care of your health. Listen to your doctor not a salesman!

  5. FrasierLinde says:

    Is there a bigger version? I can't read the smaller text.

    1. If you click on it, it should magnify…

      1. FrasierLinde says:

        It's not linked; right click -> View Image makes it bigger, but still not big enough to read everything.

        1. You need to download and then open the linked PDF file. Once the PDF file is open, look in the tool bar along the top, you should see a box with a % sign by it, you can either change the numbers larger or small which will make the document larger or smaller, or you can click on the + / – signs next to it to zoom in and out.

          1. FrasierLinde says:

            Thanks, I didn't see that link before.

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