If you’re a supplement junkie on a budget, chances are you’ve heard of BulkSupplements. They’re known for offering a wide range of products at wallet-friendly prices. But the real question is, are their supplements actually any good?
We decided to do a little digging and review some of BulkSupplements’ popular formulations. We also looked into independent lab tests to see how their products measure up. So, is BulkSupplements a great option for those looking for cheap supplements, or are they sacrificing quality for affordability?
Let’s find out.
BulkSupplements Offers Impressive Variety of Supplements
If you’re looking for a place to buy your supplements, BulkSupplements might just be the one-stop-shop you need. With over 100 herbal extracts available (and counting!), they have an impressive variety of products that cater to different health goals.
Having so many options can be a huge benefit for consumers, especially if you’re looking for a specific ingredient or want to try something new. Of course, the quality of the products is just as important as the quantity. We’ll dive into that in a bit, but for now, let’s appreciate the sheer amount of supplements that BulkSupplements has to offer.
Sure, there are other wholesale supplement sites out there like iHerb that sell thousands of products from different brands. But BulkSupplements stands out as the largest single-brand supplement store we’ve reviewed on Fit Me Solution.
Are BulkSupplements Formulations Worth Your Money?
Let’s talk about BulkSupplements and whether their products are worth your money. In our opinion, the saying “you get what you pay for” definitely rings true when it comes to their quality.
We want to point out a few examples to support our opinion. When we first published this article, BulkSupplements was selling a ginkgo biloba extract product with a Supplement Facts panel showing raw ginkgo biloba powder (not an extract). This was a pretty big oversight, and a sign of poor quality control measures.
However, we’re happy to report that they’ve since updated the Supplement Facts panel for this product, possibly because of our review highlighting this information.
Moving on, let’s talk about their Cinnamon Bark Extract. Unfortunately, they use the cheapest and most toxic form of cinnamon – Cassia Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Cassia).
We’ve done some research on different types of cinnamon and found that Cassia Cinnamon is high in a compound called coumarin, which is toxic to humans even at moderate doses found in food and supplements. High-quality supplement brands use a type of cinnamon called Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Verum) which has negligible coumarin levels. The fact that BulkSupplements uses Cassia Cinnamon in a cinnamon extract formulation suggests to us that the brand prioritizes price over consumer safety and health.
Lastly, let’s talk about their turmeric extract. BulkSupplements sells a turmeric extract with an ideal standardization ratio based on medical research (95% curcuminoids), but they fail to add black pepper extract or BioPerine, which drastically increases turmeric absorption (by up to 2,000%). It’s pretty standard in the industry to include black pepper in a turmeric formulation, so it’s a little concerning that BulkSupplements opts not to do so. This makes us think that they’re mostly price-focused rather than quality-focused.
Overall, we believe that BulkSupplements products may not be the best option if you’re looking for quality and safety in your supplements. However, we encourage you to do your own research and make informed decisions about what you put in your body.
BulkSupplements’ Ginkgo Biloba Extract Fails Third-Party Testing
We wanted to update you on some concerning news about BulkSupplements’ Ginkgo Biloba Extract. Unfortunately, the product didn’t perform well in recent third-party laboratory tests conducted by an independent testing laboratory called ConsumerLab. You might remember us mentioning ConsumerLab in our consumer lab reviews article.
ConsumerLab tested various brands of ginkgo biloba supplements back in 2018, and BulkSupplements’ ginkgo biloba extract powder was one of two products that failed testing and was assigned a “Not Approved” rating. To make matters worse, the testing revealed that BulkSupplements’ ginkgo was only 3% as potent as advertised. ConsumerLab found only 0.98 milligrams (mg) of flavonol glycosides per 175 mg serving, which are the primary chemical constituents of ginkgo biloba. This low test result suggests that BulkSupplements’ product was not nearly as potent as advertised.
For ginkgo biloba extract products, we recommend a flavone glycoside concentration of 15% or greater as this is the minimum dosage in most of the medical studies we’ve reviewed on the plant. However, the flavone glycoside concentration in BulkSupplements’ ginkgo was only 0.6% based on ConsumerLab results.
We thought you should know about this issue with BulkSupplements’ Ginkgo Biloba Extract, and we recommend looking into alternative brands if you’re considering purchasing a ginkgo biloba supplement.
BulkSupplements’ Ginger Product Fails ConsumerLab Testing with Only 1 mg of Gingerols Found
If you’re a fan of ginger supplements, you might want to steer clear of BulkSupplements’ ginger product. According to a recent ConsumerLab review, the product only contained 1 mg of gingerols, one of the key phytonutrients in ginger, despite the brand’s claim of 500 mg of ginger root extract.
ConsumerLab also noted that the product had an “unusually dark color” and a “musty aroma,” which could be a sign of excessive heat exposure. As a result, we would suggest finding another ginger supplement to try.
BulkSupplements’ Holy Basil Supplement: Test Results Raise Concerns
So we’ve got some news about BulkSupplements’ Holy Basil supplement that might interest you. Apparently, the test results are in, and they’re not looking great – even worse than the two previous supplements that were reviewed.
According to ConsumerLab, who conducted the testing, the product seems to be underdosed. They found less than 50% of the expected value of triterpenes, which is a phytonutrient in holy basil. This could mean that the product is diluted or underdosed in some way.
But wait, there’s more. ConsumerLab also reported relatively high levels of toxic heavy metals in the supplement. Specifically, the lead level was around 2 micrograms (mcg) per gram serving. That’s definitely not good news because lead is a toxic heavy metal that should be avoided as much as possible.
So, if you’re thinking of taking this supplement, it might be worth holding off until BulkSupplements addresses these concerns. It’s always important to make sure you’re getting a product that’s safe and effective, and in this case, it seems like there are some red flags to keep in mind.
Watch out for Potassium Overdose
So, here’s the thing – ConsumerLab reviewed BulkSupplements’ potassium product, and found out something alarming. Unlike their ginkgo product, this one had much more potassium than what was indicated on the label. Specifically, ConsumerLab tests revealed that there was 2.57 times more potassium chloride per teaspoon than what the label claimed.
Now, this is a big deal. Why? Because potassium is directly involved in the electrical signaling of the heart. So, if you consume too much of it, it could cause serious health issues. And, we’re not talking about a minor mistake here like a lower-than-expected concentration of a standardized extract. This is a mistake that could potentially harm a consumer’s health. So, please be careful and make sure you’re not overdosing on potassium when taking BulkSupplements’ product.
Failed quality testing and labeling issues found
We wanted to share some important information with you regarding BulkSupplements. We recently conducted tests on 10 of their products that we could locate, and unfortunately, 4 of them failed quality testing or had labeling issues.
To put things into perspective, we have never seen such a high failure rate from a brand we’ve reviewed on Fit Me Solution – a whopping 40%! This suggests that BulkSupplements may not have the best quality control procedures in place.
Based on this data, we recommend steering clear of the brand entirely. It’s important to prioritize safety and quality when it comes to the supplements we consume, and we simply cannot vouch for BulkSupplements in good faith.
Why You Should Care About Supplement Testing
If you’re thinking of purchasing supplements from BulkSupplements, there’s something you should know. We looked into it, and it turns out that they don’t share any test results of their products on their website. Not even in-house tests! And that’s not just us saying it – third-party test results show the same thing.
Now, we’re not saying that BulkSupplements is the only company guilty of this. Actually, most supplement companies don’t publish any testing of their products. But here’s the catch – this means that as a consumer, you can’t really tell if the product you’re about to buy is safe and accurately labeled.
So, why does this matter? Because without updated batch testing, you’re left guessing whether a product is safe or not. That’s why we urge supplement companies to start publishing testing of their products. It’s a matter of transparency and safety for consumers.
So, before you make your next supplement purchase, make sure to do your research and see if the company shares any test results. Your health is important, and you deserve to know what you’re putting in your body!
Think twice before buying BulkSupplements products
We wanted to share our experience with BulkSupplements products. We have to admit that our findings were not very positive. After conducting some independent testing, we found that BulkSupplements has the worst track record compared to any other supplement brand we’ve reviewed so far.
We understand the importance of taking supplements to support a healthy lifestyle, but in our opinion, the risks outweigh the benefits of buying supplements from this brand. In fact, we believe it’s better to skip supplements altogether than to purchase from BulkSupplements, given their 40% failure rate in independent testing.
However, if you’re still interested in purchasing from BulkSupplements, we recommend checking ConsumerLab first to ensure that the product you’re considering has been approved by them. This could give you more peace of mind and help you make an informed decision. Stay healthy, folks!
