Swanson vs. NOW Foods vs. California Gold Nutrition vs. Jarrow Formulas: Which is the Best Supplement Brand?

Swanson vs. NOW Foods vs. California Gold Nutrition vs. Jarrow Formulas

1. Swanson Health Review

Swanson Health Products has been in business since 1969. It was founded by Leland Swanson — a man who was always striving to find help for his arthritis. He ended up starting Swanson Health Products, a small family-run business that sold vitamins. 

The company grew very rapidly and was recently bought by a private equity firm, Swander Pace Capital. It has grown to become one of the largest online retailers in the world, offering its services not only to the United States but also to many other countries.

Over 50 years, Swanson Health continues to innovate quality-backed vitamins and supplements, healthy home, pantry and self-care products, delivering wellness solutions for mind, body & home. Trusted for safety, quality, and value, we offer everything you need for your Immune, Heart and Cardiovascular Health, Brain and Mental Health, Your Favorite Health Food and Grocery items, and have the largest selection of everyday Multivitamins for overall health. 

Pros & Cons 

Quality and Efficacy

Swanson Health does get products from all over the world, including China. Regardless of the country of origin, they do stipulate that all manufacturers must be compliant with GMP standards and practices. They require a Certificate of Analysis from their manufacturers with each lot of product verifying that product: meets label claims.

Products

Swanson Health Products offers a wide selection of vitamins and supplements in the following categories: 

• Food and Beverage

• Beauty

• CoQ10

• Heart

• Sports Nutrition

• Joint

• Herbs

• Digestive

• EFAs

• Bone

• and Immune. 

Each section is then broken down into subcategories for easy browsing. 

Being one of the leaders in the industry, Swanson Health Products has what most people are looking for with vitamins, supplements, and minerals. Since all of its items come from good manufacturing companies, all of its products are known to be safe and well tested. 

Among its products, you will find almost anything you're looking for: 

• natural health products

• dietary supplements

• organic foods

• health and wellness products

• nutritional supplements

and women's health products as well as hundreds of other products that are all available through its online store. Among the most popular are its new weight loss products such as keto-related products, apple cider vinegar, weight loss teas and coffees, etc.

The products that this company offers range from the very best and most expensive to the cheap but useful. This company wants all of its customers to have access to all of its products; it does this by offering high-quality products to those looking to have the best name-brand vitamins. It also offers thousands of products that promote wellness and health at a price that almost anyone can afford.

Swanson's Real Food vitamin line is a new collection of real food-focused supplements that helps fill those nutrient gaps. The line includes multivitamins for men and women, along with biotin, B-complex, niacin and folic acid supplements that contain no synthetics or yeast fermentation.

Prices

The price of Swanson Health vitamins and supplements varies based on the quantity, potency and type. In general, prices for Swanson Health products range from around $2.13 to more than $200. 

Promotions

1. Sign up at Swanson Health for 20% off & free shipping;

2. Free shipping on orders over $50;

3. 15% Off Swanson Brand + Free Shipping $50+ w/ Code SWANSON15 Exclusions Apply;

4. The homepage features several current promotions on customer favorites, which helps to streamline the shopping experience by making it easy to find discounted and popular items. 

Customer Service

Swanson offers thorough information about each product, including dosages, ingredients, suggestions for use, warnings, and a description of how the product works in your body. Each product page also includes an image of the full product label, so you have as much information as possible before purchasing. 

If you need assistance while shopping, Swanson's customer service phone number is featured prominently in the site header — or you can choose a live chat option. This company's personal care of its products and customers throughout the process of ordering their vitamins is among the best in the industry.

Swanson ships both domestically and internationally. Domestic shipping starts at $4.99 and will arrive 7–10 business days from the ship date. International shipping also starts at $4.99 but will incur an additional freight cost based upon the weight of the order and the destination, which will be calculated during your checkout process. The average shipping time for international orders is 15 business days. But the company offers free shipping on orders over $50.

Return Policy

Swanson Health products reflect their commitment to giving you the best quality and service at the best price. They guarantee that every product you purchase is made from the purest, freshest nutrients and meets the highest quality standards. If you aren’t completely satisfied with any product(s) purchased within the last 30 days, simply return the unused portion to them for a full refund. Please note that all returns valued at $500 or more are subject to a 20% restocking fee.

Where to buy Swanson Health?

You can go Swanson Health official website to buy Vitamins & Supplements thruogh Extrabux, then you can get 3% super cashback.

You can also go iHerb.com, Walmart.com, Walgreens or Amazon.com to purchase vitamin C. 

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2. NOW Foods Review

Founded in 1968 by Elwood Richard, a trained nutritionist, NOW Foods has been around for more than 50 years and has established itself as a big player in the natural products industry. NOW Food produces high-quality natural products at prices everyone loves. They are a respected leader in the natural products industry, with a mission to provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives.

Types of vitamins available: multivitamins, probiotics, omega-3s, prenatal, single nutrients, sports supplements.

NOW is a family-owned company that focuses on producing natural supplements free of genetically modified and artificial ingredients. Each product is thoroughly tested in the company’s in-house laboratories for purity and the presence of heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants.

NOW supplements are also certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a third-party company that inspects facilities to ensure that they comply with good manufacturing practices.

A wide range of products is available on the company’s website, including multivitamins, sports supplements, probiotics, herbs, digestive enzymes, and more. You can also filter supplements to find options that are vegan, vegetarian, organic, or free of gluten and other specific allergens.

Pros & Cons 

Quality and Efficacy

As a leading natural products company, their dedication to superior quality at value prices has propelled them from local health food store to industry leader offering the absolute best variety of high-quality supplements, essential oils, foods, and more.

NOW Foods' products are formulated without artificial ingredients and are minimally processed. You can read all about the company’s dedication to natural ingredients, as well as a list of ingredients that they will never use on their website.

To ensure products meet their high standards NOW controls the manufacturing process from start to finish. They operate a 24-hour manufacturing facility in Bloomingdale where Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) are employed at every step.

Products

They have carefully crafted a high-quality supplement line that consists of more than 1,400 products, selling everything from foods and supplements to sports nutrition and beauty products.

• Supplements

• Beauty & Health

• Essential Oils

• Sports Nutrition

• Natural Foods

• Pet Health

Best Sellers

1. Now Foods, Vitamin D-3, 125 mcg (5,000 IU), 120 Softgels

Price for $5.20. NOW Vitamin D-3 softgels supply this key vitamin in a highly-absorbable liquid softgel form. Vitamin D is normally obtained from the diet or produced by the skin from the ultraviolet energy of the sun. However, is it not abundant in food. As more people avoid sun exposure, Vitamin D supplementation becomes even more necessary to ensure that your body receives and adequate supply.

Now Foods, High Potency Vitamin D-3, 10,000 IU, 120 Softgels for $8.51.

2. Now Foods, C-1000, 250 Tablets

Price for $17.54. Vitamin C is a water soluble nutrient well known for its vital role in the immune system. Vitamin C is also necessary for the production of collagen (a structural protein in connective tissue) and is therefore important for skin, bone, and joint health. Vitamin C is needed for amino acid metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and the utilization of many nutrients, such as folic acid and iron. It is also a highly effective antioxidant that can help maintain healthy tissues by neutralizing free radicals generated during normal metabolism and exposure to environmental stressors. This product was specially formulated to provide a sustained release of vitamin C and includes rose hips as an added source of vitamin C.

3. Now Foods, Vitamin A, 10,000 IU, 100 Softgels

Vitamin A is essential for the maintenance of the tissues that line the internal and external surfaces of the body, including the eyes, skin, respiratory, GI and urinary tracts.

4. Now Foods, B-50, 100 Veg Capsules

Price for $10.65. B-50 Caps provide a full complement of B-Vitamins plus Choline and Inositol. These vitamins work to support energy production, maintain healthy homocysteine metabolism, and promote the health of the nervous system. B-Vitamins are water soluble, and with the exception of B-12, have limited storage in the body and thus require daily replenishment. While B-12 is stored in the liver, dietary sources are of animal origin only (meat and dairy) and supplementation with B-12 may be especially important for vegetarians.

5. Now Foods, ADAM, Superior Men's Multi, 90 Softgels

Price for $20.05. These multi-vitamin softgels are easier to swallow, and are formulated for better GI tolerability.

Prices

The price of NOW Foods vitamins and supplements varies based on the quantity, potency and type. In general, prices for NOW Foods products range from around $1 to more than $100. 

Promotions

1. NOW Foods new email subscribers receive a $5 off order coupon for joining their list;

2. 55th Anniversary Sale: Find their special buy one get one 55% off coupon code;

3. Free shipping on orders at least $50.00 (subtotal);

4. Enjoy discounts on sale items.

Customer Service

If you have any questions, you can consult them through the customer service phone.

• Corporate Offices

244 Knollwood Drive | Bloomingdale, IL 60108 | Telephone: 888-669-3663

• Midwest Operations

395 S. Glen Ellyn Road | Bloomingdale, IL 60108 | Telephone: 888-669-3663

• Western Operations

575 Vista Blvd. | Sparks, NV 89434 | Telephone: 888-669-3663

• Midwest Distribution Center

1620 Central Ave. | Roselle, IL 60172 | Telephone: 888-669-3663

• Canadian Division

#5 - 5068 Whitelaw Road, RR6 | Guelph, ON N1H 6J3 | Telephone: 800-265-7245

Click here to find more contact methods.

Return Policy

New, unopened items that were purchased through www.nowfoods.com can be returned within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.  They are not responsible for the cost of return shipping.  Payments made with a credit card will be refunded to the card used for your order.  Returns will not be accepted after 30 days. 

Damaged and wrongly shipped items may be requested to be returned to them within 30 days at no cost to the purchaser unless there are reasonable circumstances why this cannot be done.

Where to buy NOW Foods?

Go iHerb to buy NOW Foods through Extrabux, then you can get up to 6% super cashback. You can also go to NOW Foods official website.

3. California Gold Nutrition Review

Since 2013, California Gold Nutrition has been dedicated to providing health and wellness solutions that promote optimal daily health for people of all ages. Their premium quality California Gold Nutrition brand products are formulated with scientifically substantiated ingredients that are 3rd party tested for quality, efficacy, and safety. 

California Gold Nutrition offers a wide range of innovative products including vitamins, supplements, herbs, superfoods, sports nutrition, and more to help support your journey to health.

California Gold Nutrition and iHerb maintain supply chain integrity by implementing stringent oversight through partnerships with manufacturers that are NSF, GMP compliant, or UL certified. California Gold Nutrition is committed to delivering high quality products. They oversee the selection, handling, testing and processing of ingredients and components, as well as the composition and dose of the finished product.

• Innovative Products,Scientifically-Formulated With Quality Ingredients That Promote Healthier Living 

• A Premium Selection of Highly-Effective Vitamins,Minerals,Supplements,and Superfoods

• Independently Lab Tested in the United States for Quality Assurance.Verify Select Products With Their iTested Reports 90 Day Money Back Guarantee

Pros & Cons 

Quality and Efficacy

California Gold Nutrition and iHerb maintain supply chain integrity by implementing stringent oversight through partnerships with manufacturers that are NSF, GMP compliant, or UL certified. California Gold Nutrition is committed to delivering high quality products. They oversee the selection, handling, testing and processing of ingredients and components, as well as the composition and dose of the finished product.

California Gold Nutrition products are tested to confirm identity and purity through microbial and heavy metal analysis to provide full transparency to consumers. All products are evaluated by an independent 3rd party lab that provides unbiased information using scientific methods.

Products

A premium selection of highly-effective 

• vitamins, 

• minerals, 

• supplements,

• and superfoods. 

Best Sellers

1. California Gold Nutrition, CollagenUP, Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Peptides with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C, Unflavored

Price for $17. Collagen, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C all contribute to the health and wellbeing of the musculoskeletal system. California Gold Nutrition CollagenUP contains all three of these ingredients to help support healthy hair, skin, nails, joints, and bones. The unflavored powder can be quickly added to your favorite drink, providing a convenient way to add collagen to your diet.

• Marine Sourced Collagen Peptides + Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin C

• Featuring Unflavored, Non-Bovine, Hydrolyzed Fish Collagen 

• With Non-Animal Source Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C

• Support for Healthy Hair, Skin, Nails, Joints and Bones

• Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Collagen Broken Down into Bioavailable Peptides

• Formulated without Gluten, GMOs, or Soy

2. California Gold Nutrition, Gold C, USP Grade Vitamin C

Price for $5. Vitamin C is a well-known essential vitamin that you must get from your daily diet, as your body is unable to produce it. California Gold Nutrition Gold C contains a powerful dose of this vitamin, helping to ensure you get your recommended daily amount in one easy step.

• Featuring USP-Grade Vitamin C

• Helps Support Immune Health and Overall Wellness

• Suitable for Vegetarians

• Formulated without Gluten, GMOs, or Soy

3. California Gold Nutrition, Omega-3 Premium Fish Oil, 180 EPA / 120 DHA

• Price for $32.55. 

• California Gold Nutrition Omega-3 Premium Fish Oil

• Featuring Globally-Sourced, Highly-Refined Fish Oil

• Concentrated and Molecularly Distilled

• Supports Overall Immune Health

• Helps to Maintain Optimal Lipid Profile

• Formulated without Gluten, GMOs, or Soy

4. California Gold Nutrition, Vitamin D3, 125 mcg (5,000 IU), 360 Fish Gelatin Softgels

• California Gold Nutrition Vitamin D3, 125 mcg (5,000 IU)

• Featuring Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) from Lanolin

• Supports Healthy Bones and Teeth

• Supports Healthy Immune System Function

• Formulated without Gluten, GMOs, or Soy 

5. California Gold Nutrition, LactoBif 5 Probiotics, 5 Billion CFU, 60 Veggie Capsules

• California Gold Nutrition LactoBif 5 Probiotics

• Featuring 8 Active Probiotic Strains, Including 5 Lactobacilli and 3 Bifidobacteria

• With 5 Billion CFU Per Veggie Capsule

• Supports Digestive and Gut Health

• Promotes Immune System Health

• Suitable for Vegetarians

• Formulated without Dairy, Gluten, GMOs, or Soy 

Prices

The price of California Gold Nutrition vitamins and supplements varies based on the quantity, potency and type. In general, prices for California Gold Nutrition products range from around $1.65 to more than $73. 

iHerb Promotions

1. Get 20% Off your first order! Use promo code: NEW20 at checkout;

2. Free shipping on orders over $20;

3. Up to 40% Off Greens & Superfoods;

4. Up to 50% off select brands.

iHerb Customer Service

iHerb does not have a customer support phone number. You can contact us using the following:

1. Write a message

Select “Write a Message”  located near the bottom of our Contact Us page. Complete the required form and submit. An agent will respond to your message within 24 hours. Please do not submit multiple messages, this will only negatively impact their ability to assist you as best as possible.

2. Live chat 

Chat with their agents during the available posted hours. After selecting “Chat with virtual assistant”, simply ask to speak to an agent. If live chat is supported for your country, you will be prompted to verify your account. After doing so, you can select the option to chat with their trained agent.

Return Policy

Submitting a refund request is not a guarantee that it will be approved. Orders placed on other sites besides iHerb have a 30-day refund period. Items purchased directly through the iHerb site and app have a 60-day refund period and 90 day refund period for iHerb brand items. iHerb monitors all claims to identify potential misuse or abuse of our return policies. They reserve the right to refuse service to anyone and will handle each refund request individually.

Click here to see the full return and refund policies.

Where to buy California Gold Nutrition?

Go iHerb to buy California Gold Nutrition through Extrabux, then you can get up to 6% super cashback. California Gold Nutrition is one of the brands of iHerb.

4. Jarrow Review

Jarrow Formulas is based in Los Angeles, California, and is a formulator and supplier of superior nutritional supplements. The company was founded in 1977 and today it markets its products in the United States and throughout the world. Jarrow Formulas' goal is to promote optimal health based on sound scientific research data. The company’s complete line of nutritional products includes vitamins, minerals, probiotics, standardized herbal concentrates, amino acids, enzymes, and enteral nutrition products. 

Pros & Cons 

Quality and Efficacy

All Jarrow Formulas products are manufactured in Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) certified facilities.  These regulations govern the manufacturing, storing, labeling and distributing of ingredients and finished products as they transit the supply chain.  Under the cGMP regulations, manufacturers are required to evaluate the identity, purity, strength and composition of both ingredients and finished products to ensure that products are accurate and meet specifications.   Moreover, the vast majority of their products are manufactured by our sister company, Jarrow Industries, a state-of-the-art cGMP certified factory featuring pharmaceutical grade equipment and levels of quality control. 

Products

Jarrow Formulas supplements are carefully crafted using superior science and quality ingredients. The wide range of Jarrow Formulas products including: 

• Digestive Health

• Energy Support

• Heart Health

• Bone & Joint Health

• Immune Health

• General Wellness

Best Sellers

1. Jarrow Formulas, Glutathione Reduced, 500 mg, 120 Veggie Caps

Price for $46.50. Glutathione is the most abundant intracellular thiol (i.e., a compound containing a sulfhydryl [SH] group) and low molecular weight tripeptide found in living cells. The antioxidant functions of Glutathione Reduced include recycling vitamins E and C and serving as an antioxidant in all types of tissues.

• Intracellular Antioxidant

• Vegan

• Gluten Free

• Veggie Cap

• Non GMO - Certified by NSF

• Dietary Supplement

• Suitable for Vegetarians/Vegans

2. Jarrow Formulas, Women's Fem Dophilus, 60 Veggie Caps

Fem-Dophilus contains two patented and clinically documented probiotic strains, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, GR-1 and Limosilactobacillus reuteri, RC-14, discovered and developed by Dr. Gregor Reid and Dr. Andrew Bruce at Urex Biotech. Over 25 years of research supports the oral use of GR-1 and RC-14 to colonize and promote healthy vaginal and urinary tract health. A special manufacturing process protects the probiotic strains in Fem-Dophilus from stomach acid and enhances probiotic bacterial survival to the lower intestine.

3. Jarrow Formulas, Jarro-Dophilus EPS, 5 Billion, 120 Veggie Caps

Price for $32.55. Jarro-Dophilus EPS is a shelf-stable, multi-strain probiotic formulated with clinically documented strains. Jarro-Dophilus EPS helps support the health of the entire intestinal tract with a mixture of eight probiotic species from six different genera: Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Lacticaseibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Lactococcus, and Pediococcus. Each strain has been clinically validated by scientific research and assigned a strain designation (e.g., R0011) that links to the positive influence on intestinal and immune health.

4. Jarrow Formulas, Zinc Balance, 100 Veggie Caps

Zinc Balance combines Zinc L-Methionine and Copper Gluconate (15:1 ratio). Zinc L-Methionine allows zinc absorption with phytate and fiber in vegetables. Zinc supports immune function. Zinc Balance includes copper because supplemental zinc depletes copper.

5. Jarrow Formulas, Methyl Folate, 400 mcg, 60 Veggie Caps

Methyl Folate ((6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or (6S)-5-MTHF) is a highly biologically active form of folate. Due to the body's limited ability to transform synthetic folic acid into the active form of folate, supplementation with 5-MTHF is highly preferable.

Prices

The price of Jarrow Formulas vitamins and supplements varies based on the quantity, potency and type. In general, prices for Jarrow Formulas products range from around $5 to more than $75. 

Promotions

1. FREE SHIPPING ON ONLINE ORDERS OVER $59.

Customer Service

Jarrow Formulas is open Monday through Friday. Their customer service department is available to serve you from 8:00 am until 5:00pm PST.

• Telephone

(310) 204-6936

• Fax

(310) 204-2520

• Address

1818 S Robertson Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90035

• Questions / Comments

info@jarrow.com

• Sales

sales@jarrow.com

international@jarrow.com

• Media Inquiries

jarrowmedia@citizenrelations.com

Return Policy

If you are dissatisfied with an Eligible Product in any way, within sixty (60) days of the date of purchase of the Eligible Product, you may return the Eligible Product and request any one (1) of the following: a) a full refund of the purchase price, b) a credit in the amount of the purchase price redeemable for purchases made on their website or Jarrow Formulas’ webpages linked to their website or c) replacement of the Eligible Product.

Click here to see the full return and refund policies.

Where to buy Jarrow?

Go iHerb to buy Jarrow Formulas through Extrabux, then you can get up to 6% super cashback. You can also go to Jarrow Formulas official website.

Verdict: Which is the Best Supplement Brand?

In terms of quality, all four brands are guaranteed and their products are produced in GMP certified facilities. Products from NOW Foods, California Gold Nutrition, and Jarrow Formulas are certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Swanson also indicated that the product was tested by a third party for purity and potency, but did not specify which agency.

In terms of price, California Gold Nutrition has the lowest price, followed by NOW Foods, Swanson, and Jarrow Formulas. However, the price depends on the type of product you need to buy. The price of the same product of each brand has not been compared here.

Finally, if you need to buy Iron, Vitamin D3, Zinc, Vitamin C, or DHA, then NOW Foods is your 1st choice. If you want to buy Probiotics, then I suggest you buy California Gold Nutrition. California Gold Nutrition is world's best value for probiotics.

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