This article below gives some good advice on buying dietary supplements -
like co-enzyme Q10. I find myself agreeing with both Delores and Dan on
this. I also read the research article and it seems convincing even if it
was a small number of subjects. My neuro also advised me to start taking
1000 mg a day. BUT it is very expensive - $200 a month is a big chunk of
income for most of us. And not being able to know for sure that we're
actually getting what we are paying for in some of these brands, makes it
diificult to justify the expense. I ended up buying one bottle of  the
Doctor's TRust brand - which comes to about $100/month, but it didn't
have either the  USP or the Consumer's Lab seal mentioned below. I'm also
concerned that capsules had no imprint or other identifying mark on them.

I found that Consumer's Lab lists some COQ10 brands that passsed their
test, but not all of them, and not th ones that failed.. If i decide to
buy it again, i'd buy one of the tested brands instead. Cooperative
buying to bring down the price seems like a good idea.
Linda

The following is from
 http://www.lifetimetv.com/reallife/health/features/supplements.html

What's Really in That Supplement You're Taking?
Here, the inside scoop on your pill­popping needs.

by Karen Cicero

"Last year, Americans spent $14 billion on vitamins, minerals and herbal
products — purchases that were pretty much based on blind faith. "That's
because the U.S. government doesn't verify that supplements contain the
dosage listed on the label or even whether they are formulated so that
your body can absorb them," points out Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., a
professor of nutrition at Tufts University.

It's not altogether surprising, then, that many supplements don't deliver
on what they promise, according to Tod Cooperman, M.D., president and
founder of Consumer Lab, a White Plains, New York–based firm that tests
the contents of products purchased off the shelf at supermarkets, health
food stores and other retailers. His company recently analyzed 13 brands
of the wildly popular SAM-e supplement, an amino acid used to treat
depression. Six of them failed simply because they didn't contain the
amount of the active ingredient listed on the label.

And researchers at the University of Maryland discovered that in six of
nine brands of prenatal vitamins, folic acid — the nutrient that helps
prevent birth defects — was available in a form that couldn't be absorbed
by a woman's body. "Not only are these products a waste of money, but
they may also be putting patients' health in danger, especially if people
are relying on them to treat conditions such as depression," says Dr.
Cooperman.

Short of cracking open that capsule and analyzing it on the spot, how can
you avoid popping a lemon? Look for these clues to be sure you're buying
the best brands available:

The USP seal.
It stands for United States Pharmacopoeia, a nonprofit health
organization in Rockville, Maryland, which offers manufacturers the
opportunity to use its proven recipes for common vitamins and minerals.
USP standards for the 20 most popular herbal products, including valerian
and ginkgo, are in the works.

Online kudos.
All of the supplements that pass Consumer Lab's rigorous testing are
listed on its Web site, consumerlab.com. You can view results for
chondroitin, ginkgo biloba, glucosamine, SAM-e and saw palmetto, to name
a few. By the end of the year, the site will post information on calcium,
creatine, echinacea, multivitamins, Saint-John's-wort, Coenzyme Q10 and
vitamin E. (Look for Consumer Lab's seal on products that have passed its
test.)

A brand you recognize.
Supplements from popular manufacturers generally fare better in tests
than do obscure brands. "That's because long-established companies have a
reputation to uphold," explains Dr. Blumberg.

Your physician's recommendation.
Your doctor can find out about past clinical trials that pinpoint the
most effective supplement brands and dosages. Plumb her knowledge."

"Surfing for Supplements
Dozens of companies sell supplements on the Web. Here's where to steer
your browser and your bucks:
 www.enutrition.com: This site nixes supplements that don't pass Consumer
Lab's tests and highlights ones that receive a passing grade. It also
lists products that meet USP standards.

 www.healthshop.com: Click here to find out if the product in question
conforms to USP standards.

 www.altmedicine.com: This is the place for sound, scientific
recommendations about supplements, dished out by Tufts University
nutrition experts.

My NOTE: I haven't checked these three sites out yet - if anyone else has
- please let us know if there's anything useful on them.
Thanks,
Linda

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