How Safe are Holland & Barrett Supplements?

Hi

I've noticed a few times on here that people have stated to be 'careful' with Holland & Barrett.

I'm unsure if this means there are gluten ingredients, non-declared gluten ingredients or cross-contamination risk, so looking for clarification on people's experience.

My reason for asking this is having an odd experience with a Vitamin D3 supplement. I've taken the liquid version of this for a few years (bottle with dropper - H&B own brand). They have discontinued this and I switched to the clear capsule version. Same product, just in capsule form. Website states the capsules are gluten free and wheat free. Few days after starting the capsules I noticed mouth ulcers developing, GI pain and joint inflammation - basically my usual 'glutened' symptoms. Only thing I could link this to were the Holland & Barret Vit D3 capsules. Stopped them and pain/mouth ulcers subsided.

The ingredients in the capsules are not from wheat source and no glucose/fructose so can rule out the cross contamination risk on those. They do contain corn starch so unsure if this is from gluten free source. Emailed H&B customer care and no one has responded, even after I've chased it up.

Has anyone had similar experience with H&B supplements claiming to be GF/Wheat Free. Is this a brand that people trust?

[Hidden]

Hello Mise, I'm sorry that you're having issues I find many supplements act like a laxative for me and I take magnesium if I take vitamin D.

Here's their ingredients and their free from status:

Ingredients:

Bulking Agents (Microcrystalline Cellulose, Dicalcium Phosphate), Anti-Caking Agents (Magnesium Stearate, Silicon Dioxide), Emulsifier (Acacia Gum), Sucrose, Starch, Vitamin E (as dl-Alpha Tocopherol), Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin D3.

Free from:

No Artificial Colours, Flavours or Sweeteners. No Preservatives. No added Salt. No Milk, No Lactose, No Soya, No Gluten, No Wheat, No Yeast, No Fish, No Porcine.

I notice that we have sucrose and starch if they are wheat derivatives they are so processed they are classed as gluten free.

I find the supermarket supplements are the the worst for me as many contain Manitol which's a wheat derivative artificial sugar that is used as a baby laxative.

I hope that you feel better soon and it's easy to eliminate the supplements for a few days and see if the mouth ulcers and symptoms go.

Good luck to you as you are obviously very sensitive to gluten.

Jerry 😊

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi Jerry

Many thanks for that. Much appreciated.

There are two types of H&B, so the one I reacted to is the liquid gell capsule which is:

Ingredients: Sunflower Seed Oil, Capsule Shell (Modified Corn Starch, Glycerol, Carrageenan, Sodium Carbonate), Medium Chain Triglycerides, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E (as dl-Alpha Tocopherol).

I've read that carrageenan bad for inflammation, so unsure if it's that. Again, theh corn starch may not be from GF source.

Best to say I will be avoiding these!

Shame when you find a trusted product/brand and then it gets discontinued.

I've never heard of manitol, but will be on the look out for that. I tend to opt for Solgar is possible as seems trustworthy and have spoken to them on their GF worthiness. Can be a bit pricier which is a pain.

[Echoblue in reply to Hidden]

Looks like you can get liquid vitamin D3 from Amazon if that helps?

[Hidden in reply to Echoblue]

Thanks Echoblue. I think that's a good suggestion. Good old Amazon - how did we live before it!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

In looking at these ingredients again, I do wonder about the Vitamin E. Can be sourced from a grain source...........

Wonder what the chances of H&B being able to source their vitamin E back to origin is?

The bottle liquid version of this only has: Sunflower seed oil, orange flavour (?), D3 oil.

Interesting.