Comment · Fri, April 23, 2021 · Natrium Health & Nootropics Depot
14 mega corporations that own your supplements
Original post in this thread
primera89 · 104 points
I came across this article today when I was researching independent and trusted supplement companies and thought I'd share this since some of you probably use these brands. Besides the NOW brand and NootropicsDepot, I really don't know of any legitimate independent supplement companies and once these brands get too big we all know the corner cutting that starts happening, especially when they get bought out by a big corporation.
https://drnealsmoller.com/rant/the-14-mega-corporations-that-own-your-supplement-brand/
What they were answering
styxboa · 10 points
aren't like 70%+ of thorne sales to the Mayo/Cleveland clinics? I trust them more based on that alone as opposed to redcon or Kaged Muscle, etc.- they are given to the sickest patients in the world when they're being used at mayo/cleveland. idk maybe it doesn't matter but
also I believe that Olympic athletes use them a lot
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Natrium Health & Nootropics Depot
I am not saying being owned by venture capital firms/hedge funds or multi-billion dollar corporations makes their products bad. I was just clarifying that Thorne is also owned by some of the largest corporate groups in the world, too. Product quality is independent of ownership structure most of the time. It just depends on the specific company.
Regarding their sales to Mayo Clinic, where are you seeing that? They partnered with the Mayo Clinic to run a few trials, but I see no evidence that 70% of their sales are to the sickest patients in the world at the Mayo Clinic. That sounds suspiciously like marketing BS to me. I have friends that are doctors at the Mayo Clinic. I will ask them about it. Most doctors are still skeptical of supplements, and they are not going to be giving supplements to terminal cancer patients. You might get a few that suggest trying one or two things, but it would floor me if the Mayo Clinic was actually buying Thorne supplements and giving them to patients. Just perusing the Mayo Clinic site shows me no mention of Thorne supplements, and their wording is the same as any medical group: most people don't need supplements, and getting nutrition from foods is better. Would be weird for them to say most people don't need supplements, then buy enough from Thorne to account for 70% of all their sales.
Thorne has used their money and connections to partner with athlete organizations, though. I know that. I think their partnership with USA Triathlon ran from 2016 to 2019. They have a few others, but I am not sure which ones are current. How partnerships like that work is brands pay these organizations money to be listed as official partners. It gives good marketing for the brands, and funds the athletic organizations. When you have venture capital funding or the backing of multi-billion dollar corporations like Kirin and Mitsui, you have the funds to be ale to pay for those sorts of partnerships. That's more a factor of the money behind them than anything. Again, I am not suggesting Thorne is not to be trusted. I personally use some Thorne products. I am just saying that having the backing of billion dollar multinational corporations means you are playing a different game than other people can.