ConsumerLab.com Tests Valerian Supplements
ConsumerLab.com, White Plains, NY, has released the results of its tests on 16 valerian products. Valerian, an herbal sleep aid, accounts for approximately $50 million in sales in the U.S., according to Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ). Most of the valerian dietary supplements tested by ConsumerLab.com were low in potency and/or contaminated. Eight products contained less of key valerian compounds than expected. One of these products was also contaminated with lead. Cadmium, a heavy metal that is toxic to the kidneys, was present in two other products.