Gluten can sneak up on you. One place where you might not see it coming is in the supplement aisle. It can serve multiple purposes in the supplement. These ingredients can be used for absorbents, protectants, binders, coloring agents, lubricators, and bulking agents. The difficulty with supplements is that they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Supplement companies do not have to disclose exactly what is in their product. So how do you know what has gluten in it?

The biggest source of gluten in supplements is wheat starch. It is often used in the capsules that hold the vitamin together. Just like in cooking, wheat starch is also used as a thickener to slow down the absorption of the supplement. The last way this starch can be used is as a binder to help hold the pill together. Some other words to look for they may mean that the supplement contains gluten are: Wheat germ, food glaze, food starch, maltodextrin, MSG, Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, Textured plant protein, dextrin.

One great way to shop with confidence that your supplement does not contain gluten is to look for certified gluten-free. This is a third-party company. Companies may apply to have their products voluntarily tested by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization to be certified as gluten-free. Look for the “certified gluten-free” label on the package.

Here are some brands who have this certification for all of their supplements

1. Country Life
2. Garden of Life
3. Nuun
4. Nordic Naturals