Supplements can enhance your health, but only if you purchase them from a trusted supplier.

Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t oversee supplements, problems abound, including poor manufacturing practices, mislabeling, inactive ingredients, and even counterfeits.

Here are some recommendations on how to get the best supplements:

• Always buy your supplements from a trusted source.

• Don’t purchase supplements that contain ingredients or were manufactured in undeveloped countries, such as China or India. Choose supplements that are manufactured in the U.S. or Canada.

• Check the label to see that the nutrients you want are listed in the ingredients, and in what amounts. If there is wording that the amounts have been “standardized,” this provides added assurance.

• Watch out for supplements sold by email or promoted in a foreign language.

• Watch out for outrageous “too good to be true” claims.

• Choose supplements from manufacturers that use facilities where pharmaceutical companies’ products are made.