Why You Might Want To Think Twice About Buying Vitamins At The Dollar Store

Like most people nowadays, you've probably started to take your health more seriously. You may have found yourself eating healthier, exercising more, and supplementing your diet with vitamins. While these are all very good steps to ensuring both a healthy body and mind, you'd probably agree that a life of healthy living may not just be slimming you down, but also your wallet as well. Indeed, a 2013 study by the Harvard School of Public Health revealed that a healthy diet, compared to a less-healthier diet, costs $1.50 more per day. Although most vitamins are pretty cheap or at the very least not too expensive, there are some vitamins and supplements that can cost upwards of over $160 dollars (via Worthly). For a family who may not have much money, it can be harder for them to maintain a nutritional and healthy lifestyle.

A seemingly obvious answer would be to get vitamins from a local dollar store, such as Dollar Tree or Dollar General. With vitamins that are far cheaper than brand-name supplements and providing all the same benefits, it would appear that anyone on even the smallest budget can avoid the pitfalls of processed foods and medicines. But before you consider getting a few Vitamin C supplements from your local dollar store, it may be best to get a second opinion first.

While most dollar stores do take the quality of the products seriously, it's an unfortunate fact that you may find some products that are worse, if not totally inferior, to their more name-brand counterparts. This can sometimes be the case for food, toys, and even vitamins. Consumer Reports, while sympathetic to the dollar store's attempts to sell cheap, wholesome products, recommended that you skip over the vitamins the next time you're there. While testing off-brand multivitamins, it was discovered that some had less nutrients than what was advertised on the labels.

It isn't just vitamin supplements you should be wary of the next time you're at your local dollar store. Over-the-counter drugs such as minor pain relievers may seem like a good deal for only a few dollars, but they may not be as helpful to your cold as you may think. In 2019, the FDA issued a warning letter to Dollar Tree regarding the sale of tainted over-the-counter medicine and health care items received from overseas manufacturers. Although Dollar Tree began immediate cooperation with the FDA regarding this matter (via CNN), it still raises the uncomfortable question of just what exactly is in that cheap bottle of migraine medicine you may have picked up.

Dollar stores, in general, are doing their best to appear clean and reputable while providing cheap and safe goods for their customers. But if you want medicine, it's best to go to a pharmacy just in case.