Thorne Supplements Review: A Comprehensive Look At Thorne Vitamins and Supplements

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There are a lot of supplements out there, and since there aren’t strict quality control standards in place, you can’t always be sure you’re getting good ones. Many brands rely on marketing to try to convince you that their products are the best, but when you dig a little deeper, that’s not always the case. However, ingredient labels and product claims can be really difficult to decipher if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

In this Thorne vitamins review, we’ll take an unbiased look at the brand to help you decide if its products are right for you. We’ll dig into the specific supplements, ingredients (both the active and inactive ingredients and fillers) and any certifications or quality control measures that are put in place. We’ll also highlight the pros and cons of the brand, and compare Thorne to other popular supplement companies, like Nature Made, Ritual and Pure Encapsulations so you can easily see the similarities and differences.

This content is meant to be informative, but should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment of health problems. Always speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement or exercise regimen.

What Is Thorne?

Thorne (formerly called Thorne Research) is a high-quality supplement and wellness company that’s been around since 1984. The name Thorne came about because the company wanted to become a “thorn” in the side of other supplement and wellness companies that sold subpar products with questionable ingredients that didn’t do what they claimed. Thorne started with one product, and has evolved into making hundreds of supplements and blends that are backed by clinical research.

Although the company has dropped “Research” from its name, sound science is still the foundation on which all of its supplements are built. Many of Thorne’s products are tested in clinical studies, and the brand partners with major research organizations like the National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, the MD Anderson Cancer Center and various universities to ensure efficacy of its products.

In addition to supplements, Thorne also offers at-home health tests that can give you a better idea of what’s going on with your body. These can help measure gut health, sleep, stress, weight markers and biological age. You order the test online, follow the collection directions when you receive it and then send it back to the lab and await your results.

Most of these tests can be done completely at home by collecting saliva, a stool sample and/or urine on your own, but some may require a full lab draw. They shouldn’t be used in place of regular doctor’s visits, but they may give you and your healthcare provider more insights into your specific health concerns.

Thorne’s products used to be available exclusively on its website, but now the company has expanded into other retailers, like Amazon, Target (online only) and the Mayo Clinic store. The products are also available on some specialty health and grocery sites like Thrive Market.

Thorne Vitamins and Supplements

Thorne makes almost 200 supplements. The brand offers individual nutrients, like vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin C and vitamin B12, as well as proprietary blends that are targeted for specific use cases. For example, the Thyrocsin supplement, which is designed to boost energy and support the thyroid, contains a mixture of ashwagandha, copper, iodine, l-tyrosine, selenium, vitamin B12 and other supportive nutrients. There are also blends made for healthy aging, cognition and focus, hormone support, mood and metabolism.

Many of Thorne’s supplements are manufactured in the brand’s own facility in Summerville, South Carolina. Because of this, it has more oversight and transparency into what goes into its products. All products, and the facility, are also third-party tested and verified.

All of Thorne’s vitamins and supplements are certified by the NSF International and the company follows Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). This means that the NSF audits Thorne’s manufacturing facilities at least two times per year to ensure the products match the claims they’re making—and that they’re handling them appropriately during the processing and packaging process.

There are also about 30 products that are NSF Certified for Sport. All of these supplements are third-party tested to ensure they don’t have unsafe levels of banned substances, certain contaminants or masking agents that could disqualify an athlete from competing in their sport.

As far as supplements go, you can pretty much find everything you’re looking for at Thorne. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, there are a dozen quizzes on the brand’s site that can help lead you in the right direction. Some are broad, like the stress quiz and the mood quiz, and others help you choose from different varieties of specific supplements, like the fish oil quiz and the probiotics quiz.

If you prefer additional guidance, you can request a chat session with a health advisor to go over your health goals and get specific product recommendations for you. There is a $30 consultation fee for this service, but if you end up purchasing products (now or any time in the future), that fee will be credited to your purchase. You do have to sign up for a free Thorne account to use this service.

Instead of highlighting all the products, here are more details on some of the company’s bestsellers.

Basic Nutrients 2/Day

The Basic Nutrients 2/Day is one of Thorne’s most popular multivitamins (but there are others to choose from too). It includes most essential micronutrients, like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, the B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc and chromium. It also contains supporting nutrients, boron and lutein.

This daily multivitamin was specifically designed for people who don’t like to take a lot of pills. With just two capsules per day, you’ll get more than 100 percent of your daily needs for the majority of the nutrients in the supplement. There are two versions of the supplement: a regular version and an NSF Certified for Sport option.

Basic B Complex

The Basic B Complex supplement contains all eight B vitamins—thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, biotin and pantothenic acid. It also has a small amount of choline, a nutrient that works with the B vitamins to carry out many physiological processes, including metabolizing amino acids.

All the B vitamins in the supplement are in their active form, so it’s easier for your body to absorb and utilize them as needed. With just one capsule again, you can get more than 100% of the B vitamins you need for the entire day.

Collagen

Thorne’s collagen powder comes in two formulations: Fit and Plus. Grass-fed, hormone-free collagen (made from beef) is the foundational ingredient in each blend, but there are also supporting nutrients targeted at different things.

The Collagen Fit also contains nicotinamide riboside and betaine, and is designed for healthy aging, joint support and sports performance. The Collagen Plus is formulated for healthy skin, hair and aging. It also contains nicotinamide riboside, plus a black and red currant polyphenol blend that works as antioxidants and may help stave off age-related diseases.

FloraMend Prime Probiotic

The FloraMend Prime Probiotic is a high-dose gut health supplement that contains a combination of Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium bifidum. According to Thorne, these specific strains help with digestive upset and mood, and can help support healthy immune function. Each capsule contains five billion live cells to help balance the gut microbiome.

Vitamin D + K2 Liquid

Vitamin D and K2 have a synergistic relationship, so they’re more effective (and powerful) when taken together. Thorne combines them both with medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil for better absorption—since vitamin D and K2 are both fat-soluble vitamins they need fat to make it through to your bloodstream. Two drops of this liquid supplement offers 125% of your daily vitamin D needs and 167% of your requirements for vitamin K, and one bottle can last for up to 10 months (depending on your dosage).

Amino Complex

The Amino Complex contains all of the nine essential amino acids, plus branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) that Thorne says help build lean muscle mass and boost energy production. This powdered formula is NSF Certified for Sport and comes in two fruit flavors—berry or lemon—that are lightly sweetened with stevia.

Magnesium Bisglycinate

About half of the population falls short on magnesium so many could benefit from a targeted supplement. This one from Thorne contains magnesium bisglycinate, which is easier to absorb than other forms, like magnesium oxide. Unlike magnesium citrate, magnesium bisglycinate doesn’t have a laxative effect, so you can take it any time of the day—whether you’re near the bathroom or not. It’s also NSF Certified for Sport, so it’s safe for competitive athletes.

ResveraCel

Thorne doesn’t call ReservaCel an anti-aging supplement; instead the brand claims that the ingredients can support cellular repair and boost cellular energy production, which can promote healthy aging. This bestselling supplement combines nicotinamide riboside, its main ingredient, with betaine quercetin and trans-resveratrol.

The Pros of Thorne

• Clean ingredient list
• Supplements are third-party tested
• Gluten- and egg-free
• NSF and NSF Certified for Sport
• Available online through mass retailers like Target and Amazon

The Cons of Thorne

• Some supplements are expensive
• Some report subpar customer service

What Customers Say About Thorne Vitamins

Overall, people are really happy with Thorne’s products. There aren’t too many customer reviews on Trustpilot, but the general consensus is that everything is good quality and the supplements are top-of-the-line. The company itself has a 3.8-star rating, but the handful of complaints call out subpar exchanges with customer service while still raving about the quality of the products.

Thorne’s supplements are also available on Amazon (through Thorne, not a third-party) and each individual supplement there has hundreds to thousands of reviews. Most of the supplements have at least a 4.5-star rating, with some reviewers saying that their doctor recommended the brand and the products have been working well.

Thorne allows product reviews on its site too, and customer satisfaction is high there, as well. Most products have at least a 4.5-star rating, with many five star rave reviews. One five-star reviewer who takes the Multi-Vitamin Elite writes, “When it comes to a daily multi-vitamin/mineral, I've spent hours of research into the best ones, and I've spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars trying all the various ones out there, and I have to say hands down the Elite AM/PM is absolutely magical!”

Factors to Consider Before Purchasing Thorne

When purchasing from Thorne, you can be sure that you’re getting a clinically backed supplement, but there are some other things to consider too. Instead of just looking at the front of the label, you’ll want to dig into the ingredients and factor in the price. If you plan on taking the supplements regularly, you can also save some money by purchasing strategically.

Ingredients

All of Thorne’s supplements have minimal ingredients and fillers. The company has an extensive “No List” that includes more than 30 additives that it will not use in its products. This includes artificial sweeteners, preservatives and coloring agents. It also eliminates over 200 banned substances, like anabolic agents and growth hormone, that would disqualify athletes from competitions. All products are also egg- and gluten-free.

However, it’s still important to check the label of each individual product before you purchase it, as inactive ingredients can vary between supplements. For example, the basic B complex contains silicon dioxide and microcrystalline cellulose, while the Basic Nutrients multivitamins has calcium laureate and dicalcium phosphate. If you have a sensitivity to a specific additive, make sure you read all labels closely.

Price

Because Thorne offers such a wide range of products, the prices vary a lot too. For example, you’ll pay about $10 for a bottle of selenium to $88 for Memoractiv, a nootropic blend that’s designed to enhance mental function and reduce brain fog.

When factoring in cost, think about how much you’re getting out of the supplement, not just the price. Some of the supplements last several months, so they may be more expensive upfront, but cost less over time or per serving. For example, the Vitamin D + K2 Liquid has 300 two-drop servings in the bottle, so it’s possible that you’d only have to invest in one bottle every 10 months or so.

Subscription

When purchasing directly from Thorne’s website, you have two options: making a one-time purchase or signing up for a recurring subscription. If you’re planning on using the products regularly, you may be better off choosing the latter since Thorne offers discounts to its subscribers.

You can save up to 20% on your purchase, depending on how many products you commit to. If you choose one or two products, you’ll get 10% off plus free shipping. If you subscribe to a regular shipment of three or more products, you’ll get 20% off and free shipping.

The discount won’t apply to your first purchase, though—only the subsequent automatic shipments. Product bundles are also excluded, since you already get a 10% discount when you purchase the bottles together.

When signing up for a subscription, you have five options: monthly, every 45 days or every two, three or four months. You can cancel or change your subscription at any time, and there’s an option to skip a shipment if you don’t need to replenish your supply as quickly as you anticipated.

Other Bundles, Promotions and Discounts

If you want to save some money but don’t want to commit to a subscription, Thorne also offers targeted bundles. These bundles include an assortment of supplements that work synergistically to help with specific health issues or wellness goals, like weight management, blood sugar control and better sleep.

For example, there’s a joint support trio that includes the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA from fish oil, glucosamine and chondroitin and curcumin, and a healthy aging bundle that combines ReservaCel and CoQ10, among others. These bundles are put together by the clinical team, so if you’re having trouble narrowing down the options, the work is already done for you.

If you purchase all the supplements together, you can save up to 10% on the total cost compared to buying each item individually. These bundles aren’t eligible for additional discounts, including the subscription savings.

You may also be able to find an occasional promo code or discount. The best way to stay in the loop for extra savings is to sign up for the brand’s rewards program. After creating an account on the site, you can sign up for free and you’ll earn one point for every dollar you spend.

The rewards program operates on a tiered system. Immediately after signing up, you’ll be an “Insider,” which means you’ll get a 10% discount on the anniversary of your account creation, plus the points. As you spend money on the site, you’ll jump to higher tiers and unlock additional perks, like exclusive promotions and webinars and priority access to the brand’s customer service.

Once you’ve accumulated at least 50 points (by spending $50), you’ll unlock the rewards shop, which includes everything from Thorne swag, like mugs, blender bottles and T-shirts, to a handful of supplements and health tests. You can only use the rewards in the store; they can’t be used as a credit for any order.

If you love the brand and want to share it with your friends and network, you can also send a referral link and/or sign up as a brand ambassador (you’ll have to get approved by the company before you’ll get an activated referral link). You’ll get a $25 credit for every person that makes a purchase through your link.

How Thorne Stacks Up

Thorne may not have the same brand recognition as other, more popular companies, but when you dig into the details, you can see that it blows some of the competition away. Here’s how Thorne stacks up to Nature Made, Ritual and Pure Encapsulations.

Thorne Vitamins vs Nature Made

Nature Made is another popular supplement brand that’s widely available in mass retail stores, like Walmart and Target. While Nature Made definitely beats Thorne in terms of convenience—you can walk into pretty much any store that sells supplements and find the brand—everything else is less impressive.

For starters, Nature Made allows more filler ingredients, like silicon dioxide and polyethylene glycol, in its supplements. Some of these fillers can cause uncomfortable side effects, like gas, bloating, nausea and stomach cramps. Some of the supplements also contain dairy and gluten, so if you’re trying to avoid either, you’ll have to be extra diligent about reading labels.

Nature Made isn’t NSF-certified, but many of the supplements are verified by the USP, another third-party that tests the supplements for quality and audits manufacturing processes and facilities. Nature Made’s facilities, which are located in Southern California and Alabama, also follow cGMPs, and all of the brand’s products are manufactured there.

Like Thorne, Nature Made sells hundreds of supplements, from individual vitamins and minerals to specialty blends, and the prices are considerably lower in many cases.

Thorne Vitamins vs Ritual

Ritual’s product line isn’t as extensive as Thorne’s. The brand started with multivitamins that are targeted at different age groups, genders and life stages, but it has since expanded into probiotics and plant-based protein powders. There are 13 products total.

While there are fewer items to choose from, Ritual has a similar focus on scientifically backed ingredients and one of its products was involved in a clinical study that was published in Frontiers in Nutrition. The brand also prioritizes traceability—it closely follows the manufacturing journey of each of its ingredients and then lists pertinent details, like source, supplier, location and function on its website.

All products are USP-verified, free of gluten and major allergens and don’t contain any artificial colors, but Ritual doesn’t have the same extensive list of banned ingredients as Thorne. That being said, the brand only uses a handful of fillers and each one is listed on the site. You’ll also find information about the filler’s purpose (i.e. why it’s necessary) and where it came from.

Thorne Vitamins vs Pure Encapsulations

With more than 400 products to choose from, Pure Encapsulations has an even more extensive supplement line than Thorne. There are individual vitamins and minerals, proprietary blends and nutrient packs that combine several different supplements in one packet so it’s easy to take what you need every day.

The prices are fairly similar, and while Pure Encapsulations doesn’t have a subscription program, you can save some money by purchasing larger quantities at once—some products are available in 30- to 360-count bottles.

As far as ingredients go, Thorne eliminates more than Pure Encapsulations does. However, Pure Encapsulations does focus on high-quality, clean ingredients that don’t contain unnecessary additives and fillers. However, the brand isn’t forthcoming about the exact ingredients it bans. While Thorne has a detailed list listed on its site, Pure Encapsulations

All products are free of gluten, wheat, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts and artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. They’re also GMO-free. Some of the supplements do contain soy and dairy, but when they do, they’re clearly labeled so you can avoid them if you need to.

Pure Encapsulations also prioritizes sustainability and the company is working toward being completely recyclable by 2025.

FAQs

Are Thorne Vitamins FDA approved?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t approve any dietary supplements. It’s on the brand itself to ensure their products meet safety standards and are not violating any laws. However, there are some regulations set in place by the FDA to protect the public, and Thorne does comply with them.

The brand follows proper manufacturing and labeling guidelines, ensuring that nutrition information, ingredients and any allergens are properly labeled on the bottle. Thorne also avoids making outlandish health claims—another area that the FDA does oversee.

Is Thorne a clean brand?

“Clean” is a non-specific term, but most would consider Thorne a clean brand. The company has an extensive list of banned ingredients, including potentially harmful fillers and artificial colors and sweeteners, and is egg- and gluten-free. It also goes through regular certifications and third-party testing to ensure quality, safety and potency.

Where is Thorne manufactured?

Most of Thorne’s supplements are manufactured in the brand’s own facility in Summerville, South Carolina. The brand is Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) certified and its facility, warehouses and shipping centers are regularly inspected for compliance.

Is Thorne third-party tested?

Yes, Thorne supplements are third-party tested through the NSF, one of the strictest, longest-running supplements certification programs in the industry. All of the brand’s supplements contain NSF certifications, and a handful are also NSF for Sport Certified, which means they’re tested for additional banned substances that could disqualify a professional athlete from competition.

Does Thorne do animal testing?

No, Thorne does not do any animal testing. The company states that it also supports the objective of eliminating lab testing on animals, but doesn’t expand further into how it’s doing that.

Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.