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Our January 2023 cover story, “CR’s Guide to Popular Supplements,” examined the remedies many people turn to for strengthening immunity, boosting memory, and more. Our readers shared their thoughts. To add your own, head to CR.org/popularsupplements.

I, FOR ONE, am glad we have supplements. My mother and her mother had a genetic disease that caused a loss of calcium to their bones, and without the help of a specialist who agreed that calcium supplements were necessary, they would have been wheelchair-bound for decades—and I, as well. —Trudi Trahan-upchan, via CR.org

EDITOR’S NOTE You’re right. Although many people take supplements that aren’t

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to share your comments for publication. necessary, some of them— such as calcium supplements— have been shown to be helpful in certain situations. But CR advises that you always check with your physician before taking supplements, especially if you also take any prescription drugs.

CONSUMER REPORTS AGAIN provides information about supplements but does not help consumers by letting us know which producers and brands are of the highest quality and which are not. Does more expensive mean better quality? I would nd an evaluation of the supplement providers and manufacturers to be much more valuable than these blanket “don’t take” and “okay to take” generalities. —Michael Glaser, via CR.org

EDITOR’S NOTE CR has tested supplements in the past. But January’s article was based on published scienti c research along with our own consumer surveys. As noted in the “What to Know Before You Take That Supplement” section on page 27, looking for a seal from the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) and other trusted organizations can help you verify that a supplement contains what’s advertised on the label. You can nd a list of USP-veri ed supplements at quality-supplements.org.

IN YOUR JANUARY article “CR’s Guide to Popular Supplements,” regarding vitamins, you should have mentioned that it’s very important for vegans to take B-12. —Wayne Kern, Timonium, MD

EDITOR’S NOTE People with certain restricted diets, such as vegans, may be missing out on some key vitamins. If that’s the case for you, consult a doctor or dietitian about how to get the vitamins you need from forti ed foods—those that have vitamins added to them—or from vitamin supplements. Vitamin B-12, for example, is plentiful in meat, milk, and eggs, but it’s not found in any plant foods. That’s why the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that vegans eat foods forti ed with B-12, such as soy milk and certain cereals, or take a B-12 supplement.

BEST STORE BRANDS

IN “STORE BRANDS We Love, (and a Few We Don’t)” in the January issue, I noticed that my favorite brands of peanut butter were not among those tested. Peter Pan wasn’t, and neither was Jif. Those are the best two peanut butters of all time! —Diane Stubbs, Gautier, MS

EDITOR’S NOTE In most cases, we used the top-selling brand of each product type as our “name brand.” For peanut butter, we tested the No. 2 brand, Skippy, instead of the No. 1, Jif, because at the time we purchased our samples, Jif peanut butter was linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning (now over) and had been recalled. Peter Pan, by the way, is fourth in terms of sales after Jif, Skippy, and private label peanut butter products.

AUTO RELIABILITY

IN “NEW CARS You Can Count On” in the January issue, you gave the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus an above-average rating for predicted reliability, indicated by the light green circle and a score of 73 out of 100 points. How is this possible when in your 2021 Auto Issue you rated the reliability for the Nautilus with a red circle, which indicates a well-below-average grade, and then in the 2022 Auto Issue you gave it an orange circle, which indicates a below-average grade? —Geo Bijas, Blu ton, SC

EDITOR’S NOTE CR conducts a new survey each year. When there are su cient responses, we average the data from our reliability surveys over the three prior model years to make our prediction for the new model year. So reliability predictions for 2023 factor in results from the 2020, 2021, and latest 2022 survey. The reliability rating for the 2023 Lincoln Nautilus, however, is based only on 2020 and 2021 data, which have shown aboveaverage reliability; we have insu cient data for 2022.

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LINKEDIN /company/ consumer-reports DISHWASHER RINSE AIDS

ON PAGE 8 of your January issue, you answered the question “Do I need to put a rinse aid as well as detergent in my dishwasher?” by explaining that adding a rinse aid can prevent “annoying water spots.” What we throw away (plastics, chemicals), wash away, and ush away often ends up negatively impacting our environment. Has CR determined the environmental impact of the chemicals in rinse aids? —Andy Phelan, Holliston, MA

EDITOR’S NOTE Most rinse or drying aids are surfactants— compounds that react with water to reduce surface tension— which can be “ecotoxic.” One common rinse agent—sodium tripolyphosphate—has been described by the Environmental Protection Agency as toxic to the environment. You can look for that ingredient listed on a product’s label. There are some rinse aids (made by Seventh Generation and Ecos, among others) that are claimed to be biodegradable and nontoxic, but CR hasn’t evaluated them. The mineral content or hardness of your water at home can also cause spotting on glassware, so addressing that condition can help without the use of any additional chemicals. HOW MUCH SUGAR IS IN WHOLEWHEAT BREAD?

In “Store Brands We Love” in the January issue, there was no mention of sugar content in the wholewheat bread section. In my experience, bread of all kinds typically carries high levels of sugar, and it is difficult to find whole-wheat bread with less than 4 grams of sugars. —David Dodsworth, Punta Gorda, FL

editor’s note We did address sugar content in the article. None of the seven breads we featured had more than 2 grams of added sugar per slice (the limit our nutritionists recommend). The lowest was Walmart Great Value 100% Whole Wheat Bread, with less than 1 gram per slice. Aldi L’oven Fresh 100% Whole Wheat Bread, Target Market Pantry 100% Whole Wheat Bread, and Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Bread Sliced all have 1 gram per slice. HOME SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

THE JANUARY ARTICLE “How to Age-Proof Your Home” is very valuable. One particular warning is key: Avoid tripping over an open dishwasher door. Having experienced several such accidents, I think that appliance manufacturers should implement safety technology as automakers have. For example, why not have ashing lights at the outer corners of the doors? —C. Warren Axelrod, Great Neck, NY

EDITOR’S NOTE An open dishwasher can certainly pose a tripping hazard, and it’s always best to close the door after loading or unloading. If you live with small children (or they’re frequent visitors) add a childsafety lock to the door to keep them from opening or standing on the door. And if you’re in the market for a new one, avoid a model with a door that opens at the end of the cycle to aid drying.

THANKS FOR THE article in the January issue “How to AgeProof Your Home.” I live alone in a multilevel home and I recently broke my ankle. I was fortunate to be able to install a chair lift, which gave me full use of my bedroom, bath, and o ce, which are upstairs. It wasn’t inexpensive but not as bad as I thought. —Alan Berman, Marietta, GA

CLARIFICATION

Our January 2023 cover story on supplements featured photographs of CBD-infused gummy bears with the letter A on their bellies. Albanese Confectionery Group, Inc., the maker of the “gummi with the A on its tummy”™, does not manufacture or sell CBD-infused gummy products.