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Since its inception in 1996, Health Care Without Harm has been working to make the health-care industry safer for the environment. A coalition of hospitals, medical professionals, and community groups from more than 50 countries, the group creates policies that outline and encourage ways to more safely produce medical products, eliminate waste, and construct health-care facilities. Over the past decade, it has grown to more than 450 organizations and implemented dozens of programs with a social and eco-conscious agenda. Similar groups run Practice Greenhealth and the Sustainable Hospitals Project in an effort to better equip medical professionals with eco-friendly products and devices, and dozens more work to raise awareness about medical chemicals and pollutants.

They are all part of a growing movement that aims to eradicate the dangers within the contemporary health-care sector, many of which arrived in the 1960s when man-made nylons, polyesters, vinyls, and other synthetic materials began to replace the previous generation’s bio-based medical supplies. Synthetic materials pose problems along nearly every stage of their manufacturing, use, and disposal, as they are often produced using toxins that seep into the atmosphere when burned in medical-waste incinerators.

Commonly referred to as the “poison plastic,” vinyl, or PVC, is especially dangerous from start to finish, releasing harmful chemicals when produced, handled, and burned—and hospitals dispose of billions of tons of it each year. The health-care sector is also a large source of mercury, a potent neurotoxin that affects the brain and kidneys. Small amounts of mercury can be found in thermometers, blood-pressure units, esophageal dilators, catheter tubes, and the fluorescent light bulbs, thermostats, and boiler-gauge controls found in many medical buildings. That these and other dangerous materials have become so entrenched in daily health care has many medical professionals wary of the products and practices generally regarded as safe.

This mistrust of the status quo has also extended into consumer markets, in which natural supplements have, for a growing number, become a viable alternative to prescription drugs and antibiotics. Based on the belief that the human body has natural healing abilities and that contemporary doctors often over-prescribe, more and more people are turning to dietary supplements, also called nutritional supplements. These are aimed at prevention and wellness, with new research confirming that natural herbs and vitamins may play a significant role in assisting the body to repair damaged cells, boost the immune system, and protect against common and not so common health concerns and problems. Used alone or to complement standard medicine, these products were first used in holistic health-care offices, but they are fast becoming an over-the-counter favorite.

The current market for nutritional supplements in the U.S. is over $12 billion, made up of a diverse set of products from a variety of manufacturers and distribution channels. Under the umbrella of dietary supplement falls vitamins, products that are organic nutrients and are essential in small doses for healthy metabolism and growth; minerals, products that are chemical elements in their inorganic forms; herbal and botanical extracts, plant materials used for medicinal and therapeutic purposes; and various proteins, amino acids, and teas.

According to an industry report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research, there are over 1,000 manufacturers and more than 300 distributors of dietary supplements in the U.S. Consumer sales come from thousands of natural-food stores and conventional supermarkets and grocers, while direct sales stem from catalog companies, marketing companies, and medical and alternative health practitioners.

Public wholesale distributors are doing especially well, due largely in part to a lack of industry regulation from the Food and Drug Administration. Using a very different set of rules than applied to conventional food and drug manufacturers, the FDA requires a dietary-supplement manufacturer to ensure that a product is safe before it goes to market, but does not actually require manufacturers to register their products or gain FDA approval. This has opened the door for scammers and Internet fraud and has consequently turned consumer interest toward public manufacturers, which are often seen as more trustworthy based on their larger size and support from investors.

Reports from the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance also bode well for manufacturers and distributors. The group found that the appropriate use of select dietary supplements could improve the health of key populations and save the nation more than $24 billion in health-care costs over five years. Notably, the appropriate use of calcium with vitamin D for the Medicare population shows potential avoidance of over 700,000 hospitalizations for hip fractures—which costs the U.S. $16 billion every five years—and the potential five-year savings if the 65-and-over population were to take 1800 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids to reduce the occurrence of coronary heart disease is $3.2 billion.

As natural supplements gain viability and visibility in the U.S., a growing number of companies are manufacturing, marketing and/or distributing these alternative health products, and the competition is fierce. Here are 10 up-and-comers worth watching:

Nature’s Sunshine Products (OTC: NATR.PK)
Nature’s Sunshine manufactures and markets nutritional and personal-care products, including vitamins, mineral supplements, and nutritional drinks. Global in focus, the company sells 700 different products worldwide to a sales force of independent distributors, which then use the products themselves or resell them to other distributors or consumers.

NBTY (NYSE: NTY)
NBTY is a vertically integrated manufacturer, marketer, and retailer of a broad line of nutritional supplements in the United States and throughout the world. The company markets approximately 22,000 products under numerous brands, including Nature’s Bounty, Vitamin World, and American Health. Along with its subsidiaries, NBTY manufactures and markets its products through four channels of distribution: Wholesale/United States Nutrition, North American Retail, European Retail, and Direct Response/E-Commerce.

United Natural Foods (NASDAQ: UNFI)
United Natural Foods is a national distributor of natural products in the U.S., carrying more than 40,000 natural and organic products in six categories: grocery and general merchandise, produce, perishables and frozen foods, nutritional supplements, bulk and food service products, and personal-care items. One of the largest natural distributors in the country, it serves over 17,000 customers, including independently owned natural-products retailers, supernatural chains, and conventional supermarkets.

Medical Nutrition USA (NASDAQ: MDNU)
Medical Nutrition develops and distributes nutritional and health products for sale to physicians, dispensing medical clinics, nursing homes, and network-marketing companies. Its products are sold under its own brand or under private labels domestically.

The Quigley Corporation (NASDAQ: QGLY)
The Quigley Corporation develops, manufactures, and distributes over-the-counter cold remedies and health-and-wellness products through its direct-selling subsidiary, and it also researches and develops naturally derived pharmaceuticals. The company’s four product segments are cold remedy, health and wellness, contract manufacturing, and ethical pharmaceuticals.

Herbalife (NYSE: HLF)
Herbalife is a global network-marketing company that sells weight-management, nutritional-supplements, and personal-care products in 63 countries through a network of independent distributors. The company groups its products into three categories: weight management, targeted nutrition, and outer nutrition, which target specific demographics, including sports enthusiasts and individuals looking to enhance their overall well-being.

Nutraceutical International Corp. (NASDAQ: NUTR)
Nutraceutical is an integrated manufacturer, marketer, distributor, and retailer of branded nutritional supplements and other natural products sold primarily to and through domestic health and natural food stores. Internationally, the company markets and distributes branded nutritional supplements and other natural products to and through distributors and retailers. Its products include Solaray, VegLife, KAL, Nature’s Life, Sunny Green, Action Labs, Herbs for Kids, Natra-Bio, and NaturalCare.

Nutrition 21 (NASDAQ: NXXI)
Nutrition 21 develops, markets, and distributes clinically substantiated nutritional supplements that target significant age- and weight-related health needs, including diabetes, cardiovascular health, obesity, mental health, cognitive function, and joint health. The company sells its Chromax-branded chromium picolinate through most U.S. food, drug, and mass-merchandise retailers, including Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens and Albertson’s.

Martek Biosciences Corp. (NASDAQ: MATK)
Martek Biosciences develops omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid products for use in infant formula, prenatal products, foods and beverages, and dietary supplements. Its licensees include infant formula manufacturers, Mead Johnson Nutritionals, Nestle, Abbott Laboratories, Wyeth, and Royal Numico.

Mannatech (NASDAQ: MTEX)
Mannatech is a wellness-solution provider that develops and sells worldwide its nutritional supplements, skin-care products, and weight-management products that target optimal health and wellness. The company offers 24 nutritional products, three topical products, seven skin-care products, and a weight-management system consisting of four products.

— By Annah Mason
Annah Mason is EQUITIES’ assistant editor and a contributor to Yogi Times, a magazine focused on eco-conscious living.