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What is a dietary supplement?
According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, a dietary supplement is a product (other than tobacco) that is intended to be used in addition to foods in the diet and should not be taken as a replacement for food. Dietary supplements usually contain at least one or more dietary ingredients including vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and enzymes. Depending on the kind of dietary supplement you take, it may be providing you with essential nutrients that may be lacking in your diet or it may be helping to promote optimal health. Dietary supplements are taken orally, as either pills, capsules, tablets, or liquids.

Nineteen percent of adult Americans are taking dietary supplements both with and without a healthcare professional's advice. People take dietary supplements for many different reasons including:



Ensuring nutritional adequacy
Protecting tissue structures and functions
Treating the symptoms of disease
Decreasing the risk of certain diseases and age-related changes
Enhancing physical performance
The scientific evidence to support the benefit and the safety of any one dietary supplement varies. Some supplements are supported with good quality scientific studies that provide evidence of the benefit and risks. Other supplements are not well supported and have limited studies with conflicting evidence (meaning that the evidence from one scientific study differs from another). Solid evidence for the benefit of a supplement it doesn't necessarily mean that it comes without side effects. Therefore before considering using a supplement, always discuss any potential side effects with your healthcare provider.

Some top selling dietary supplements in the United States include:

Multivitamins
Vitamin C and E
Calcium
Iron
Glucosamine
Chondroitin
Probiotics
Fish oils
Coenzyme Q10
SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine)
Garlic
Ginkgo biloba
Cranberry
St John's wort
Dietary supplements are regulated by the US Foods and Drug Administration (FDA), but the regulation process is different for food and drugs. A product is classified as a food, a drug, or a dietary supplement depending on its intended use. The FDA is responsible for taking action against a dietary supplement if it is unsafe only after it reaches the market. In other words, the independent manufacturer of the dietary supplement can market an entity without the FDA's approval. It is the responsibility of the independent manufacturer to ensure the information on the label of the product is truthful and not misleading. Once the product is on the market, the FDA is responsible for monitoring safety.

 

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