Dietary supplements are an increasingly popular way of increasing one’s nutritional intake. Available in pill, liquid, powder and bar form, dietary supplements often contain vitamins, minerals, herbs or amino acids – making them an accessible way of adding extra essential nutrients into one’s daily regimen.
The FDA regulates these products, but they should never replace a healthy diet; indeed, some can even be harmful.
They are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Dietary supplements are products taken orally that contain various dietary ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs or amino acids. Additionally, dietary supplements may include concentrates, metabolites or extracts. It is advised to speak to a healthcare provider prior to beginning any new dietary supplements; especially if other medicines are being taken. It is also beneficial to keep track of all medicines you are taking and which dietary supplements or medicines you take.
The Food and Drug Administration regulates dietary supplements differently from prescription or over-the-counter medicines due to laws which don’t mandate firms submitting evidence of safety before marketing dietary supplements.
Consumers should seek certification from an impartial third-party testing organization such as US Pharmacopeia or NSF International to verify that products meet certain standards. Furthermore, the FDA encourages people to report any adverse events they believe to be associated with dietary supplements through its website; such incidents might include finding foreign objects within them.
They are not a substitute for a healthy diet
Dietary supplements are products containing one or more dietary ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanicals, amino acids and more. While not classified as medicine, dietary supplements do not have to undergo the same rigorous testing requirements that drugs must undergo; as they may have side effects or interact with medications taken concurrently. Therefore it is always advisable to speak to your physician prior to taking dietary supplements.
Supplements may be helpful when suffering from nutritional deficiency (for instance, when pregnant women need extra folic acid or calcium to strengthen bones). A healthy diet remains the best way to gain essential vitamins and minerals; the FDA regulates dietary supplements but doesn’t approve them before entering the market; rather it reviews labeling to ensure manufacturers comply with laws. Manufacturers can make structure-function claims on labels without providing any evidence supporting those claims; in such cases a disclaimer must also be included on them as per law.
They can be harmful
Dietary supplements are an increasingly lucrative business in the US, consisting of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other substances in pill form; capsules; powder or drink. But unlike drugs, dietary supplements do not undergo the same rigorous testing and approval process that drugs must. Furthermore, high doses may be harmful. Furthermore, taking certain dietary supplements with prescription medication may alter absorption, metabolism and excretion processes leading to dangerous side effects.
Dietary supplements fall into two general categories: nutritional and herbal. Nutritional supplements supplement diet by providing essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and folic acid that may not be present; herbal supplements come from plants with healthful properties like echinacea or ginkgo that could help support health benefits; these botanicals may even interact with certain prescription drugs and pose potential threats of their own. Both types may become toxic when taken over an extended period or at high dosage levels and could interfere with each other as well.
They can interact with other medicines
Dietary supplements can be purchased over-the-counter and may contain vitamins, minerals, herbs or amino acids. They can be taken in pill, capsule, powder or drink form and do not undergo rigorous testing as drugs do. As they do not go through rigorous evaluation processes they should be used with caution as certain products may interact with each other or lead to side effects in users.
Researchers conducted a study involving 458 veterans waiting for general medicine appointments at two VA facilities (Pittsburgh and Los Angeles). Patients were asked about current and past use of various supplements including garlic, Ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto and ginseng; their prescription medication list was then cross-referenced in order to identify potential drug-supplement interactions.
Interactions between dietary supplements and medications can alter their concentration in the body, potentially increasing or decreasing it and leading to toxic side effects. Certain populations, including those taking antiretrovirals to maintain therapeutic levels of antiretrovirals; cancer patients requiring stable chemotherapy agents doses; or organ transplant recipients requiring stable immunosuppressant doses can be especially vulnerable.
