Vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other dietary supplements come in pills, capsules, drinks, or powder form and may be useful at appropriate dosage levels for heart health or pregnancy care (for instance fish oil is often recommended).
But supplement claims relying heavily on subjective evidence should be challenged, experts caution. A healthier approach would be meeting nutritional needs through food rather than pills.
What are they?
Dietary supplements are food products taken orally that contain dietary ingredients (vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids and their derivatives) intended to supplement one’s diet. Dietary ingredients may include vitamins; minerals; herbs or other botanicals; amino acids and their derivatives as well as concentrated, standardized or extract forms of any of these substances. Dietary supplements may come in foodstuffs like capsules or liquid form and are generally sold over-the-counter without needing a valid prescription; alternatively this term often refers more directly to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Dietary supplements are sometimes also called nutritional supplements; this term often refers exclusively to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Some claims made for dietary supplements lack scientific backing, while some supplements can be harmful if taken in high quantities or when combined with certain drugs or foods. People taking dietary supplements should inform their healthcare providers – this will allow them to determine whether the supplements are appropriate for them and monitor for any complications that might arise; additionally, people can report any concerns directly through FDA’s Safety Reporting Portal.
How do they work?
As supplements are considered food and not drugs, they cannot be advertised as medicines to cure diseases or reduce symptoms, only providing essential nutrition to the body. Therefore it is advisable to speak to a health care professional prior to taking any supplement.
Dietary supplements can offer many health advantages, from providing extra calcium and vitamin D for stronger bones to helping pregnant women prevent certain birth defects with folic acid supplementation. But supplements cannot replace eating healthily as part of an eating pattern.
Cahoon recommends consulting the Supplement Facts labels of any product before making a purchase and consulting with a registered dietitian for advice before making your decision. Specifically, look out for claims like supporting immune system function, having hormone balancing effects or age defying properties; be wary of words touting scientific breakthroughs, secret ingredients or ancient remedies as these could be misleading claims or advertising schemes; additionally the FDA requires manufacturers to follow certain reporting regulations when reporting side effects.
Do they work for me?
Dietary supplements may have numerous effects on the body, from lowering cholesterol to improving immunity. But they’re regulated like food products rather than drugs and manufacturers cannot make claims that they treat or cure diseases.
This can lead to claims such as “has a structure or function effect” being made about supplements instead of having been shown to prevent or treat disease, making marketing claims simpler for manufacturers who don’t routinely test their supplements.
Some supplements may cause issues if taken in large doses or with certain health conditions or medicines. The best way to protect yourself from adverse interactions between supplements and medicine you take and health conditions or medicines you take is to keep a record and share this with your healthcare team – using this handy NIH tool (available free and for mobile devices) can make that possible! Keep in mind, though, that eating whole food diet is always best way to ensure good health!
Are they safe?
Dietary supplements are not subject to the same stringent regulation as pharmaceutical products, allowing companies to make claims about them which would be unlawful if made about drugs, such as treating specific conditions. This allows dietary supplement manufacturers to make health claims that would otherwise be unlawful under drug regulation; for instance claiming they treat an illness.
Customers may find it hard to determine whether a supplement is safe. While the FDA monitors products that pose potential hazards or make false claims, they do not review every product released onto the market before going for sale.
However, it is wise to carefully read labels and consult your physician before taking a dietary supplement. While most common supplements tend to be safe, there may be exceptions that cause serious health issues (see our AMA Moving Medicine video on echinacea) or interact with medications you are currently taking. If any adverse reactions do arise when taking supplements, inform both your doctor as well as report the incident through FDA’s safety reporting website.
