Supplements come in various forms and from an array of sources, and their regulations differ significantly from drugs.
Some individuals require vitamin or mineral supplements, including pregnant or breastfeeding women as well as those living with chronic diseases; however, such supplements should never replace a healthy diet rich in variety of food choices.
Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplements are an umbrella term for products such as vitamins, minerals and herbs that fall within this broad category. Congress defined “dietary supplements” under the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) to mean products “containing a dietary substance intended to complement one’s diet”. This definition encompasses everything from individual vitamins such as Vitamin C or Folic Acid through herb/botanical mixtures and concentrated metabolites constituents and extracts of preceding categories to herb/botanical mixtures and concentrated metabolites constituents and extracts of prior categories.
Supplements come in all forms, from tablets and capsules to liquids and gummies. Additionally, supplements may be added into beverages and foods like teas or bars as dietary supplements; to qualify as such products they must be consumed orally rather than administered topically or through inhalation.
FDA monitors dietary supplement manufacturers, distributors and retailers to ensure they produce safe products. They monitor market for any potentially contaminated or mislabeled supplements as well as claims made on product labels.
Medications
Medication refers to prescription and over-the-counter drugs used to treat diseases and health conditions. They come in the form of tablets, capsules, liquids or creams which are absorbed through the skin or even injection products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure safety.
Dietary supplements are not medications and do not need FDA approval before being sold. They may contain vitamins, minerals, herbs or botanicals, amino acids and fish oil – popular dietary supplements include multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium iron and folic acid supplements.
If you experience side effects or reactions while taking supplements, immediately notify your healthcare provider or doctor. Reporting adverse events helps the FDA detect dangerous products on the market and remove them quickly from shelves. Visit their website to learn how you can file an adverse event report.
Claims on Supplement Labels
Food and dietary supplement labels in the US allow three types of claims that can be made on them: structure/function claims, nutrient content claims and health claims. While the first two require that a product contains specific levels of nutrients; health claims require it be used to reduce diseases or conditions associated with health conditions – for which evidence from human studies must be produced – this can include mechanistic studies (which help explain how an ingredient works) but also RCTs or other high quality research methods (ie clinical trials or mechanistic).
Studies have demonstrated the power of label claims to influence consumer purchasing decisions. Consumers were especially affected by claims highlighting diet-disease links (such as calcium for osteoporosis) or nutritional content claims; consumers also wanted to know whether a product contained any banned substances; it is therefore crucial that you keep this research in mind when creating supplement product labels.
Safety
Although FDA regulates dietary supplements, unlike food and medications manufacturers are not required to demonstrate that their product is safe before marketing it. This lack of regulation leaves these dietary supplements susceptible to being contaminated with dangerous ingredients like steroids present in protein powder or banned stimulants in pre-workout supplements.
These contaminants can pose various health threats, from stomach upset and headache to liver damage and interference with certain conventional medication absorption processes.
If you experience issues with any supplements, it is essential that you notify a healthcare provider. They can assess if it could be related to taking these pills and identify any potential health concerns associated with using them.
If you believe a supplement could have contributed to any adverse health reactions, please report it through the FDA Safety Reporting Portal. Doing so can assist the agency in identifying potentially dangerous products and remove them from shelves.
