Most commonly consumed supplements include multivitamins and minerals such as calcium and vitamin D. Other popular choices are herbs or botanicals, amino acids or live microbes.
Supplements are subject to regulations by the Food and Drug Administration; however, they cannot make claims to treat, cure, or prevent diseases. To ensure their safety, this agency conducts inspections of supplement manufacturers as well as monitors the marketplace.
They’re wildly popular
Many consumers stock up on vitamins, minerals, herbs, fungus and amino acids at supermarkets or health food stores to provide optimal wellness. These supplements – often known as dietary or nutraceuticals – come in pill, powder or liquid forms and often make bold claims about improving overall wellbeing.
Nearly half of our survey respondents claimed to use supplements or natural remedies on a regular basis for multiple reasons, including to boost energy levels (18%), improve digestion (13%), support immunity (12%) and get better night’s rest (10%).
But supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA in the same way, so always get approval from your physician before beginning to take any new product. Also keep in mind that these aren’t meant to replace nutritious food sources but instead can interfere with some medications you are on and may contain hidden ingredients or drugs you might not even be aware of that may interact with certain conditions or illnesses.
They’re regulated by the Food and Drug Administration
Before FDA-approved drugs hit store shelves, they must first undergo rigorous safety testing and demonstrate their efficacy. By contrast, supplements fall under different standards; The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 places them within the general umbrella of foods so that they do not face as much scrutiny.
Supplements may pose a threat, especially given their potentially hazardous ingredients or inadvertent interactions with prescription medicines. Many individuals also take them without doctor oversight and could potentially consume more or less than is intended.
The FDA plays an integral role in supplement regulation by conducting facility inspections and reviews and notifying firms if they intend to introduce any new dietary ingredients that have not previously been sold in the US market. A company may still make structure/function claims (relating to effects on specific areas of the body or deficiencies disease) or claims about maintaining or promoting overall well-being with their product(s).
They’re not regulated by the FDA
Dietary supplements do not undergo the same stringent approval process as pharmaceutical drugs; rather, they are regulated as food items by manufacturers who must ensure that the ingredients listed on their labels match what is actually in each bottle.
To ensure dietary supplements are safe, the FDA monitors and investigates complaints in the marketplace and requires manufacturers of new supplement ingredients undergo safety reviews prior to releasing products onto the market.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulation ensures advertising of supplements is truthful and not misleading, while consumers can report issues through FDA’s online Safety Reporting Portal. Manufacturers must also follow Good Manufacturing Practices that help guarantee purity, safety, and that each label contains exactly as promised ingredient – this represents a marked improvement over previous practices when manufacturers often added either too little or too much of said ingredient to products.
They don’t deliver on the promise of better health
Dietary supplements account for an enormous expenditure each year, yet many are sold without government-issued certification and often mislabeled. Furthermore, high doses taken alone or combined with certain drugs or foods could have harmful side effects that are potentially dangerous.
However, the industry has seen an explosion of growth on Instagram-fueled platforms such as Snapchat. New players such as Ritual and Care/Of have overtaken established brands such as Nature Made and Nature’s Bount to provide “tell-all” vitamins targeted towards health influencers and personal trainers.
People should aim to obtain all the micronutrients they require from eating a balanced, unprocessed diet of healthy, whole food products and beverages, rather than supplements taken as pills or powder. Whole food nutrients work synergistically while supplements may work independently of each other. Randomized clinical trials offer one way to evaluate product efficacy; researchers give volunteers either their supplement of choice (or a placebo), then monitor their health through health surveys conducted during such trials.
