What Is a Dietary Supplement?
Dietary supplements are products that contain vitamins, minerals or other nutrients
that may not be obtained in sufficient amounts through the food you eat recentdiscovery. They are
typically delivered in the form of pills, tablets, capsules or liquid. Some health
supplements also contain herbs, botanicals or other substances.
Some people use a variety of health supplements for different reasons, including to
supplement their diet with certain nutrients, to improve their immune system, or to
enhance their physical performance. However, it is important to remember that
most supplements are not intended to cure or treat any medical condition and
should never be taken without first consulting a doctor.
In addition to the nutrients they are supposed to deliver, supplements can also
contain ingredients that can be toxic if consumed in large quantities. Therefore, they
must be carefully labeled with a recommended daily dose and a warning statement
that the product should not be used more than this dose.
It is important to buy dietary supplements from reputable companies that comply
with FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and labeling regulations.
This is to ensure that the product you are taking is of high quality and contains no
harmful or dangerous ingredients.
The most common type of dietary supplement is a multivitamin, which contains all
the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly. Other
popular supplements include herbal remedies, homeopathic medicines and
traditional Chinese medicinal products.
Many people use a combination of supplements, often called “stacks.” These are
proprietary blends of several supplements that are marketed as offering synergistic
benefits. They may be formulated to increase lean muscle mass, improve athletic
performance or decrease body fat.
Most health supplements are regulated in the United States as foods, not drugs. The
DSHEA, passed in 1994, established the Dietary Supplement Health and Education
Act. This law requires that all dietary supplements be evaluated for safety and
efficacy before they can be sold. The FDA, in turn, regulates dietary supplements by
inspecting manufacturers, monitoring the market, and reviewing notifications from
importers and other regulatory agencies.
If a product is deemed to be unsafe, it can be restricted from the market. This can
happen for a number of reasons, such as if the product is not able to be
manufactured in the United States or if it contains ingredients that have been
identified by the FDA to be harmful.
Another common reason for the increase in dietary supplement use is that many
people are becoming more health-conscious and want to take steps to improve their
dietary intake. This is often done through increased exercise and diet changes. In
NHANES 2003-2006, for example, 61% of the participants said that they had made it
a goal to consume more fruit and vegetables compared with only 56% of
participants who did not have this aim in mind.
In the Multiethnic cohort of NHANES 1999-2000, 71% of participants said that they
took a multivitamin or other vitamin or mineral supplement, while 35% did not.
Among participants who took more than one dietary supplement, the most common
ones were vitamin C and beta carotene.