What Are Dietary Supplements?
For many, taking supplements is an everyday experience. We trust that the
products we take help keep us healthy and strong. But do we really know
that our supplements provide the benefits we expect and do us no harm?
This primer on vitamin, mineral, herbal and other nutritional supplements
will guide you in making the wisest choices for your health.
What are dietary supplements, and why is the 1994 federal legislation
confusing?
In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act,
a comprehensive law that spells out what supplements are and what claims
can be made about them. According to the DSHEA, a dietary supplement is
a product other than tobacco that:
• is intended to supplement the diet;
• contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins;
minerals; herbs or other botanicals; amino acids, and other substances)
or their constituents;
• is intended to be taken by mouth as a pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid;
and
• is labeled on the front panel as being a dietary supplement.
However, this legislation essentially removed supplements from FDA
control. Supplement manufacturers aren't required to provide proof of safety
or efficacy. According to the UC Berkeley
Supplements, "flawed studies are frequently cited in support of dubious
products—while studies that show a negative effect are never mentioned."
Ad copy can create false hopes or false fears. Supplement purveyors do not
even need to guarantee that what's in the bottle matches what is on the label.
Yet, some supplements are highly beneficial and do come in standard doses.
This makes it all the more confusing for the uninformed consumer.
Before taking any supplement, ask yourself:
1. Do I need this supplement?
2. Is this supplement known to be safe?
3. Do I have enough information about this supplement?
4. Does this supplement interact with any food or drug I am consuming?
5. Do I know that this supplement works?
6. Can I afford this supplement?
Supplement manufacturers are allowed to make claims regarding health,
nutritional content and structure/function subject to limited restrictions.
• Health claims describe a relationship between a food, food
component, or dietary supplement ingredient, and reducing risk of a
disease or health-related condition. For example: "Provides relief from
symptoms associated with PMS and menopause such as cramps, hot
flashes, breast tenderness and moodiness" on a bottle of Evening
Primrose Oil capsules.
• Nutrient content claims describe the relative amount of a nutrient or
dietary substance in a product. This is what the % DV, or daily value,
refers to: what percent of the recommended daily amount of this
nutrient the supplement provides.
• A structure/function claim is a statement describing how a product
may affect the organs or systems of the body. It can't mention a
specific disease. For example: "COQ10 supports heart function as a
component of the electron transport system, and as an antioxidant
protects mitochondrial membranes and cholesterol from oxidation."
Products making such claims must include the disclaimer, "These statements
have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product
is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease," somewhere
on the label.
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