Supplement Safety
So Many Supplements Are They Safe?
Americans spend more than $32 billion on 85,000 different dietary supplements every year. These products contain various combinations of vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, and other substances. The manufacturers claim that their products enhance health, but the scientific evidence ranges from slim to none in most cases. People still perceive dietary supplements as inherently harmless, but that's not always true.
The FDA does not require dietary supplements to be tested before marketing to prove they are safe and they work, as is the case with prescription drugs. As a result, products may contain unlisted ingredients and contaminants; some products have tested positive for prescription drugs not listed on the label. One thing you can do is make sure the product is certified by the United States Pharmacopeia or NSF International, which independently assess supplement ingredients.
From - https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/dietary-supplement-safety
Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health
- Dietary Supplements: What You Need to KnowFact Sheet for Consumers
- Evidence Based Reviews of Dietary SupplementsIn FY 2001, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) received a Congressional mandate to review the current scientific evidence on the efficacy and safety of dietary supplements and identify research needs. ODS responded by developing an evidence-based review program using the Evidence-based Practice Centers Program established by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to conduct systematic reviews of the scientific literature and prepare reports of their findings.
National Center for Complementary and Integratve Health
- National Center for Complementary and Integratve HealthWe conduct and support research and provide information about complementary health products and practices.
- ***KNOW THE SCIENCE***Why is it important to know the science of health? Simply put, because there is a lot of misinformation out there—from anecdotes disguised as evidence to excessive claims made by supplement manufacturers to TV doctors touting the latest "miracle cure."
- Be an Informed ConsumerDecisions about your health care are important—including decisions about whether or not to use complementary health approaches.
- Herbs at a GlanceSEARCHABLE A to Z LIST - Herbs at a Glance is a series of brief fact sheets that provides basic information about specific herbs or botanicals—common names, what the science says, potential side effects and cautions, and resources for more information.
USFDA - US Federal Drug Administration
- FDA - Dietary SupplementsFDA regulates both finished dietary supplement products and dietary ingredients. FDA regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations than those covering "conventional" foods and drug products. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA):
*Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as amended by DSHEA and FDA regulations.
*FDA has the authority to take action against any adulterated or misbranded dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. - Mixing Medications and Dietary Supplements Can Endanger Your HealthDietary supplements may contain ingredients that can have strong effects in the body. Talk with a health care professional before taking supplements.
- Information for Consumers on Using Dietary SupplementsAn Index of the Consumer Level Information on Dietary Supplement Use on the FDA website
- Dietary Supplement Ingredient DirectoryScroll Down a bit to find the Ingredient Directory. In the Directory you will find:
To help manufacturers, retailers, and consumers of dietary supplements stay informed about recent developments and locate information on FDA’s website quickly, we have put together an “ingredient directory” with links to FDA’s actions and communications with regard to particular dietary ingredients and other ingredients used in products marketed as dietary supplements. - How to Report a Problem with Dietary SupplementsDietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, whey protein, and creatine. FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are sold to the public. Therefore, it is particularly important for consumers, healthcare professionals, and industry members to report health-related reactions or illnesses (also known as adverse events) to FDA, so we can evaluate the marketplace and take action to protect the public from possibly unsafe products.
- Supplement Your KnowledgeUSFDA - Dietary Supplement Education Initiative
- Questions and Answers on Dietary SupplementsA FDA FAQ about dietary supplements and dietary substances
Other Supplement Links
- NatMed - Natural Medicines DatabaseLearn more about vitamins, herbs, and supplements.
Many people think that just because a remedy is natural, it must be safe. But when something is strong enough to have an effect, it's also strong enough to have side effects — and possibly interact with other medications.
We've teamed up with the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database to bring you reliable information so you can make smart decisions about taking vitamins, herbs, and other supplements.
The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database gives you the tools to:
-Find safety and effectiveness updates for each product and ingredient
-Check for interactions between natural products and other medications
-Look for herbs and supplements that have been verified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) -Dietary Supplement Verification Program
-See whether a natural product is effective for your condition