Young Ju, Ph.D.

A dietary supplement is “a product 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 (DSHEA). Dietary supplements are not prescription drugs; therefore, supplements cannot claim to cure, treat, or prevent a disease, but they are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, ~57.6% (nearly 3 in 5) of U.S. adults aged 20 and overused dietary supplements.  Supplement use increased with age and was highest among women aged 60 and over (80.2%). The top three most commonly used dietary supplements by adults in all age groups were multivitamins/minerals, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids (NHANES). 

People decide to take dietary supplements for many reasons, including to maintain or improve general health and to improve a wide range of health problems (e.g., digestive issues, pain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, arthritis, mood issues, etc.).  The following are suggestions for choosing a supplement.

1.  Be an informed consumer

It is important to find out as much as possible about a dietary supplement (e.g., special diets, dietary supplements, and herbs) before you make a decision.  What scientific studies have been done on the safety and effectiveness of the product or practice?  Although the internet can provide information, often it is difficult to know if the information is accurate.  These sources are reliable and can help you:  

• National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements

• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

 2. Check the product label

The supplement facts label includes most of the basic information about a supplement, including the serving size, number of servings per container, ingredients in the product, and amount of each nutrient that it contains.  For vitamins and minerals, it also includes the Percent Daily Value (%DV) that shows what percentage of daily requirement is provided by each nutrient in the product.  Note that:

• “Natural” does not necessarily mean “safer” or “healthier”.  Many people perceive that “natural” supplements or ingredients are better and safer than synthetic substances.  In fact, researchers have shown that not all-natural products are effective and some natural chemicals may in fact be toxic.

• “Standardized” does not necessarily reflect product quality.  Standardization is a process that manufacturers use to ensure the batch-to-batch consistency of their products.  In the U.S., dietary supplements are not required to be standardized.

• Some supplements may provide a Certificate of Analysis (COA), which means that they have undergone third-party testing to verify that they meet required product specifications (e.g., purity and potency). The COA for products is often available as a QR code on the label of the supplement, or it can be accessed on the website of the manufacturer.

• Some supplements may contain allergenic ingredients, such as wheat, corn, eggs, or gelatin listed as “other ingredients”.  If you have a food allergy or are sensitive to these foods, these ingredients could trigger allergic reactions.

 3. Talk to your health care providers and make sure they are aware of the supplements you are taking

• It is important to check with an expert who knows evidence-based scientific findings. 

• Be aware of possible drug or nutrient interactions.  Dietary supplements may interact with prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs you are taking.  Your healthcare provider may also help you find the right supplement for you.

• If you think that a dietary supplement may have caused side effects or illness, immediately stop using the product, talk to your health care providers, and fill out a safety report through the Safety Reporting Portal to submit your complaint to FDA.  

Not everyone needs to take supplements.  It is possible to get the nutrients we need by eating a variety of healthy foods.  If we cannot get them from foods or our bodies are not functional to process food and absorb nutrients, the right supplement can be useful for meeting our nutritional needs. 

References

Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. Pub L No 103–417. 1994.

National Center for Health Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES): Questionnaires, datasets, and related documentation. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/Default.aspx

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/tips/tips-what-consumers-need-to-know-about-dietary-supplements