Dietary and Herbal Supplements
A dietary supplement, as defined by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education ActA Federal law that defines dietary supplements and sets product-labeling standards and health claim limits. DSHEA defines supplements and outlines quality, safety, and efficacy regulations that are different from those for drugs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not review dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness before they are sold. (DSHEA), is a product that:
- Is intended to supplement the diet
- Contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicalsA plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots., amino acids, and certain other substances) or their constituents
- Is intended to be taken by mouth, in forms such as tablet, capsule, powder, softgel, gelcap, or liquid
- Is labeled as being a dietary supplement.
Many people take dietary supplements in an effort to be well and stay healthy, and research has shown that some uses of dietary supplements are effective in preventing or treating diseases.
Using Dietary Supplements Wisely
For Consumers
- Time To Talk About Dietary Supplements: 5 Things Consumers Need To Know
- Herbs at a Glance
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Herbs and Supplements (MedlinePlus)
- Consumer Information on Dietary Supplements (FDA)
- Consumer Update: Beware of Fraudulent Dietary Supplements (FDA)
- Dietary Supplement Alerts and Safety Information (FDA)
- Report an Adverse Event Associated With a Dietary Supplement (FDA)
- Dietary Supplements: Background Information (ODS)
- Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know (ODS)
- Dietary Supplements Labels Database (NLM)
- Herbal Dietary Supplements: Examples of Deceptive or Questionable Marketing Practices and Potentially Dangerous Advice (GAO)
- Eclectic Institute Dietary Supplements: Recall - Possible Salmonella Contamination (FDA; 12/22/2011)
Research Spotlights
Video
- Herbal Medicine: Ancient Practice Meets Modern Science [59min 30sec] (NIH Videocast)
- Reverse Herbology: Predicting and Preventing Adverse Herb-Drug Interactions [55min 58sec] (NIH Videocast)
- Technical and Regulatory Challenges to Biomedical Research on Dietary Supplements [1hr 9min 35sec] (NIH Videocast)
Ongoing Medical Studies
- Search for Active Medical Research Studies (ClinicalTrials.gov)
For Health Professionals
Clinical Practice Guidelines
- Botanicals for Menopausal Symptoms (Obstetrics and Gynecology)
- Clinical Use of Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals [1MB PDF] (Endocrine Practice)
- Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies)
- Herbs and Supplements in Managed Care (The Permanente Journal)
- Integrative Oncology: Complementary Therapies and Botanicals [255MB PDF]
(Society for Integrative Oncology) - Integrative Oncology in Lung Cancer (Chest)
- Migraine Headaches in Children and Adolescents (Journal of Pediatric Health Care)
- Standards for Developing Trustworthy Clinical Practice Guidelines (IOM)
Continuing Education (CME, CEU)
Scientific Literature
- Annual Bibliographies of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research (ODS)
- PubMed Dietary Supplement Subset (ODS)
- Systematic Reviews/Reviews/Meta-Analysis (PubMed® Citations)
- Randomized Controlled Trials (PubMed® Citations)
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