Dietary supplements are products that contain one or more dietary
ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino
acids or other ingredients used to enhance the diet. In the United
States, dietary supplements are available in a wide range of product
forms, such as tablets, capsules, powders and liquids.
Nearly all Americans have benefited from dietary supplements of some
kind in their lives. Surveys estimate that more than 70 percent of the
U.S. population - seven out of ten Americans - use dietary supplements
as a safe, effective and affordable way to maintain good health and
augment inadequate diets. Currently, there are approximately 17,000
health product stores in the United States making supplements accessible
to all citizens.
While a good diet is the foundation for better health, even the most
well-informed and well-intentioned consumers don't always eat the way
they should. Supplements are easy to add to our daily diets, and this is
often the first step that many people take toward greater nutritional
awareness and the adoption of other healthy lifestyle choices. Whether
taking folic acid to help ensure the birth of a healthy baby or
Echinacea to ward off a cold, people can and do live healthier lives by
supplementing their diets.
In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act
(DSHEA). By enacting DSHEA, the federal government recognized the role
supplements can play in health promotion and in the prevention of
chronic diseases such as cancer, hearth disease and osteoporosis. One
of the bill's chief sponsors, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), noted on the
day the legislation passed that the bill was a "tremendous victory for
consumers who want to lead healthy lifestyles."
DSHEA established a new regulatory framework for supplements, ensuring
access to safe products, made to quality standards. It allowed for
increased dissemination of information about the benefits of supplements
so that consumers can make informed decisions about their health.
Built into DSHEA are important provisions that promote the safety and
efficacy of dietary supplements. Specifically, the law:
- Gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to protect the public from any unsafe products - First, if a
supplement manufacturer wants to market a product containing an
ingredient that was not used prior to the passage of DSHEA, the FDA must
be notified in advance and provided with safety data. Second, the FDA
reserves the right to recall any product at any time if the agency
believes it is a health risk.
- Granted FDA the ability to establish guidelines called Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) to hold dietary supplement manufacturers
to a high standard of safety - While the FDA is still in the process of
creating its own GMP guidelines, the dietary supplement industry created
its own GMPs to which manufacturers comply to ensure that consumers have
access to top quality dietary supplements.
- Requires truthful labeling and claims for dietary supplements - All dietary supplements are required to adhere to standard labeling
procedures by listing the names and quantities of each ingredient and
identifying the product as a dietary supplement directly on the
packaging. Additionally, any nutritional claims must be proven, and
manufacturers must notify the FDA in advance. Manufacturers can
circulate other materials, such as articles and pamphlets, to consumers
as long as the information is accurate and not misleading.
Legislation under consideration in Congress would create roadblocks to
your supplement access. Pending bills would allow the FDA to remove
products from the market based on a single anecdotal report of an
adverse event. We need your help to ensure continued availability of
these products that boost our health and help prevent illness.
Take action now and tell Congress to Save Our Supplements!
|
