Dietary Supplements and Regulation
By Dr. Lynne Kavulich
With nearly half of American adults taking a dietary supplement of some type, one may question the safety of these supplements. Many questions and much controversy have surrounded dietary supplements and regulation. In order to understand the controversy surrounding dietary supplements and regulation one must have some background in supplements and the current regulations governing them.
Use of herbs for medicinal purposes dates back thousands of years. In the past, people depended on herbs and plants as medicines because they had no other sources for their medicines. In the United Stats, herbal remedies met their competition when large pharmaceutical companies began chemically producing symptom specific medicines that are strenuously regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Some believe that since dietary supplements aren’t regulated as strenuously as prescription medications, they are unsafe. However, supporters of supplements argue the same rules shouldn’t apply to dietary supplements that apply to prescription medicines because the two have separate purposes in health care. Prescription medicines are used to fight diseases already there while the active chemicals in dietary supplements are intended to help prevent disease. For example, antibiotics help your body fight a disease it already has. You must go to your doctor for a diagnosis before he can determine an antibiotic is what you need to make you well. On the other hand, you can decide on your own to take liquid vitamins with antioxidants to help keep you from getting sick.
Originally, dietary supplements and regulation was an area covered only by the Federal Government. Through the Food and Drug Administration the same laws that regulate foods also regulate dietary supplements. The FDA has the authority to take a product off the market if it is found to be harmful, but is not required to do strenuous testing before marketing. Just as you would buy spinach from the supermarket and not worry about it causing sickness, in the same way you can buy a bottle of liquid vitamins with antioxidants. However, if the government determines E-Coli bacteria is being spread by the spinach, as happened recently, that product is taken off the market, just as a dietary supplement would be if it were found to be harmful. The Federal Government also addresses dietary supplements and regulation through the Federal Trade Commission. These regulations detail how a producer of dietary supplements can advertise their product. Advertising information is required to be truthful and not misleading. Using our example of liquid vitamins with antioxidants, the producer of these vitamins can say the vitamins can help prevent a cold. They are prevented, however, from saying the vitamins will cure a cold.
In 1994 dietary supplements and regulation were brought to the front line when the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) became law. In addition to clarifying the definition of a dietary supplement, this law also created the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). This office is responsible for research conducted on dietary supplements and regulation of these supplements. The office also issues and maintains the International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplement, which makes information on dietary supplements available to consumers.
A final word of advice, if your doctor prescribes a medication for you, be sure to tell him or her what dietary supplements you are taking in case there is a know interaction between the active chemicals in dietary supplements and the prescription. The doctor can’t make you stop taking the supplement, but you should know all information and make an informed decision. If you can’t talk to your doctor, consult your pharmacist. Pharmacists can also access information about the interaction between the active chemicals in dietary supplements and drugs. A better solution would be to use all natural dietary supplements such as those found at www.feel-great-at-any-age.com.
For more information Dr. Lynne Kavulich can be contacted at American Wellness Care 1061 Route 82 Hopewell Junction, NY 12533. (845)221-1201 or visit us at the website www.feel-great-at-any-age.com.
