What are Dietary Supplements?

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.

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.

How does DSHEA help me obtain access to my supplements?

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. What are the main points I should know about this important law?

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 - The FDA issued GMP regulations for the dietary supplement industry in 2007. In the 13 years that it took the FDA to establish GMPs, the dietary supplement industry created its own standards to which manufacturers complied 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.

How can I help protect DSHEA?

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!

HomeAbout the Coalition Contact Us Privacy Policy Site Map

© 2010 The Coalition to Preserve DSHEA