DETROIT – The vitamin and supplement market is big money and that’s why there are so many of them on store shelves. What many people don’t realize is that they are not regulated by the FDA like a medication is. They are treated more like food. This statement is from the FDA website: “Because dietary supplements are under the ‘umbrella’ of foods, FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is primarily responsible for the agency’s oversight of these products.”
Further, the FDA says: “Other than the manufacturer’s responsibility to meet the safety standards and labeling requirements for dietary supplements and to comply with current good manufacturing regulations, there are no laws or regulations that limit the serving size of a dietary supplement or the amount of a dietary ingredient that can be in a serving of a dietary supplement. This decision is made by the manufacturer and does not require FDA approval.”
Basically, supplements are only loosely regulated and often they make grandiose claims on their labels, but if you look at the fine print on nearly all of them you will see this disclaimer, “This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”
The FDA does not test dietary supplements before they are sold to consumers, and they do not regulate the claims made if they have the above disclaimer.
As you’ve probably figured out, I’m not a big fan of vitamins or dietary supplements that are marketed to improve some aspect of your health. The simple reason is that they are usually not based on any good science. That is not to say they never have any effect though. For example, there are herbal preparations that have been used for centuries in traditional medicines from other cultures that probably do have a real effect, and if used properly they are probably beneficial. There are supplements that offer real benefits and real value, just talk to your doctor first.
An example that jumps to mind is melatonin. It is not considered a drug; it is categorized as a supplement and there is an ever-growing body of research that it is effective in regulating a person’s sleep. My issue is with the wide range of products with no real foundation that are sold with little more than a promise and no real evidence.
If you do choose to take a vitamin or dietary supplement, just make sure you are getting it from a reliable source. Because the regulation in this area is weak, there are manufacturers that may not follow best practices regarding purity or dosage. Using melatonin as an example again, there has been good research showing that the melatonin content is often very different than the labeled amount depending on the manufacturer.
This market is very much more like the wild west than you would believe. I’m passionate about this topic because I hate seeing people get ripped off. Have a healthy skepticism before you spend your hard-earned money on these products.
Related: Shop with Dr. McGeorge: What to buy for colds, pain and other things at the pharmacy