Diet Supplements

The dietary supplement industry is a dynamic one and the products occupy a huge list. Scientific research on the associations between supplements and health is accumulating rapidly. The number of products and the variety of uses for which they are promoted have increased significantly in the last few years. The role of the Federal Trade Commission, is to ensure that consumers get accurate information about dietary supplements so that they can make informed decisions about these products.

It should meet one of the following criteria: it is intended to supplement the diet and bears or contains one or more of vitamins, mineral, a herb, a dietary substance for use by man to supplement the diet by increasing the total daily intake, a concentrate, such as a meal replacement or energy bar, it is intended for ingestion in pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid form., it is not represented for use as a conventional food or as the sole item of a meal or diet and it is labeled as food, not a drug.

Although they have many benefits, they also have their dark side. Many herbs in these products have powerful side effects or can interact with other dietary supplements and medications. Some are, moreover, only effective when taken in conjunction with other ingredients: calcium, for example, needs vitamin D and magnesium to be absorbed; and Vitamin E needs Zinc to work.