With the sheer number of dietary supplements available in the U. S., it's no surprise that many people are turning to these products to improve or maintain their overall health. Multivitamins, vitamin D, echinacea, and fish oil are just a few of the many supplements found on store shelves or online. But before you start taking a supplement, it's important to understand the potential benefits and risks associated with them. Surveys show that most men and women over 18 years of age take dietary supplements.
This is in line with the findings of previous surveys. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 amended the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and defined the “dietary supplement” as well as established the authority of the FDA with respect to such products. This report focuses on evaluating the inherent safety of an ingredient in a dietary supplement in the absence of contamination. The proposed framework should include a methodology for reviewing data related to the safety of ingredients in dietary supplements, taking into account the methods that other expert bodies have used to classify and review issues of safety and efficacy of supplements. As with conventional foods, dietary supplements should be presumed safe, meaning they are not supposed to present a significant or unreasonable risk of injury or illness when consumed as recommended. Evidence suggests that supplement use may not be associated with better food intake in all populations and may differ depending on ethnicity and income strata.
However, dietary supplements can help you meet your daily needs for essential nutrients. Some supplements may interact with medications, interfere with laboratory tests, or have dangerous effects during surgery. Therefore, it's important to talk to a health professional to help you decide if a supplement is right for you. Adults between 35 and 54 years old consume dietary supplements the most, at 81 percent. The second most popular category are specialty supplements (40 percent), followed by herbal and botanical products (39 percent), sports nutrition supplements (28 percent) and weight management supplements (17 percent).If you experience an adverse effect while taking a dietary supplement, stop using it immediately, seek medical attention or advice, and report the adverse event to the FDA.
With approximately 1,000 new supplements added to the market each year, it's important to be aware of both the potential benefits and risks associated with these products.
