Labeling

Labels must include the word supplement and identify the product as a dietary supplement. The required information on dietary supplement labels includes the name and quantity of each nutrient and dietary ingredient or, for proprietary blends, the total quantity of all dietary ingredients (except inert ingredients) in the blend. Since 1997 all supplements must bear a label entitled “Supplement Facts,” which is very similar in format and content to the “Nutrition Facts” label that appears on all food and beverages marketed in the United States. Labels on herbal and botanical products must state which part of the plant the contents come from.

Some dietary supplements are included in official compendia, such as the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, or the National Formulary. If a supplement is included in a compendium, it must correspond with the specifications of that compendium. For dietary supplements not included in official compendia, the label must correctly identify each substance and the amount in the supplement. Dietary supplement labels must also contain nutritional information, including ingredients present in significant amounts, and first listing those for which the FDA has established %DVs. Labels must also include the quantity per serving for each dietary ingredient and may include the source of the ingredients. The FDA published the Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide in 2005. This guide was created in response to numerous questions from the dietary supplement industry regarding all
legislation relevant to dietary supplement labels.

Diet Experts

Registered dietitians, pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and physician assistants tend to be the most informed about the scientific evidence on dietary supplements. Registered dietitians are certified by the American Dietetic Association, and during the last several years, dietary supplements have become a major focus of their training and practice. In addition to answering specific questions about dietary supplements, a registered dietitian can determine individual nutrient needs based on age, sex, life stag, and medical history. By analyzing the diet, a registered dietitian can determine whether a person is consuming the recommended levels of nutrients or if any nutrients are lacking or being consumed in excess. Based on these results, a dietitian can recommend improvements to the diet and if dietary supplementation should be considered.

Trials

Randomized, controlled trials are considered the gold standard of scientific research. Such trials include a control group, people who are observed but receive no treatment of any kind, and an intervention group, people who receive a certain treatment, such as a dietary supplement. Members of the control and intervention groups are similar in age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, socioeconomic status, health status, and diet and are randomly assigned to the respective groups. The power of such a trial is that it controls for any variation between the two groups, so that the only relevant difference is that the intervention group receives the specific treatment. Thus, any difference in the outcomes between the control and intervention groups is likely attributable to the intervention.

Treatment Use

For instance, chondroitin sulfate is used to treat osteoarthritis; saw palmetto is used to treat an enlarged prostate and fish oil is used to treat high blood pressure. Despite extensive medical research, many conditions and diseases still have no cure or limited treatment options; other conditions have inadequate treatments and treatments that cause adverse effects. Many consumers believe dietary supplements offer an alternative to conventional medicine. Long clinical trials and protracted drug approval processes, which seem to keep valuable information and treatments from people in need, may engender consumer skepticism of traditional medicine, as do fears about drug dependence, adverse effects, and interactions.