Facts and myths about Dietary Supplements

Feb. 3, 2010 - PRLog -- Dietary Supplements


There is a lot of confusion and widespread misconception about Dietary Supplements. As these supplements, unlike prescription or OTC (over-the-counter) drugs which need to get the mandatory approval from FDA (Food and Drug Administration), are categorized as 'food' under the DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act). This is one of the main reasons for the prevalence of so many tall claims attributed to such supplement products.



Legal Ramifications:
Codex Alimentarius (Food code in Latin - a compendium of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, recommendations and guidelines) commission acts as a reference point for the resolution of disputes arising out of the issues of Food Safety and consumer protection.

After many years of hectic lobbying by the manufacturers of such supplements and nutritional experts, DSHEA (1994) came into existence, acting in a conscientious alliance with consumers at the grassroots level, to bring common sense to the treatment of dietary supplements under regulation and law. In 2006, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act (Public Law 109-462) to establish a mandatory reporting system of serious adverse events for nonprescription drugs and dietary supplements sold and consumed in the United States.

Manufacturers of these products cannot claim that their products prevent, treat or cure disease.

Most supplement manufacturers or the proponents or the adherents claim that their products support or enhance certain function in human body. Many of these misleading claims mostly from some web sites may not substantiated or bear any scientific scrutiny.

What are Dietary Supplements ?

These are products one adds to the diet - Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbs - which can be in the form of pills, liquids or powders. Some dietary supplements may help some people get enough essential nutrients to improve their diets and be in their best health. However dietary supplements do NOT replace prescription medicine. Always refer to your doctor about the possibility of any drug interaction with the supplements you are taking. Taking many dietary supplements at the same time can also cause overdosing or undue interaction.


To distill the chaff from the wheat and to dispel the myth surrounding many of these claims, TargetWoman has set up a team of ardent editorial researchers to delve into the dietary supplements and the result is the section of articles on various Supplements. These articles are impartial, objective and thoroughly researched on the subject of Supplements. In a separate section called as Supplements for Women, TargetWoman presents meaningful information about the health benefits and possible precautions in using 11 widely popular dietary supplements.

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