The Facts of Dietary SupplementsPart 1 of 2 – What is a Dietary Supplement?
What is a dietary supplement? As defined by Congress in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which became law in 1994, a dietary supplement is a product (other than tobacco) that • is intended to supplement the diet • contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins; minerals; herbs or other botanicals; amino acids; and other substances) or their constituents • is intended to be taken by mouth as a pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid • is labeled on the front panel as being a dietary supplement What is a new dietary ingredient? A new dietary ingredient is a dietary ingredient that was not sold in the United States in a dietary supplement before October 15, 1994. Are dietary supplements different from foods and drugs? Although dietary supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as foods, they are regulated differently from other foods and from drugs. Whet
