What are dietary supplements, how are they regulated?
April 5, 2011 Vitamins, herbs, and other dietary supplements are sold as natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals and many people turn to them in an attempt to improve their health. Others seek supplements to lose weight or after hearing that they can help with serious medical conditions. These products are now used at least monthly by more than half of all Americans and their production, marketing and sales have become a $23.7 billion industry, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. Bob Stewart, a 98-year-old retired podiatrist and senior Olympian, credits his use of supplements for his healthy aging. Writer Betsy McMillan, a mother of two now adult children, however, nearly suffered permanent liver damage due to a supplement that contained potentially fatal levels of niacin. Unlike pharmaceuticals which must be FDA-approved as safe and effective before they can be marketed supplements are considered as foods by regulators and assumed to be safe until proven otherwise. Although p
