University of Wisconsin - Extension

MADISON, Wis.—Up to now, regulations for dietary supplements have been so loosely defined that it has been possible for products to have:

• wrong ingredients;
• too much or too little of a dietary ingredient;
• improper packaging;
• improper labeling;
• contamination problems due to natural toxins, bacteria, pesticides, glass, lead, or other substances.

However, there’s good news for consumers — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a new rule in June 2007 that requires dietary supplement manufacturers to follow a set of basic standards when they produce and package their products.

“Many consumers do not understand that supplements are regulated by a unique set of rules that are much more lenient than the rules for other drugs,” says Susan Nitzke, Professor of Nutritional Sciences and Extension Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For example, many dietary supplements can go to market without having proven their safety and effectiveness to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to Nitzke, consumers need to do their homework and carefully decide the pros and cons of various products that are on the market. She recommends that consumers heed the following advice for consumers from FDA:

Talk with a health care provider before using a dietary supplement.

This is a good idea, especially for certain population groups. If you are pregnant, nursing a baby, or have a chronic medical condition such as diabetes or heart disease, be sure to consult your doctor or pharmacist before purchasing or taking any supplement.

Know that some supplements may interact with prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

Taking a combination of supplements or using these products together with medications—whether prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs—could produce adverse effects, some of which could be life-threatening. For example, Coumadin (a prescription medicine), ginkgo biloba (an herbal supplement), aspirin (an OTC drug), and vitamin E (a vitamin supplement) can each thin the blood, and taking any of these products together can increase the potential for internal bleeding.

Inform your doctor about all the supplements you use, especially before surgery.

Some supplements can have unwanted effects during surgery. You may be asked to stop taking these products at least two to three weeks ahead of the procedure to avoid potentially dangerous interactions. These interactions could cause changes in heart rate or blood pressure, increased bleeding, or other problems that could adversely affect the outcome of your surgery.

Report adverse effects from the use of dietary supplements to MedWatch.

If you think you have been harmed by a dietary supplement, contact your health provider and report it to FDA's MedWatch program by calling (800) FDA-1088, or visiting the web site at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/how.htm.

If you have questions about a specific dietary supplement, contact your doctor, a dietitian, a pharmacist, or another knowedgable health care provider. For more general information on dietary supplements, see the UW-Extension publication “Dietary Supplements” (B3320) by Susan Nitzke and Sherry Tanumihardo, available at http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Dietary-Supplements-P261C61.aspx or by calling 877-947-7827 (WIS-PUBS). Also, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website on dietary supplements at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-info.html.