Wellness Center

Beware of Illnesses, Injuries Associated With Dietary Supplements

Products marketed as "dietary supplements" include a diverse range of products, from traditional nutrients, such as vitamins or minerals, to such substances as high-potency free amino acids, botanicals, enzymes, animal extracts, and bioflavanoids that often have no scientifically recognized role in nutrition.

Dietary supplements routinely enter the marketplace without undergoing a safety review by FDA. Published studies on the safety of these products are extremely sparse. Because of concern about these products, the FDA now collects and evaluates existing studies and case reports on safety problems associated with dietary supplements and identifies dietary supplements for which serious adverse reactions have been documented.

You can read about supplements that are on the FDA's warning list by going to Warnings and Safety Information. The FDA list is not intended to include all hazardous ingredients in dietary supplements.

Sources:

1. Food and Drug Administration. Available at: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/ ~dms/ds-ill.html. Accessed February 15, 2007.

2. Dietary Supplements. FDA. Available at: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/supplmnt.html. Accessed February 15, 2007.

This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis of specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt professional medical attention if you have a particular concern about your health or specific symptoms. Wellsource, Inc. is not liable for any health consequences resulting from your use of this site.