Dietary Supplements: Why the FDA Doesn't Have To Approve Them
Mike Bloom, Dan Blair and Paul Bousche'
Issue date: 3/24/09 Section: News
There is a fine line that differentiates the terms drug and dietary supplement. Both are prevalent necessities in the everyday lives of many American citizens and account for billions among billions of dollars in annual gross for pharmaceutical companies.
Drugs (whether to be perceived as good or bad) aid in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a condition or disease by definition. On the other hand, the general public tends to generalize drugs by their crude nature: substances such as a narcotic or a hallucinogen that affects the central nervous system that is used recreationally for perceived desirable effects on personality, perception, or behavior. Marijuana being the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, and possibly around the world.
Nutritional supplements are products taken by mouth that contain a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The "dietary ingredients" in these products may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites. Dietary supplements can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, or powders.
They can also be in other forms, such as a snack bar, but if they are, information on their label must not represent the product as a conventional food or a sole item of a meal or diet.
"The use of supplements to obtain and maintain optimal health should be a second course of action. The best way to maintain your health is by eating fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains and exercising regularly," says Maryanne Oleksowicz, professor at Mercy College and at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. "Unfortunately, due to our busy lifestyles, especially as college students, this is not always possible."
In the United States, these supplements are regulated as "foods" and not "drugs."
Drugs (whether to be perceived as good or bad) aid in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a condition or disease by definition. On the other hand, the general public tends to generalize drugs by their crude nature: substances such as a narcotic or a hallucinogen that affects the central nervous system that is used recreationally for perceived desirable effects on personality, perception, or behavior. Marijuana being the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, and possibly around the world.
Nutritional supplements are products taken by mouth that contain a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The "dietary ingredients" in these products may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites. Dietary supplements can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, or powders.
They can also be in other forms, such as a snack bar, but if they are, information on their label must not represent the product as a conventional food or a sole item of a meal or diet.
"The use of supplements to obtain and maintain optimal health should be a second course of action. The best way to maintain your health is by eating fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains and exercising regularly," says Maryanne Oleksowicz, professor at Mercy College and at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. "Unfortunately, due to our busy lifestyles, especially as college students, this is not always possible."
In the United States, these supplements are regulated as "foods" and not "drugs."
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