The FDA, as
well as health professionals and their organizations, receive many inquiries
each year for consumers seeking health-related information, especially about
dietary supplements. The choice to
use a dietary supplement can be a wise decision that provides health
benefits. However, under certain
circumstances, these products may be unnecessary for good health or they may
even create unexpected risk.
Given the
great quantity and conflicting nature of information now available about
supplements, you may need help to sort the reliable information from the
questionable. Below are tips and
resources that will help you be a savvy dietary supplement user. The principles underlying these tips are
similar to those principles a savvy consumer would use for any
product.
- You
need to think about your total diet.
Dietary supplements are
intended to supplement the diets of some people, but not to replace the
balance of the variety of foods important to a healthy diet. While you need enough nutrients, too
much of some nutrients can cause problems.
- You
should check with your doctor or healthcare provider before using a
supplement. This is a good idea, especially for
certain population groups.
Dietary supplements may not be risk-free under certain
circumstances. If you are
pregnant, nursing a baby, or have a chronic medical condition, such as
diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease, be sure to consult your doctor or
pharmacist before taking any supplement.
While vitamin and mineral supplements are widely used and generally
considered safe for children, you may wish to check with your doctor or
pharmacist before giving these or other supplements to you
child.
- Talking to your doctor
about supplements is very important if you are taking prescription and
over-the-counter drugs.
Taking a combination of
supplements or using these products together with medications (whether
prescription or over-the-counter) could under certain circumstances produce
adverse effects, some of which could be life threatening. Be alert to advisories about these
products, whether taken alone or in combination. For example: Coumadin (a prescription
medicine), ginko biloba (an herbal supplement), aspirin (an OTC drug) and
vitamin E (a vitamin supplement) cab each thin the blood, and taking any of
these products together can increase the potential for internal
bleeding.
- Talking to your doctor
about supplements is very important if you are undergoing surgery. It is important to fully
inform you doctor about the vitamins, minerals, herbals, or any other
supplements you are taking, especially before elective surgery. You may be asked to stop taking these
products at least 2-3 weeks ahead of the procedure to avoid potentially
dangerous supplement/drug interactions—such as changes in heart rate, blood
pressure and increased bleeding – that could adversely effect the outcome of
your surgery.
TIPS FOR
THE SAVVY SUPPLEMENT USER, PART II
Under the
law, manufacturers of dietary supplements are responsible for making sure their
products are safe before they go to market. They are also responsible for
determining that the claims on their labels are accurate and truthful. The government does not review dietary
supplement products before they are marketed, but FDA has the responsibility to
take action against any unsafe dietary supplement product that reaches the
market. If FDA can prove that
claims on marketed dietary supplement products are false and misleading, the
agency may take action also against products with such
claims.
Adverse
effects from the use of dietary supplements should be reported to MedWatch. You, your health care provider, or
anyone may report a serious adverse event or illness directly to FDA if you
believe it is related to the use of any dietary supplement product, by calling
FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088, by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178 or on-line at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/how.htm. FDA would like to know whenever you
think a product caused you a serious problem, even if you are not sure that the
product was the cause, and even if you do not visit a doctor or clinic. In addition to communicating with FDA
on-line or by phone, you may use the MedWatch form available from the FDA Web
site.
The
Internet is a rich source of health information; it is also an easy vehicle for
spreading myths, hoaxes and rumors about alleged news, studies, products or
findings. To avoid falling prey to
such hoaxes, be skeptical and watch out for overly emphatic language with
UPPERCASE LETTERS and lots of exclamation points!!!! Beware of such phrases such as: “This is
not a hoax” or “Send this to
everyone you know.”
Whether it
is an add in print or a message on the Internet here are some tips to help you
to evaluate any health information you might receive:
- Who is
the information from?
Is
it the government, a university, or a reputable medical or health-related
association (e.g. American Medical Association). Is the information written or reviewed
by qualified health professionals, experts in the field, academia, government
or the medical community?
- What
is the purpose of the information? Is the information intended to educate
the public or just to sell a product?
Be aware of practitioners or organizations whose main interest is in
marketing product, either directly or through Internet sites with which they
are linked. Most nonprofit and
government sites contain no advertising; and access to the site and materials
offered are usually free.
- Ask
yourself: Does it sound too good to be
true? Do the claims for the product seem
exaggerated or unrealistic? Are
there simplistic conclusions being drawn from a complex study. Learn to distinguish between hype from
evidence-based science.
- Think
twice about chasing the latest headline. Sound health advice is generally based
on a body of research, not a single study. Be wary of results claiming a “quick
fix” that depart from previous research and scientific beliefs. Furthermore, news stories about the
latest scientific study, especially those on TV or radio, are often too brief
to include important details that may apply to you or allow you to make an
informed decision.
Source: U.S.
Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition,
Dietary Supplements, January, 2002.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-savvy.html