How are Dietary Supplements Regulated?

The same manufacturers behind Prozac and painkillers frequently make your nutritional supplements, but they’re regulated differently. Congress’s Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act removed almost all the hoops supplements had to jump through, standards to which prescription and over the counter drugs are still held. This leaves the FDA responsible for regulating nutritional supplements. Though regulated differently than prescription and OTC drugs, supplement manufacturers and brands still must adhere to regulations.

Botanicals and Other Drugs

Vitamins and minerals aren’t the only ingredients in dietary supplements. They can also contain a huge array of botanicals. The FDA often takes certain ingredients to task, and will issue advisories to consumers when a product is deemed harmful or misleading. Yet products that are safe for some may not be for others. Consumers are responsible for assessing how safe their supplements are for their unique profiles. Botanicals are made of chemicals as powerful as any others, so a physician’s guidance is advised.

Misbranding and Marketing

The FDA has strict standards governing medical claims. Dietary supplement makers may not make unsubstantiated assertions on their labels or marketing material. They also run a stringent reporting program to keep track of any adverse events that might arise with new botanicals. However, widespread harm sometimes precedes acknowledgement of that harm. Choose brands that demonstrate transparency and ethical marketing practices.

What Health Supplement Brands Can Do

If you’re in this industry, you are probably passionate about health and wellness. You’ve done your research, and you’re ready to sell a product that helps people live a healthy lifestyle. You owe it to yourself and your customers to choose a cGMP certified manufacturer that prioritizes expertise, compliance, and leading edge technology.