With the variety of dietary supplement choices available in the market, it can be difficult to distinguish which ones stay true to their health claims. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dietary supplements, such regulations are less strict compared to the rules for over-the-counter or prescription drugs.
The NCCAM stresses the importance of using these dietary supplements wisely, providing a set of safety considerations for the public.
Tell all your health care providers about any complementary health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.
If you're taking a dietary supplement, follow the label instructions. Talk to your health care provider if you have any questions, particularly about the best dosage for you to take. If you experience any side effects that concern you, stop taking the dietary supplement, and contact your health care provider. You may also want to contact the supplement manufacturer, and you can report your experience to the FDA's MedWatch program. Consumer safety reports on dietary supplements are an important source of information for the FDA.
Keep in mind that although many dietary supplements (and some prescription drugs) come from natural sources, "natural" does not always mean "safe." For example, the herbs comfrey and kava can cause serious harm to the liver. Also, a manufacturer's use of the term "standardized" (or "verified" or "certified") does not necessarily guarantee product quality or consistency.
Be aware that an herbal supplement may contain dozens of compounds and that all of its ingredients may not be known. Researchers are studying many of these products in an effort to identify what ingredients may be active and understand their effects in the body. Also consider the possibility that what's on the label may not be what's in the bottle. Analyses of dietary supplements sometimes find differences between labeled and actual ingredients.