Dietary and Herbal Supplements | NCCIH

Dietary and Herbal Supplements | NCCIH

Dietary and Herbal Supplements

A dietary supplement, as defined by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), is a product that:

• Is intended to supplement the diet
• Contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and certain other substances) or their constituents
• Is intended to be taken by mouth, in forms such as tablet, capsule, powder, softgel, gelcap, or liquid
• Is labeled as being a dietary supplement.

FEATURED: 

Understanding Drug-Supplement Interactions

How much do you know about interactions between drugs and dietary supplements? Test your knowledge and learn more about how supplements may affect your medicines in this interactive module from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Using Dietary Supplements Wisely

Information on using dietary supplements wisely, including safety, regulations, research, and resources.

For Consumers

General Information

• 5 Things To Know About Safety of Dietary Supplements for Children and Teens
• 5 Tips on Safety of Mind and Body Practices for Children and Teens
• Time To Talk About Dietary Supplements: 5 Things Consumers Need To Know
• 5 Things To Know About Dietary Supplements and Children
• Herbs at a Glance
• Vitamins and Minerals Information
• Time To Talk Consumer Tips: Natural Products for the Flu and Colds
• Herbs and Supplements  (MedlinePlus)
• Consumer Information on Dietary Supplements (FDA)
• Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know (ODS)
• Dietary Supplements Labels Database  (NLM)
• 6 Tip-offs to Rip-offs: Don't Fall for Health Fraud Scams  (FDA)

See more

Research Spotlights

• Research Findings From an NIH-Funded Botanical Research Center Featured in Special Issue of Nutrition

  (02/27/14)
• Mind and Body Approaches for Smoking Cessation: A Review

  (09/06/13)
• Study in Mice Adds to Knowledge About Fish Oil Components and Immunity

  (08/28/13)
• Delving Deeper into the Mysteries of Natural Product Chemistry

  (03/05/13)
• Melatonin May Help Sleep Problems in People With High Blood Pressure Who Take Beta-Blockers

  (10/01/12)

See all research spotlights

Ongoing Medical Studies

• Find Active Medical Research Studies on Supplement Or Herb Or Vitamin (ClinicalTrials.gov)

Multimedia

• Interview with NCCAM Director, Dr. Briggs

Safety Information

• Public Notification: Extreme Diamond 3000 contains hidden drug ingredient  (FDA; 

  04/21/15

  )
• FDA warns consumers not to use muscle growth product called Tri-Methyl Xtreme  (FDA; 

  04/13/15

  )
• Public Notification: Green Algae Combination by Crane Beauty contains hidden drug ingredient (FDA; 

  03/26/15

  )
• Public Notification: Ultimate Boost contains hidden drug ingredient  (FDA; 

  03/18/15

  )
• Public Notification: Xcel Advanced contains hidden drug ingredient  (FDA; 

  03/18/15

  )

For Health Professionals

General Information

• 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report  (ODS)
• FDA Initiates New Online Reporting Method for Dietary Supplement Adverse Events to Facilitate Reporting  (FDA)
• Dietary Supplements—Adverse Event Reporting (FDA)
• Dietary Supplements: Background Information for Health Professionals  (ODS)

NCCIH Clinical Digest

• Clinical Digest: Complementary and Integrative Health for Older Adults
• Clinical Digest: Children’s Use of Complementary Health Approaches
• Clinical Digest: Weight Control and Complementary and Integrative Approaches
• Clinical Digest: Complementary Health Approaches for Chronic Pain
• Clinical Digest: Dietary Supplements for Osteoarthritis

Clinical Practice Guidelines

• Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplements for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer  (USPSTF)
• Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation to Prevent Fractures in Adults  (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force)
• Soy Protein, Isoflavones, and Cardiovascular Health  (Circulation)
• Clinical Use of Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals  (Endocrine Practice)  [945KB PDF]
• Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D  (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies)
• Probiotics and Children  (Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition)  [119KB PDF]
• Osteoarthritis of the Hip and Knee  (Osteoarthritis Cartilage)  [5.2MB PDF]
• Botanicals for Menopausal Symptoms  (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Scientific Literature

• Literature on Dietary Supplements and Safety(PubMed®)