Dietary Supplements: Risks, Questions to Ask, and Where to Find Information
There are certain risks associated with dietary supplements. Dietary supplements can not be taken instead of eating certain foods. Some dietary supplements may help you get enough essential nutrients to improve your diet and be as healthy as possible. People who are about to have surgery, taking other supplements or medicines, or those with health problems, may find dietary supplements to be harmful. Check with your physician before taking any dietary supplements. Dietary supplements should not be substituted for prescription medication. You should speak to your physician if you are pregnant or nursing a baby, take other supplements or medicines, are having surgery, have diabetes, have high blood pressure, or have any other health problems.
You should always talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you take other medicines and are planning to begin dietary supplements. These products may be harmful or life threatening if you are also taking other dietary supplements, are taking other prescription or over-the-counter medicines, or if you use them instead of prescription medication.
The FDA regulates dietary supplements in a similar fashion to food regulations. The FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are sold and can only take action against products that are not safe or make false claims after they are on the market.
To learn more about a certain dietary supplement, phone, e-mail, or snail mail the manufacturer for detailed information and any questions. Your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist can also assist you with educational information about dietary supplements.
To research dietary supplements on the web, you should find out who hosts the website, see if the website if purely informational or trying to sell a product, find out if the website has sources and studies to prove its claims, and find out if the information is current. Check the date to see the date of posting or the last time the site was updated. Some sites and products make false claims and are a money pit.
If you have a problem or illness caused by a dietary supplement, you can report it to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
www.fda.gov
Published by Lou Lou
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