Great article, Alan! I’ve learned a lot. A while back, I was also interested in this question about the regulation of dietary supplements and at what point a supplement becomes a drug. I was told that it is all about the label claims. The product can be marketed as a dietary supplement as long as the label includes only general claims of health improvements, with no reference to:
1. The “diagnosis, treatment, or prevention” of a disease,
2. Claims that link the effect of a nutrient to a disease or state of health leading to a disease.
I asked ChatGPT for examples of dietary supplements that were proven unsafe or associated with toxicities after proper clinical trials were conducted and, of course, there are many: 1,3-DMAA, ephedra, Bael Tree Extract, Comfrey, 5-HTP contaminated with Peak C, and many more.
The ChatGPT list is also long on the efficacy front; ie, widely marketed supplements that were found ineffective after clinical trials: glucosamine and chondroitin, omega-3 fish oil, echinacea and vitamin C for cold prevention, ginkgo biloba (memory and dementia prevention) and many more.
The message is clear: take dietary supplements with a grain (or a truck load…) of salt. I personally don’t consume any (other than vitamins) that hasn’t undergone clinical trials. And we haven’t even touched on the issue of manufacturing of dietary supplements….
Very insightful analysis — and I know you are a bona fide expert. Remember l-tryptophan is another lurid story. Maybe I’ll save that one for the book. Or maybe not!
Great article, Alan! I’ve learned a lot. A while back, I was also interested in this question about the regulation of dietary supplements and at what point a supplement becomes a drug. I was told that it is all about the label claims. The product can be marketed as a dietary supplement as long as the label includes only general claims of health improvements, with no reference to:
1. The “diagnosis, treatment, or prevention” of a disease,
2. Claims that link the effect of a nutrient to a disease or state of health leading to a disease.
I asked ChatGPT for examples of dietary supplements that were proven unsafe or associated with toxicities after proper clinical trials were conducted and, of course, there are many: 1,3-DMAA, ephedra, Bael Tree Extract, Comfrey, 5-HTP contaminated with Peak C, and many more.
The ChatGPT list is also long on the efficacy front; ie, widely marketed supplements that were found ineffective after clinical trials: glucosamine and chondroitin, omega-3 fish oil, echinacea and vitamin C for cold prevention, ginkgo biloba (memory and dementia prevention) and many more.
The message is clear: take dietary supplements with a grain (or a truck load…) of salt. I personally don’t consume any (other than vitamins) that hasn’t undergone clinical trials. And we haven’t even touched on the issue of manufacturing of dietary supplements….
ILANA
Very insightful analysis — and I know you are a bona fide expert. Remember l-tryptophan is another lurid story. Maybe I’ll save that one for the book. Or maybe not!
I will leave soccer balls to Messi ! Just another great article Doc. Great to have you as an advocate and watchdog for our health 💪🏼💪🏼