Dietary Supplements

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Iguana & Water Dragon Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by BabyHerp on May 01, 2000 at 17:57:22:

Interesting article? Taken from a nutrition mailinglist I subscribe to...(link below):

Dietary Supplements: A Dietitian's Perspective

The multi-billion dollar dietary supplement industry has gifted consumers with potential health benefits while, at the same time, afflicting frequent confusion and mistrust. Many healthcare professionals still aren't well-educated in the area of supplementation, resulting oftentimes in misinformation and buyer-beware purchasing. To help answer some of our tough questions, we contacted Doug Kalman, MS, RD - a Registered Dietitian and the Director of Clinical Research for Peak Wellness, Inc.
The FDA, as you know, has little or no regulatory control over over the counter (OTC) supplements. What do you see as the pitfalls and benefits of it?

In the 1994 enactment of the Dietary and Supplement Education Act (DSHEA), congress opened the doors for the burden of proof regarding a dietary supplement being harmful on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The law also states that as long as a particular agent/compound was not sold as a drug prior to 1994, it can now be marketed over-the-counter as a dietary supplement. This section of the DSHEA act alone, opened the door for such substances as the "pro-hormones" and many other such substances. Obviously, if the government has to first prove that a substance is dangerous before it can remove it from the market, there is a possibility that people may take a supplement that can hurt them. On the other hand, this was done in order to help protect the smaller companies from going out of business in such an event.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The advent of the internet has opened a whole new doorway to the passing of
both information and misinformation to the consumer."
- Doug Kalman, MS, RD

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please keep in mind, that while the FDA cannot regulate what is sold, they along with the FTC can and do regulate claims about products. I do believe that as with every other aspect of our government, there is financial influences from political action committees which guide what supplements or companies that the FDA and the FTC choose to go after.

Is it possible that different brands of OTC supplements might be absorbed and utilized differently than each other? How does a consumer know if the supplements he is taking is bioavailable to him?

This is an excellent question. I always tell me clients who are insistent in taking a supplement, to first look for a brand that has been on the market for more then 10 years. If you think about it, companies that have longevity in any business usually do not sell subpar (inferior) products. As far as absorption rates and bioavailability of any products, it really depends upon the form of the ingredient being ingested. Vitamin E, for example, is much better absorbed in the alpha-tocopherol form than the DL-alpha-tocopherol form, although most consumers do not know that. I guess that is one reason alone for consumers who have questions regarding supplements to seek advice of a registered dietitian.

Nutrition Guide

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: Interesting article? Taken from a nutrition mailinglist I subscribe to...(link below): : Dietary Supplements: A Dietitian's Perspective : The multi-billion dollar dietary supplement industry has gifted consumers with potential health benefits while, at the same time, afflicting frequent confusion and mistrust. Many healthcare professionals still aren't well-educated in the area of supplementation, resulting oftentimes in misinformation and buyer-beware purchasing. To help answer some of our tough questions, we contacted Doug Kalman, MS, RD - a Registered Dietitian and the Director of Clinical Research for Peak Wellness, Inc. : The FDA, as you know, has little or no regulatory control over over the counter (OTC) supplements. What do you see as the pitfalls and benefits of it? : In the 1994 enactment of the Dietary and Supplement Education Act (DSHEA), congress opened the doors for the burden of proof regarding a dietary supplement being harmful on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The law also states that as long as a particular agent/compound was not sold as a drug prior to 1994, it can now be marketed over-the-counter as a dietary supplement. This section of the DSHEA act alone, opened the door for such substances as the "pro-hormones" and many other such substances. Obviously, if the government has to first prove that a substance is dangerous before it can remove it from the market, there is a possibility that people may take a supplement that can hurt them. On the other hand, this was done in order to help protect the smaller companies from going out of business in such an event. : : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : "The advent of the internet has opened a whole new doorway to the passing of : both information and misinformation to the consumer." : - Doug Kalman, MS, RD : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Please keep in mind, that while the FDA cannot regulate what is sold, they along with the FTC can and do regulate claims about products. I do believe that as with every other aspect of our government, there is financial influences from political action committees which guide what supplements or companies that the FDA and the FTC choose to go after. : Is it possible that different brands of OTC supplements might be absorbed and utilized differently than each other? How does a consumer know if the supplements he is taking is bioavailable to him? : This is an excellent question. I always tell me clients who are insistent in taking a supplement, to first look for a brand that has been on the market for more then 10 years. If you think about it, companies that have longevity in any business usually do not sell subpar (inferior) products. As far as absorption rates and bioavailability of any products, it really depends upon the form of the ingredient being ingested. Vitamin E, for example, is much better absorbed in the alpha-tocopherol form than the DL-alpha-tocopherol form, although most consumers do not know that. I guess that is one reason alone for consumers who have questions regarding supplements to seek advice of a registered dietitian.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Iguana & Water Dragon Forum ] [ FAQ ]