Do vitamins, supplements really work? What to buy and why

Detroit The market for vitamins and supplements is big money, which is why there are so many of them on store shelves. What many people don’t realize is that they are not regulated by the FDA like a drug. They are treated more like food. This statement is from the FDA website: Because dietary supplements fall under the umbrella of foods, the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is primarily responsible for the agency’s oversight of these products.

Additionally, the FDA says, “Other than the responsibility of manufacturers to meet safety standards and labeling requirements for dietary supplements and to comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices, there are no laws or regulations that limit the size of a dietary supplement or how much it can be consumed.” A food item that can be a food supplement in a meal. This decision is made by the manufacturer and does not require FDA approval.

Basically, supplements are only loosely regulated and often have big claims on their labels, but if you look at the fine print on almost all of them, you’ll see the disclaimer, this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

The FDA does not test dietary supplements before they are sold to consumers and does not regulate claims made if they have the above disclaimer.

As you can probably tell, I’m not a big fan of vitamins or nutritional supplements that are marketed to improve your health. The simple reason is that they are usually not based on any good science. This does not mean that they never have any effect. For example, there are herbal products that have been used for centuries in traditional medicine from other cultures that probably have real effects and are likely to be beneficial if used properly. There are supplements that offer real benefits and real value, just talk to your doctor first.

An example that comes to mind is melatonin. It is not considered medicine. This supplement is classified as a supplement and there is a growing body of research showing that it is effective in regulating people’s sleep. My problem is with the wide variety of products with no basis in fact, sold with little more than a promise and no real evidence.

If you choose a vitamin or dietary supplement, just make sure you get it from a trusted source. Because regulation in this area is lax, there are manufacturers who may not follow best practices regarding purity or dosage. Using melatonin again as an example, there is good research showing that melatonin content often varies greatly from the label amount depending on the manufacturer.

This market is a lot more like the Wild West than you think. I’m interested in this because I hate people being ripped off. Before spending your hard-earned money on these products, exercise healthy skepticism.

Related: Shop with Dr. McGeorge: What to buy at the pharmacy for colds, pain and more