About Dietary Supplements
Facts About Dietary Supplements in America
More than 3 out of 4 Americans take dietary supplements to complement a well-balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.¹ There are a variety of supplement categories.
But, quality and safety issues with dietary supplements could involve health risks.
Could Your Dietary Supplement Be Spiked?
The FDA does not approve dietary supplement products before they go to market but can take action against unsafe or adulterated products containing hidden drugs or other undeclared ingredients.
“From 2007-2019, 965 of the products tested by the FDA were identified to include potentially hazardous substances or hidden ingredients.² Of these products, most fall into 3 categories:
were used for
sexual enhancement
were used for
weight management
were used for
muscle building
Choose and Use Dietary Supplements Responsibly
Many supplements have been shown to be beneficial for certain health conditions. But before taking a supplement, make sure that it is safe and appropriate for the purpose.
Avoid supplements with claims like "quick fix" or "miracle"
"Natural" does not always mean safe
Remember that problems with products labeled as dietary supplements can be reported to the FDA
Talk to your health care team to determine if dietary supplements should play a role in your health care regimen
1. Council for Reponsible Nutrition. (2019). 2019 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements. Retrieved October 16, 2019, from https://www.crnusa.org/CRNConsumerSurvey
2. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (2019, October 2). Tainted products marketed as dietary supplements. Retrieved from
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/sda/sdnavigation.cfm?sd=tainted_supplements_cder