Dietary Supplements : Source Summary

Dietary supplement is a product (other than tobacco) that is intended to supplement the diet;

*contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins; minerals; herbs or other botanicals; amino acids; and other substances) or their constituents.
*is intended to be taken by mouth as a pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid.
*is labeled on the front panel as being a dietary supplement.

The FDA regulates dietary supplement, to what goes on the label must be truthful and the dietary supplement its self must be looked over by the FDA. If the label is misleading the FDA can pull if off the market.

Dietary supplements are not required to be standardized. standardized is the process that manufacturers may use to ensure batch to batch consistency of their products.

The FDA is allowed to issue Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations describing conditions under which dietary supplements must be prepared, packed, and stored. This is to ensure that manufacturing practices will result in an unadulterated dietary supplement and that dietary supplements are accurately labeled ( Par.15)