Dietary Supplements - Global Safety Signals

The objective of this paper is to increase awareness of safety issues related to the use of dietary supplements and herbal products and to describe the role of healthcare providers in that regard and shedding light on issues of concern to healthcare providers and consumers.Two major classes of natural products for medicinal purposes are generally available: drugs of herbal origin and dietary supplements.Consumer consumption of Dietary Supplements is growing day by day.The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays an essential role in ensuring the safety of vitamins, minerals, botanicals, probiotics, amino acids, and extracts sold as dietary supplements in the United States.While the FDA does not assess the safety of supplements prior to market, the agency is tasked with identifying and removing adulterated and hazardous supplements from the marketplace.Dietary supplements come in many forms, including tablets, capsules, powders, energy bars, and liquids.These products are available in stores throughout and through, as well as on the Internet.They are labeled as dietary supplements and include among others: Vitamin and mineral products; "Botanical" or herbal products-These come in many forms and may include plant materials, algae, macroscopic fungi, or a combination of these materials. Amino acid products-Amino acids are known as the building blocks of proteins and play a role in metabolism. Enzyme supplements-Enzymes are complex proteins that speed up biochemical reactions. Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act (DSHEA)DSHEA, which became law in 1994, is a dietary supplement -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; and Is labeled on the front panel as being a dietary supplement.