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Aug 20, 2023

FDA Launches New Dietary Supplement Education Initiative for Consumers, Educators, and Healthcare Professionals

FDA News Release Español Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

FDA News Release

Español

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched a new initiative, Supplement Your Knowledge, to help educate, inform, and broaden consumer, educator and healthcare professional understanding of dietary supplements. More than half of all Americans take dietary supplements daily or on occasion. Today's Supplement Your Knowledge resources will provide reliable information about the potential benefits and risks associated with dietary supplements, such as vitamins, minerals, and herbs, they may consume.

"Dietary supplements can be valuable to your health but taking some supplements can also involve health risks. It's important for consumers to have a comprehensive understanding about dietary supplements as well as the ability to identify and safely use supplements that are beneficial to their health," said Douglas Stearn, Deputy Director for Regulatory Affairs in the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "These Supplement Your Knowledge resources will help provide consumers and healthcare professionals with facts to make informed decisions when determining if they want to use or recommend dietary supplements."

Every day, millions of Americans take dietary supplements for a variety of reasons, whether recommended by their healthcare professional or on their own. Some supplements can help consumers meet their daily requirements of essential nutrients or help improve or maintain their overall health. But dietary supplements may also come with health risks, so it's important to stay informed. As part of the FDA's ongoing efforts to build awareness around dietary supplements, Supplement Your Knowledge includes the following materials:

The FDA advises consumers to talk to their doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional before deciding to purchase or use any dietary supplement. One reason for this recommendation is because some supplements might interact with medicines or other supplements. If a consumer thinks that a product might have caused a reaction or an illness, they should immediately stop using the product and contact their healthcare professional. The FDA also encourages consumers and healthcare professionals to report adverse reactions associated with FDA-regulated products to the agency using the Safety Reporting Portal.

Public health and safety regarding dietary supplement use are matters of great importance to the FDA. Supplement Your Knowledge is part of the agency's plan of action to arm individuals with helpful information to make informed decisions about the use of dietary supplements. Help spread the word about this important initiative by using the FDA's Dietary Supplements Social Media Toolkit and find additional information on dietary supplements at www.fda.gov/dietarysupplements.

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The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

06/02/2022

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