Dietary Supplements and Multi-level Marketing: part 2 Claims and Disclaimers

Dietary supplements always carry the same disclaimer: “This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is no intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” If the supplement is not intended to do anything, then why take it? What about all those testimonials from people who have taken the product and had some kind of positive reaction. Keep in mind that the statement says that it is not intended to work on any DISEASE. Many supplements advertise non-medicinal benefits—more energy, a better night’s sleep, or better mental awareness. Basically it will help with something in our life that we find a problem, but not necessarily a health issue.

Basically anything that goes into your body falls under the purview of the FDA. The FDA is a agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. According to their website, “The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.”

Dietary supplements are not regulated like drugs. Here are some important differences.

1. Federal law does not require dietary supplements to be proven safe to the FDA’s satisfaction before they are marketed.

2. With regard to labeling, the law does not require the manufacturer or seller to prove to the FDA’s satisfaction that the claim is accurate or truthful before it appears on the product.

3. The FDA’s role with a dietary supplement product begins after the product enters the marketplace.

4. Once a dietary supplement is on the market, FDA has certain safety monitoring responsibilities including monitoring mandatory reporting of serious adverse events by dietary supplement firms and voluntary adverse events reporting by consumers and health care professionals.

5. It is not legal to market a dietary supplement product as a treatment or cure for a disease, or to alleviate the symptoms of disease.

Some companies walk a very fine line when it comes to these regulations, particularly about making claims about the health benefits of their products. Others companies have taken a different approach and have sought to prove a benefit by subjecting their products to the same rigorous testing that is required for drugs. Usually, this involves clinical trials done by an independent facility.

The growing number of dietary supplements on the market as well as the potential health benefits of some products has prompted the FDA to look at their policies regarding dietary supplements. While no changes in the policies are currently anticipated, the FDA does aggressively investigate companies when they receive multiple complaints or when multiple health problems are reported.

Dietary supplements can be beneficial, but it is important to check out the company thoroughly. It is also advisable to consult with healthcare professional, although you may have a difficult time finding one that knows much about dietary supplements. You can also look at the FDA’s Consumer Updates pages http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/default.htm for information about product approvals, safety warnings, and other health information. Make sure you get only the best! I only work with the best how about you?