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Chapter Seven

A dietary supplement can be defined as any extra product that a person takes to supplement their diet, but the product itself is not a food item. These supplements must be taken orally in the form of pills, liquids, tablets or capsules. In 1994, the federal government implemented the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act to regulate the market on dietary supplements. The main reason why the Act may not protect consumers of dietary supplements is that the ingredients to be used in these supplements are not subject to premarket safety evaluations that apply to other ingredients for food in the market. Because of this, consumers may be exposed to some harmful or even toxic products as producers can take advantage of the laxity to use substandard ingredients.

In my opinion, dietary supplements should be regulated just like other medications. In current times, many people have resorted to nutritional supplements to improve their wellbeing. The market for dietary supplements has grown exponentially over the past few years, and thus the government has to take a closer look into what happens with these supplements. Some producers take advantage of existing lax laws and regulatory activities to produce items that otherwise would not be allowed in the market. Additionally, so many people aver put their faith into dietary supplements to the extent that they may use the supplements as alternatives to medication. The government should increase regulation of dietary supplements just like that of medications to ensure the safety of consumers and improve awareness on the issues.