The use of dietary supplements is often promoted as a solution to a number of nutrition problems, including general dietary patterns and nutrient intakes, malnutrition in the elderly, the nutritional needs in pregnant women, poor nutrient intakes in low-income children, the iron needs of infants after 6 months, and the prevention of diseases. Although there are situations where the use of vitamin and mineral supplements can improve the health of certain individuals, the consumption of conventional food continues to be the preferred method to improve nutritional and health status. This important book examines many of the issues that dietary supplements face today. One such controversial issue is whether the use of dietary supplements should be included in food-stamp plans. Also questioned is the regulation of some of the more controversial dietary supplements such as ephedra, and if they should be available as over-the-counter or rather be made prescription-necessary medications. Contents: Preface; Dietary Supplements: FDA Reform and Codex; Dietary Supplements: Purchase with Food Stamps; Dietary Supplements: Legislative and Regulatory Status; Dietary Supplements: Ephedra; Bibliograp

This quick-glance reference helps students and health professionals educate themselves and their patients/clients about the scientific evidence for and against more than 120 popular dietary supplements. Supplements are logically grouped into 12 chapters based on their primary desired effect, such as weight loss, joint support, and sports performance enhancement. The authors give each supplement a one-to-five-star rating based on the level of scientific substantiation for each of its major claimed effects. The book highlights crucial safety issues regarding each supplement and sets forth recommended dosages for particular effects. A quick-reference appendix lists all the supplements alphabetically with their star ratings.

Written by one of the foremost experts on sports nutrition and performance, A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements takes a critical look at the dietary supplement industry. With an estimated 60 percent of adult Americans using dietary supplements every day, the need for a thorough examination of the hundreds of products on the market is long overdue. This comprehensive guide (Selected as an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice Magazine) presents straightforward analysis from a consumer's perspective, giving you the facts on more than 140 supplements and information on which supplements work (and which don't!) for a wide range of health conditions—from preventing cancer and heart disease to fighting diabetes and depression. United States Department of Agriculture surveys show that more than 70 percent of Americans fail to achieve daily recommended levels for many vitamins and minerals. With today's emphasis on fitness, millions are investing their money and health in quick-fix solutions-supplements promoted as cure-alls to right nutritional wrongs, lower the likelihood of disease, and work dietary miracles. A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements presents a more realistic view of supplements as neither miracle cure nor nutritional sham, but as consumer products to be accepted or rejected based on scientific fact, not fitness fantasy. A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements looks at the pros and cons of dietary supplements in the areas of: weight loss bones and joints energy, brain, and mood heart, eye, and gastrointestinal health male and female health cancer, diabetes, and the immune system sports and ergogenic aids In addition, the book presents an overview of the dietary supplement industry and the regulations that govern it and looks at the process for developing new products. Designed to cut through the confusion surrounding dietary supplements, A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplemens is an invaluable resource for students, educators and professionals who deal with nutrition, exercise, physical education, nursing, and anyone else interested in health and fitness.

Gives questions to ask before taking dietary supplements, including risks and where to find more information.

Are you looking for a healthy body? Quick weight loss with no dieting? Top athletic performance without breaking a sweat? Websites, infomercials, magazine ads, and celebrity tweets make an astonishing array of claims about the improvement to health and performance that will come from using dietary supplements. If you take supplements, you're not alone. The majority of Americans take at least one dietary supplement every day. Consumers have tens of thousands of supplements to choose from, spending an estimated $32 billion each year on such products. By law, the US Food and Drug Administration has limited regulatory powers over dietary supplements. Many supplements are manufactured overseas in nations with loose quality-control standards. Scientific evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of supplements is minimal, and in some cases, supplements have led to serious illness and death. Registered nurse Connie Goldsmith takes an in-depth look at the wide world of dietary supplements—vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements, weight-loss products, performance-enhancing products, energy boosters, and more. What do doctors, dieticians, and other experts have to say? Is it ever safe to take a supplement? What are the red flags to watch for when considering these products? Goldsmith gives teens the tools to be smart consumers, urging all readers to consult with a qualified medical professional when considering any supplement.

For many consumers, taking one or more dietary supple-ments is a natural addition to a healthy lifestyle. The decision to take a dietary supplement may be based on the recommendation of a doctor, a dietitian, or a friend. Television, newspapers, magazines, websites, and persuasive marketing materials in the pharmacy or supermarket may sway buyers. Information regarding dietary supplements abounds but can be misleading or contradictory. Understanding Dietary Supplements is a guide to making informed choices. Chapters provide Both an overview and detailed information about key supplements Coverage of a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, herbs and botanicals, drugs, and other options Jargon-free explanations of how each supplement can work on the body Safety concerns about interactions and misuse Regulations imposed on the industry and recent trends in the industry's development A glossary and listings of outside resources Included here, the full text of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994--the model for the FDA's regulation of dietary supplements--affords guidance to deciphering labels and determining value. Understanding Dietary Supplements is an easy-to-use guide to a much demanded but often misunderstood group of products. Jenna Hollenstein is clinical editor at the Pri-Med Institute of M-C Communications in Boston, Massachusetts. Her work has been published in Nutrition Reviews, Nutrition in Clinical Care, ILSI News, Pri-Med in Practice, and Pri-Med Online.

Dietary supplements (DS) and foods with added dietary ingred., such as vitamins and herbs, are multibillion dollar industries. Past reports on the FDA¿s reg¿n. of these products raised concerns about product safety and the availability of reliable info. Since then, FDA published draft guidance on requirements for reporting adverse events -- which are harmful effects or illnesses -- and Current Good Mfg. Practice reg¿s. for DS. This report examines FDA's: (1) actions to respond to the new serious adverse event reporting require.;(2) ability to identify and act on concerns about the safety of DS, and the safety of foods with added dietary ingred.; and (3) actions to ensure that consumers have useful info. about the safety and efficacy of DS. Illustrations.

Distributed to some depository libraries in microfiche.

Dietary supplements are widely available through a rapidly expanding market of products commonly advertised as beneficial for health, performance enhancement, and disease prevention. Given the importance and frequent evaluation of physical performance and health as a criteria to join and remain in the military, the use of these products by military personnel has raised concern regarding over-all and long-term efficacy and safety. This evaluation is especially difficult, as many of these supplements contain multiple ingredients, have a changing composition over time, or are used intermittently at doses difficult to measure. This book analyzes the patterns of dietary supplement use among military personnel, examines published reviews of the scientific evidence, and identifies those dietary supplements that are beneficial and/or warrant concern due to risks to health or performance. The book also recommends a system to monitor adverse health effects and a framework to identify the need for active management of dietary supplements by military personnel. Military policy makers, personnel, and recruits will find this book useful, as will nutritionists, athletes, and others working in strenuous environments.