A vitamin, mineral, herb, or amino acid that is intended to supplement the diet but are not necessarily backed by evidence of safety and effectiveness for promoting health or treating medical conditions
Deeper dive
Some people benefit from supplements such as Vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. However, the vast majority of supplements have little or no evidence to support their use to prevent disease or promote health. Moreover, some are unsafe. Marketing of supplements exploded after 1994 when Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, largely exempting supplements from regulation. The FDA warns consumers to do research and talk to a trained health professional before using a supplement. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, supplements do not undergo FDA approval before going on the market. Only after a supplement is on the market can the FDA take action to remove it based on safety issues or inaccurate labeling. Consumers and health care professionals can report safety incidents with supplements to the FDA.