When it comes to your health, you decide how you will support your own wellness goals. Whether it’s eating a healthy diet and exercising or doing nothing at all, it’s your choice. But what happens when misinformation and myths cloud your choices? How will this impact your health?

The American Botanical Council (ABC) is concerned that the myth that supplements are “unregulated” may cause consumers to remove supplements as an option to support their health. For over ten years the ABC has been working to dispel this myth and recently redoubled its efforts.

In 2000, they published their first report detailing the extensive legislation governing the industry and the enforcement powers of the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission. These agencies are charged with ensuring that dietary supplements are safe and that their claims are not false and misleading.

In a renewed offensive, the ABC has published a new report, “The Regulated Dietary Supplement Industry: Myths of an Unregulated Industry Dispelled.” This new article adds new evidence to squash the still-pervasive myth of an unregulated dietary supplement industry.

The authors re-encapsulate the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) and provide an in-depth review of important legislation amending the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) passed since the publication of the first article. Such additional legislation includes the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act (2006), the FDA Amendments Act (2007), and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (2011).

“It is puzzling that the myth of the unregulated dietary supplement industry has continued for so many years,” said supplement law expert Holly J. Bayne, and co-author of the ABC report. “The passage of DSHEA clearly established a comprehensive legal framework for FDA regulation of dietary supplements. FDA has all the legal authority it needs to protect public health and safety and remove unsafe or mislabeled products from the marketplace. Dietary supplements are clearly regulated by FDA, but they are regulated differently than prescription and OTC [over-the-counter] drug products.”

Another contributing author of the ABC report is Dr. R. William Soller, executive director of the Center for Consumer Self Care and professor in the School of Pharmacy at UCSF. He adds, “Any remnant of the myth that dietary supplements are an unregulated industry is easily dispelled by a close look at the agency’s activities over the past fifteen years. We trust that this article, once read, will help provide more clarity to this muddled area of significant concern….”

If you are concerned about the dietary supplement regulations in place to protect you, we invite you to read the American Botanical Council’s Report here.

In the meantime, CNCA will continue to exceed regulatory requirements to ensure that CNCA supplements meet our superior quality standards for purity, potency and authenticity.

Sources:

New Hope 360