What to Know Before You Take That Supplement
The FDA doesn't approve them or test the safety or effectiveness of supplements
One-third of Americans say they think supplements have been tested by the Food and Drug Administration for safety, according to a 2022 nationally representative survey (PDF) by Consumer Reports of 3,070 adults in the U.S. But in reality, the FDA doesn’t approve or test the safety or effectiveness of any supplement sold in the U.S. before it enters the market.
In fact, the FDA typically learns of problems with a product only after it’s on store shelves. That’s unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, which undergo multiple clinical trials as part of a lengthy FDA application process before they’re approved for sale. To learn about potential problems with supplements, the agency relies on reports of injuries or misleading marketing submitted by consumers or healthcare providers.
Skip products sold with claims that are too good to be true. Supplement makers can’t say their products treat or cure a disease or other health condition, according to the FDA. Also watch out for any supplement that’s purported to be a scientific breakthrough, a miracle cure, or an ancient remedy, as well as any product that has a secret ingredient or whose label has fancy phrases such as “molecule multiplicity,” “insulin receptor sites,” “glucose metabolism,” or “thermogenesis.”
Don’t rely on “organic,” “natural,” or “whole foods” labeling. Products with “organic” on the label must be grown and produced without certain chemicals, but that doesn’t guarantee the dosage or purity of a supplement’s key ingredients. And the term “natural” has no official FDA meaning. Finally, even if a pill contains real fruits or vegetables, products labeled “whole foods” aren’t substitutes for the real thing.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the January 2023 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
