The U.S. FDA has developed and launched an initiative designed to “help educate, inform, and broaden consumer, educator and healthcare professional understanding of dietary supplements.”

Called “Supplement Your Knowledge,” the program includes a range of resources for consumers, including videos and fact sheets about how dietary supplements are regulated, potential benefits, and risks. It also offers resources for educators to help inform teenagers in particular, as well as a continuing medical education (CME) program for healthcare practitioners.

“Dietary supplements can be valuable to your health but taking some supplements can also involve health risks. It’s important for consumers to have a comprehensive understanding about dietary supplements as well as the ability to identify and safely use supplements that are beneficial to their health,” said Douglas Stearn, deputy director for regulatory affairs in the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). “These Supplement Your Knowledge resources will help provide consumers and healthcare professionals with facts to make informed decisions when determining if they want to use or recommend dietary supplements.”

FDA noted that more than half of all Americans take dietary supplements daily or on occasion. Some polling suggests 80% of U.S. adults incorporate these products into their health regimens.

The agency said “some supplements can help consumers meet their daily requirements of essential nutrients or help improve or maintain their overall health. But dietary supplements may also come with health risks, so it’s important to stay informed.”

The Supplement Your Knowledge initiative includes the following materials:

• For consumers: Public education videos and fact sheets with information about dietary supplements, including how they are regulated and potential benefits and risks. These materials may also be a helpful resource when talking to a physician, nurse, dietitian, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional before taking a dietary supplement, FDA noted.
• For educators: “Teenagers can be particularly vulnerable targets for misunderstanding what dietary supplements are, and they are often unaware of the potential benefits and adverse effects dietary supplements can have on their bodies,” FDA said. To help high school students evaluate the accuracy and credibility of information they may see and hear about dietary supplements, the FDA has developed Science and Our Food Supply: Examining Dietary Supplements (2021 Edition). This curriculum aligns with current national education standards and supports educators seeking Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) activities for their classrooms. This curriculum can be customized to science, health, and other related classes.
• For healthcare professionals: The FDA, in collaboration with the American Medical Association (AMA), has developed a CME program to help physicians and other healthcare professionals understand how dietary supplements are regulated, provide information to patients on their use, and recognize and report adverse events to the FDA. This free CME program includes three videos and companion education materials and is available on the FDA’s Healthcare Professionals website. Interested physicians can also access these materials at no cost and earn 0.50 AMA PRA Category 0.5 Credit(s) on the AMA Ed Hub.

The FDA advised consumers to talk to their doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional before deciding to purchase or use any dietary supplement especially because some supplements might interact with medicines or other supplements.

The agency also encouraged consumers and healthcare professionals to report adverse reactions associated with FDA-regulated products to the agency using the Safety Reporting Portal.

“Public health and safety regarding dietary supplement use are matters of great importance to the FDA,” the agency said. “Supplement Your Knowledge is part of the agency’s plan of action to arm individuals with helpful information to make informed decisions about the use of dietary supplements.”