A recent article in Forbes reported that an astounding percentage of dietary supplements do not contain the main ingredient listed on the label. That’s concerning, considering there aren’t too many stringent regulations they have to follow, unlike pharmaceutical companies.
Supplement makers don’t have to register their products with the FDA. And, to this day, they still don’t have to prove their supplements work in any way. They basically just have to avoid making specific claims to treat or cure a disease, since that, in essence, would make their product a “drug” (you can read about a recent example of outlandish claims related to Ebola here). That said, if a manufacturer wanted to make a stronger claim related to how a product improves nutrition deficiency, additional information to help prove such a claim would be required by the FDA.
While marketing products is relatively simple, companies do have to make sure they’re following the adverse event reporting requirements for dietary supplements, set forth by Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act.
It appears to me that certain supplement companies are deliberately cutting corners and misleading consumers to maximize their profit margins. But, is it really worth the consequences? I think it’s time for supplement manufacturers to take a page out of pharma’s playbook.
*Photo credit: Niloo / Shutterstock.com
