Does the FDA Evaluate Herbal Nutrition Supplement Effectiveness?
The United States does not have a regulatory body that approves structure and function claims. Instead, the FDA
polices
structure and function claims. When the FDA becomes aware
of a misleading claim, they will require a manufacturer to stop making the
claim. The FTC also polices marketing material that manufacturers use to
sell their products, since the FDA is pretty much prohibited from interfering
with advertising by the DSHEA 1994 Act. According to Dr. Marion Nestle,
“neither the FDA or the FTC would be likely to pay much attention unless
somebody filed a complaint of an adverse effect. Both agencies deal with dietary
supplements on a case-by-case basis after people start reporting problems
with their use.” (Food Politics, Marion Nestle, U. of Calif. Press,
2002). This boils down to Caveat Emptor or Let the buyer be ware.
Consumers buy herbal nutrition supplements for their health benefits.
The supplement industry markets products that offer desirable benefits. Ideally, a manufacturer should have
strong evidence that their products can provide these benefits; however, they are not required to share this evidence with you. Sometimes, their evidence may be non-existent
or weak. Even if there is strong evidence, there are usually contradictory
studies. For example, an USDA study found that Green Tea will increase insulin activity
but milk, cream, soy, and non-dairy creamers will neutralize this effect.
What if this neutralizing effect had been unknown and the
participants added milk to their tea? The
study may have concluded that green tea had little or no insulin effect.
So where does this leave you, the consumer? You have three choices
