| In addition to the multivitamins that all of us have | | | | thoughts that the government might soon |
| taken at one time or another, nutritional | | | | regulate supplements, free pamphlets alleging that |
| supplements (dietary supplements) refer to a | | | | a doctor's prescription might soon be required for |
| wide variety of compounds such as vitamins, | | | | vitamins and other supplements were distributed |
| minerals, herbs, amino acids, and parts of plants, | | | | at health food stores around the country. Some |
| as well as combinations of any of the above. In | | | | health food stores had petitions which patrons |
| addition, byproducts that are created during the | | | | could sign, opposing the alleged government |
| normal breakdown of these substances may also | | | | interventions. |
| be referred to as supplements. | | | | These actions, along with government statistics |
| Under current US laws, even some hormones | | | | showing that a large number of Americans |
| may be categorized as nutritional supplements. | | | | regularly consumed supplements, were ultimately |
| Supplements are referred to as supplements | | | | responsible for the passage of a piece of |
| because they are meant to supplement or | | | | legislation which would revolutionize everything-the |
| complement a person's daily, healthy diet. | | | | Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of |
| As mentioned above, parts of plants are also | | | | 1994, (DSHEA). |
| labeled as supplements. These are sometimes | | | | Under DSHEA, nutritional supplements are |
| referred to as phytonutrients or phytochemicals | | | | classified as foods, not drugs and prevented strict |
| (the prefix phyto means plant). Examples of | | | | government regulations. According to DSHEA |
| phytonutrients include beta carotene, lutein and | | | | (pronounced "Dee-Shay"), the official definition of |
| lycopene to name a few. | | | | supplements is as follows:o a product (other than |
| Supplements that are said to help people become | | | | tobacco) intended to supplement the diet that |
| stronger, faster or jump higher are grouped into a | | | | bears or contains one or more of the following |
| special class of called ergogenic aids. Creatine, is | | | | dietary ingredients: a vitamin, mineral, amino acid, |
| probably the best known ergogenic aid. | | | | herb or other botanical |
| How did so many things come to be known as | | | | ORo a dietary substance used to supplement the |
| supplements? In my opinion, things really started | | | | diet by increasing the total dietary intake |
| to change in the late 1980s when newspapers | | | | ORo a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, |
| started reporting on a rare and mysterious blood | | | | extract, or combination of any ingredient |
| disorder called eosinophilia myalgia syndrome | | | | described above ANDo intended for ingestion in |
| (EMS). | | | | the form of a capsule, powder, softgel, or gelcap, |
| All of the people who had this illness seemed to | | | | and not represented as a conventional food or as |
| have one thing in common-they were all using the | | | | a sole item of a meal or the diet |
| amino acid, tryptophan, which was a popular | | | | ANDo is labeled a "dietary supplement". |
| natural alternative to sleeping pills. | | | | This wordy definition essentially allows for a wider |
| In the end, 37 people died from the disease. While | | | | variety of substances to be listed as supplements. |
| a tainted batch of tryptophan manufactured in | | | | For example, byproducts (metabolites) created |
| Japan was linked to the EMS outbreak, the Food | | | | during the normal metabolism of amino acids, |
| and Drug Administration (FDA) also found that the | | | | vitamins, minerals, etc. can be defined as a |
| disease occurred in people who used tryptophan | | | | supplement. |
| which did not originate in Japan. In response to | | | | |