What's in Your Multi-vitamin? Doctors now recommend taking a daily multi-vitamin, and millions of Americans are doing so—but how do you choose among the hundreds of brands and formulations on the market? (June 2004)   Vitamins - Recommended daily intakes Chart of recommended minimums and maximums. (June 2004)   Minerals - Recommended daily intakes Chart of recommended minimums and maximums. (June 2004)   When "Fatty" is Good: Omega-3 Oils and Fatty Acids" Many Americans have embraced low-fat diets and foods. But some fats help us fight heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. What are these "good" fats and how do we get enough of them? (May 2004)   Chemical and Physical Structure of Fatty Acids The terminology surrounding fatty acids can be confusing. Looking at their structure helps us understand which are the "good fats" and which are the "bad" ones. (May 2004)   Trade Organizations Support Actions Banning "Andro" Two trade organizations announce support of sports organizations banning athletes' use of steroid precursors and FDA's action on andro. They also reaffirm support for Biden-Hatch legislation. (March 2004)   Harvard Medical School Publishes Buyer's Guide to Herbs and Supplements Guide covers 52 herbs and supplements, including possible side effects, interactions, safety precautions, and dosage. Each supplement gets a report card on its effectiveness for various conditions. (January 2004)   Novogen Gains Health Supplement Patent Novogen Limited has been granted the U.S. patent covering health supplements based on the use of soy isoflavones in tablet or capsule form. (December 2003)   FDA Stranging Consumer Health The high cost of prescription drugs poses serious challenges for American families and city and state budgets. Should we import cheaper drugs from abroad—and are there better alternatives? (November 2003)   Blue Cross/Blue Shield Says 1.1 Million Teens Have Used Performance-Enhancing Sports Supplements And Drugs Blue Cross/Blue Shield calls for increased educational efforts among parents and teams (October 2003)   Supplement Industry Associations Support Biden/Hatch Legislation Placing 'Andro' Under Controlled Substances Act Bill would remove steroid hormone precursors from the dietary supplement marketplace. Continued controversy on this topic is damaging the industry, the agency, and athletes who could be banned for using andro and similar substances. (October 2003)   California bans supplements with ephedra Legislation becomes effective 1 January 2004. (October 2003)   Judge Denies Class-Action Certification On Ephedra Lawsuit A federal judge in Miami ruled that a lawsuit filed by six individuals concerning Metabolife 356 did not meet at least three federal requirements for being granted class-action status. (October 2003)   Proposed GMPs Seen as Costlier Than FDA Estimates The American Herbal Products Association asserts FDA's proposed GMPs will cost more than 800% of the FDA estimate and sees economic benefits of only 10% of FDA estimate. (September 2003)   FDA's New Industry Regulations Contain Troubling Flaws New FDA regulations will require testing designed to ensure that bottle contents match labels. This will improve quality, but the regulations have serious flaws that consumers will pay for through unnecessarily increased prices. (August 2003)   DSQI Launches Unique Quality Survey Survey allows consumers to rate their experience with the quality of specific brands of supplements, both good and bad. Registered participants can also see aggregated data on consumer preferences and comments on individual products. Despite its anecdotal nature, survey information will help distinguish which companies and products represent superior value. (August 2003)   Council for Responsible Nutrition Says Lancet Researcher Conclusions Are Irresponsible CRN says conclusions of meta-study of vitamin E and beta-carotene published in Lancet are: irresponsible, overinterpreted, and old news disguised as new for publicity purposes. (June 2003)   Illinois Bans Sale of Ephedra Selling ephedra in Illinois is now a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in jail and $5000 fine. (May 2003)   Juvenon Initiates Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Trial Juvenon is launching an NIH-funded clinical trial, to be conducted at the Boston University School of Medicine, to evaluate the effect of Juvenon Energy Formula on endothelial function in elderly patients with coronary artery disease. (May 2003)   Misbranded Dietary Supplements Destroyed FDA announced that Nature's Youth has completed its voluntary destruction of the misbranded product "Nature's Youth hGH" and will change its product labeling to comply with the law. (May 2003)   Industry Advises Against Use of Dietary Supplements As Remedy for SARS Industry groups recommend that consumers NOT use dietary supplements to treat or prevent SARS, and that retailers not stock any products claiming to do so. (April 2003)   New Labeling Program Delivers Safety Information for Herbal Products American Botanical Council's new Safety Labeling Program helps manufacturers put science-based safety information on herbal supplement labels. (March 2003)   American Botanical Council Reviews Ephedra Safety ABC monograph on ephedra safety details recommended dosage levels, side effects and contraindications, also describes how ephedra affects the body. (March 2003)   DHHS and FDA Release RAND Report on Ephedra and Propose New Warnings RAND review of 16,000 adverse events on ephedra finds 21 'sentinel events', while the FDA and HHS propose specific warning labels. (February 2003)   AMA Applauds FDA Action to Protect Public From Dangers of Ephedra AMA calls ephedra a serious threat to public health and applauds HHS Secretary Thompson and FDA Commissioner McClellan for actions to protect public through warning labels. (February 2003)   Hyperhealth CD-ROM Contains 20,000 Pages Of Information About Supplements, Health And Disease Hyperhealth CD-ROM is touted as an easy-to-use encyclopedia with thousands of topics ranging from health strategies to herbs, foods and nutritional supplements. (February 2003)   FDA Pursues Better Health Information For Consumers The FDA is encouraging supplement manufacturers to make accurate, science-based claims about product health benefits and simultaneously cracking down on companies making bogus marketing claims. (December 2002)   CRN Supports Government Efforts Toward Better Health Information And Enforcing Regulations The Council For Responsible Nutrition commends FDA on combating misleading advertising and on recognizing qualified health claims for conventional foods and dietary supplements. (December 2002)   Harris Poll Shows Widespread Public Ignorance Of Supplement Regulation Many Americans are misinformed about how supplements are regulated by the government. (December 2002)   Military Bans Sales of Ephedra Supplements All ephedra products are now banned from stores on Army and Air Force bases, as well as the Navy and Marine Corps. (November 2002)   CRN Issues Guidelines for Young Athletes on Responsible Use Of Sports Nutrition Supplements CRN guidelines categorize supplements based on knowledge about suitability and/or dangers for young athletes. (November 2002)   Industry Supports Strong Warning Label For Products With Ephedra Industry supports stringent and mandatory warnings on products that contain ephedra. Such warnings have already been adopted by virtually all manufacturers. (October 2002)   IOM Report on Macronutrients Misses the Mark on Omega-3 Fatty Acids Levels of omega-3 fatty acids recommended by the national Institute of Medicine are much lower than those found beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease. (September 2002)   Government Launches Criminal Investigation Of Metabolife The FDA will examine 13,000 phone calls to Metabolife hotline for evidence of ephedra-related risks. The Department of Justice is investigating if Metabolife lied to the FDA about health-related customer complaints. (August 2002)   New Law Limits Use of Term "Ginseng" All products called ginseng must now be derived from Panax ginseng. (August 2002)   Government Will Study Ephedra Risks Following a comprehensive review by RAND Corporation of ephedra research, the National Institutes of Health will design and perform a new study of ephedra safety risks. (June 2002)   Speak Your Mind On Supplement Regulation International regulations set by Codex could become law in the US. The US government is seeking public comments by July 30 on what policies to adopt for the November meeting in Berlin. (June 2002)   Sports Supplements: What Are The Risks? What are the benefits and risks of performance enhancing supplements? The MayoClinic.com website offers valuable insights for weekend warriors and professional athletes alike. (June 2002)   FDA Seeks Public Comment on First Amendment Limits on Health Claims The FDA recently lost another court decision regarding the way it restricts health claims, and now seeks public comments about its approach to health claims for foods, drugs, and dietary supplements. (May 2002)   Supplement Makers Busted State and federal agents seized assets of company that marketed supplements for penis and breast enlargement. (May 2002)   Calcium Counter Makes It Easy to Calculate Daily Intake New calcium counter measures intake with just nine simple but important questions -- for men and women of all ages. (May 2002)   Cancer Scientists Find Prescription Drugs In Herbal Supplement PC SPES is an effective herbal remedy against prostate cancer. However, cancer researchers report finding three prescription drugs in samples they analyzed. Supplements are not allowed to contain drugs. (April 2002)   Toxicologist Reviews Kava Cases Linked to Liver Disease Toxicologist says medical evidence does not show kava supplements caused liver toxicity. (March 2002)   Kava May Be Linked To Liver Problems Twenty-nine cases of serious liver disease in Europe among patients using high levels of kava have sparked government action and prompted a toxicology review. (February 2002)   Two Industry Leaders Form Quality Certification Alliance NSF International and the National Nutritional Foods Association form alliance giving all dietary supplement companies access to third-party testing, manufacturing inspections, and product certification. (December 2001)   Supplements and Surgery - What to Tell Your Doctors This article gives patients a solid foundation for discussing herbs and surgery with their doctors. (September 2001)   Vitamin C and DNA Damage: Real Danger or False Alarm? Vitamin C again appears in headline warnings that it could cause DNA damage -- but this "news" is based on a single study, not wide-ranging research that would raise real caution flags. (July 2001)   Mad Cow Disease and Supplements Are Americans at risk from mad cow disease in dietary supplements? We investigated both the risk and government action being taken to protect public health. (April 2001)   Scientists To Debate RDAs Next spring's Experimental Biology 2002 conference will include a special session that debates the adequacy of several of the new recommended dietary allowances (RDAs). (April 2001)   RDAs And Safe Upper Levels: Solid Science Versus Bureaucratic Bias Experimental data for the new RDAs and safe upper levels are sketchy, and at least one authority claims that RDAs and safe upper levels are more political than scientific. (March 2001)   Enter Supplement Quality, Stage Right . . . New developments in testing and standards programs will, in the long run, ensure that consumers can purchase dietary supplements with confidence that products are well-made, safe, effective, and contain the ingredients and potencies listed on the label. (December 2000)   Ephedra Controversy Heats Up Again Ephedra is a controversial ingredient in many popular herbal weight-loss products. We report on FDA claims that ephedra causes injuries and deaths, and on industry claims that ephedra is safe for healthy people when used as directed. (September 2000)   Blurry Line Between Supplements and Drugs A recent court ruling bans the use of a valuable dietary supplement because of an obscure section of DSHEA that was designed to protect drug producers. (August 2000)   Court Finds FDA Rejection of Truthful Health Claims Unconstitutional A U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the consumer's ability to interpret health claims on labels when properly disclaimed. (January 1999)   NNFA Puts Teeth into its Quality Standards Compliance Program The National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) has launched three new quality programs. (October 1998)   See also Letters to the Editor.

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