Natural Supplements
This Part sets forth the fundamental policies and general information of the Federal Acquisition Regulations system, including purposes, authorities, application, publication, organization, numeration, distribution, implementation, amendment, maintenance, administration, and variances. The food additives industry is regulated by FDA, primarily pursuant to provisions of the DSHEA. Dietary supplements are included under the health functional foods (HFF) category in Korea, regulated by The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) according to HFF law for the purpose of safety. In Australia, most supplements are regulated within the complementary medicines category, which includes vitamins, minerals, herbs, aromatherapy, and homeopathic products, though some products can be considered special-purpose foods and are regulated by food authorities.
These only apply to supplements that contain vitamins and/or minerals, in those cases in which those products are regulated as foods, and address supplement composition, including its safety, purity, and bioavailability. Dietary supplements may include generic health claims, nutrient-content claims, or structural-function claims. Some scientific evidence only needs to be submitted to FDA for health claims, that is, establishing a direct relationship between use of supplements and reduced risk for disease. Although the ADA does not typically endorse micronutrient supplements for individuals with diabetes, they do suggest that individuals at increased risk of micronutrient deficiencies (e.g., individuals following very-low-calorie diets, older adults, and strict vegetarians) might benefit from multivitamin supplements. People with an acute or chronic disease An acute or chronic disease may need extra vitamins, minerals, or multivitamin supplements as part of managing his or her condition, beyond supplementation for prevention purposes, as addressed in this statement of recommendations.
The public health most beneficial option, compared to using most of the market-available dietary supplements, except for those noted above, is consuming a nutritious diet that meets all macro- and micronutrient requirements. People should be able to find supplements to meet their particular needs. In addition to the scientifically proven health benefits of using diet supplements properly for healthy living and disease prevention, these products may offer significant cost savings to our nations long-term healthcare costs. The Fairness Tax Act would allow taxpayers to deduct amounts paid for specialty diet foods, diet supplements, or therapeutic foods as medical expenses, thus putting supplements fairly in line with other health benefits.
Dr. Paul Coates believes that it is the responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration to regulate dietary supplements using existing laws. The FDA regulates dietary supplement quality, safety, and labeling, while the Federal Trade Commission oversees advertising and marketing; however, there are vast challenges in enforcing laws, and the best government oversight has yet to be achieved. To further support public health goals under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), FDA has also issued guidance documents that provide nonbinding recommendations to assist industry in understanding and implementing all regulations and laws. Because VCDPA does not specifically direct adoption of regulations, any clarification on the five critical points would likely begin with the statutorily created task force the Consumer Data Protection Task Force which is charged with reviewing provisions of the Act and any issues related to implementation.
Normally, when the act requires the publication of proposed regulations, the Regulation Flexibility Act applies, and agencies are required to produce written analyses, or certifications, according to law. Agency procurement regulations must be limited to (a) those required for implementation of the policies and procedures in the FAR in the agency; and (b) further policies, procedures, contracting provisions, or contract provisions which complement the FAR in order to meet specific needs in an agency. Publication is not required for regulations that simply implement or supplement higher-level regulations that have already been subject to a public comment process, unless that implementation or supplement results in additional substantial costs or administrative impacts on contractors or proposers, or effects that go beyond internal agency operational procedures.
To legally be sold in China, each food additive must receive the CFDAs health food approval certificate, which indicates Chinas current emphasis on the safety of products and science-based evidence for function. In 2005, the Codex Alimentarius adopted guidelines on vitamin and mineral food additives for use. For the past 5 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Institute of Medicine have recommended that all women who are capable of becoming pregnant should consume 400 micrograms of synthetic folate daily in supplements or enriched foods, as well as consume dietary folate from various food sources. In addition, concerns about the safety of regular, high-dose supplementation have been raised. One study46 suggested that vitamin C supplementation had no effect on the incidence of cancer or mortality. The USPSTF identified 6 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) reporting health outcomes associated with beta-carotene supplementation. One of these trials studied beta-carotene supplementation in combination with vitamin A.33 A combined analysis that evaluated associations with beta-carotene use showed increased risks, which were not statistically significant, of all-cause mortality associated with beta-carotene use during the 4- to 12-year follow-up period (odds ratio [OR], 1.06 [95% CI, 1.00-1.12]; 6 RCTs; n=112,820. The USPSTF found 6 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) reporting on health outcomes associated with beta carotene supplementation. One of these trials studied beta carotene plus vitamin A supplementation. A pooled analysis assessing association with beta carotene use showed an increased risk that was not statistically significant for all-cause mortality associated with beta carotene use over 4 to 12 years of follow-up (odds ratio [OR ], 1.06 [95 % CI, 1.00-1.12] ; 6 RCTs ; n = 112,820 ). The group developed estimates of the potential savings potential that would be achieved by taking daily doses of the highest evidence standards available to date. Further details are available in an accompanying summary of the evidence32 and the Evidence Report. In addition, USPSTF clarified that individuals experiencing food insecurity are one population that is interesting to study gaps on whether effects of vitamins, minerals, and multivitamin supplements on cardiovascular and cancer outcomes vary across populations.