Teaching Doctors About Supplements

In late May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA) released two short videos to teach physicians about dietary supplements, plus a third aimed at consumers.

The first video spent time defining and explaining what a dietary supplement is, the delivery systems companies use such as tablets, gummies, bars, etc., and the role the FDA plays in the process. The second video focused on adverse events, how to report them, and a sample conversation between a doctor and patient. I encourage you to watch the videos at the links below.

I think there are two important points of the videos. First, the FDA does not approve dietary supplements in the same way that they approve pharmaceuticals—obviously their main point because it was repeated several times. In exchange for allowing supplements to be introduced quickly, companies do not have to prove safety or effectiveness. However, if they make any health claim, they must report that to the FDA within 30 days of making the claim. Those claims are restrictive; a company can’t say on the bottle or promotional materials “cures heart disease” but can say “contributes to a healthy heart.”

Second, you should always discuss the supplements you take with your physician, especially if you take medications. It can be a pain if you take a lot of supplements, but you must do it because there can be interactions. For example, calcium, whether from food or a supplement, interferes with the absorption of thyroid medications. They should not be taken together (which is tricky because it’s recommended thyroid meds be taken at bedtime when you may be taking a calcium-magnesium supplement to aid sleep).

Those are what I see as the positives of these videos that cover supplement companies and patients; there’s no information about how supplements work or which supplements do what. I’ll cover that aspect of the videos on Saturday. In the meantime, take the time to watch both 10-minute videos.

What are you prepared to do today?