New Vitamin Standards a Mixed Bag

news you may not knowHmm - Looks Pretty Good...

In keeping with the general tone of the vitamin and supplements industry, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) new standards are less than complete.

Vitamins, herbs, and dietary supplements are an $18-billion-a-year phenomenon. Think about it. Name one person you know who doesn't take some form of supplemental vim, vigor or vitality in a bottle. Hmm...

But, as recent news out of China spirals from bad to worse to, "Where will it stop?", the spotlight of public scrutiny has intensified. The battle lines are decades old - how much right does the government have to regulate "natural" products? After all, what harm can come from taking a bit of milk thistle, dandelion extract, or an energy booster consisting of Ginko Biloba, Bee Pollen, and Ginseng?

Well...

That depends, one might say, on whether the supplement really contains those natural ingredients - in the amounts reported on their labels.

This is the part of the new regulation that seems to make sense. The product labels must accurately reflect the content of the magic little pills within. This is only to be expected and, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, makes one wonder what took quite so long? The congress gave the FDA the power to establish and enforce such standards in 1994...

The other stellar aspect of the regulation is the assurance the supplements are free of contamination. This is also exceptionally reasonable and, likely, something the majority of Americans already thought to be routine.

Is there a down side?

Opponents point to the continuing lack of scientific evidence required within the industry. Vitamins and herbs don't face the same testing and clinical trial requirements as prescription drugs.

But then again, what harm can come from taking a bit of milk thistle, dandelion extract...

Ah - let the debates begin...

To read more about the study, see this from Reuters. To read about the advantages of taking a daily multivitamin, see this from the Harvard School of Public Health.