Dietary Supplements

Dietary Supplements

“Dietary supplements such as ammonium succinate,
black cohosh, cannabinoids such as marijuana, chasteberry,
dong quai, evening primrose, ginseng, Lactobacillus…”.1

Umbrella

What may the Dietary Supplements Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Dietary Supplements
  • Nutritional Supplements
  • Supplements
  • Vitamins and Minerals

Definition

What is a dietary supplement?

DotS the definition of a dietary supplement may vary. In Dietary Supplements Questions and Answers: What Is A Dietary Supplement? the (United States) Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) definition is:

“A dietary supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains a “dietary ingredient” intended to supplement or enhance the diet. The “dietary ingredients” in these products may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites. Dietary supplements can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, liquids, or powders”.2

Foods or Drugs

Can dietary supplements be “foods” not drugs?

Depending on the Country this may vary. In Dietary Supplements Questions and Answers: What Is A Dietary Supplement? the FDA explain for the United States:

“Whatever their form may be, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 places dietary supplements in a special category under the general umbrella of “foods,” not drugs, and requires that every supplement be labeled a dietary supplement”.3

Types

What are types of dietary supplements?

The (United States) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) explain:

“In addition to vitamins, dietary supplements can contain minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and many other ingredients”.4

Forms

What forms may dietary supplements come in?

In Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know the ODS note:

“Dietary supplements come in a variety of forms, including tablets, capsules, gummies, and powders, as well as drinks and energy bars”.5

Popular

What are popular dietary supplements?

In Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know the ODS explain:

“Popular supplements include vitamins D and B12; minerals like calcium and iron; herbs such as echinacea and garlic; and products like glucosamine, probiotics, and fish oils”.6

Safe or Not

Are dietary supplements safe?

In Using Dietary Supplements Wisely: What the Science Says About the Safety and Side Effects of Dietary Supplements the (United States) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health caution:

  • “Some dietary supplements may harm you if you have a particular medical condition or risk factor or are taking certain prescription or over-the-counter medications. For example, the herbal supplement St. John’s wort makes many medications less effective”.7

Hot Flashes

Are dietary supplements effective for hot flashes?

In Hot Flashes: Treatments for Hot Flashes the Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society) elaborate on:

Dietary Supplements “Other measures are sometimes encouraged or tried for hot flashes but have limited solid data available to evaluate their effectiveness—or they have failed to show significant benefits in clinical trials…:

  • Dietary supplements such as ammonium succinate, black cohosh, cannabinoids such as marijuana, chasteberry, dong quai, evening primrose, ginseng, Lactobacillus acidophilus, maca, milk thistle, omega-3 fatty acid, pollen extract, rhubarb, vitamin E, and wild yam (dioscorea)”.8

Record

Is it a good idea to keep a record of the dietary supplements I choose to take?

Yes. In Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know – Talk With Your Health Care Providers the ODS explain:

“Keep a complete record of any dietary supplements and medicines you take. The Office of Dietary Supplements website has a useful form, “My Dietary Supplement and Medicine Record,” that you can print and fill out at home. For each product, note the name, the dose you take, how often you take it, and the reason for use. You can share this record with your health care providers to discuss what’s best for your overall health”.9

Health Care Provider

What if I choose to take dietary supplements?

If you choose to take dietary supplements it may also be in your best interest to also choose to tell all your health care providers you are doing this.

On page four in Complementary & Alternate Therapies: Complementary and Alternative Therapies – “But people say it works …”. the (British) Women’s Health Concern note:

“It is most important for your healthcare professional to offer you an individualised approach. We are realising more and more that the powerful placebo effect from almost every menopause intervention (which can be at the 50-60 percent level) may be due to improved brain chemical messengers which are generated because you believe that the treatment option will be effective. For you, as an individual, it may work. Always bear in mind the cost of the treatment option and the fact that some supplements or therapies may also carry risks or side effects”.10

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Dietary Supplements?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Dietary Supplements?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Hot Flashes: Treatments for Hot Flashes. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/hot-flashes Accessed: 24 April 2026
  2. Dietary Supplements Questions and Answers: What Is A Dietary Supplement? Content Current As of: 07 January 2015. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/QuestionsAnswers/ucm100102.htm Accessed: 24 April 2026
  3. Dietary Supplements Questions and Answers: What Is A Dietary Supplement? Content Current As of: 07 January 2015. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/QuestionsAnswers/ucm100102.htm Accessed: 24 April 2026
  4. Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know. Reviewed: 04 January 2023. Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DS_WhatYouNeedToKnow.aspx/ Accessed: 24 April 2026
  5. Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know. Reviewed: 04 January 2023.Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DS_WhatYouNeedToKnow.aspx/ Accessed: 24 April 2026
  6. Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know. Reviewed: 04 January 2023. Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DS_WhatYouNeedToKnow.aspx/ Accessed: 24 April 2026
  7. Using Dietary Supplements Wisely: What the Science Says About the Safety and Side Effects of Dietary Supplements. Last Updated: January 2019. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/using-dietary-supplements-wisely Accessed: 24 April 2026
  8. Hot Flashes: Treatments for Hot Flashes. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/hot-flashes Accessed: 24 April 2026
  9. Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know – Talk With Your Health Care Providers. Reviewed: 04 January 2023. Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DS_WhatYouNeedToKnow.aspx/ Accessed: 24 April 2026
  10. Complementary & Alternate Therapies: Complementary and Alternative Therapies – “But people say it works …”. Publication Date: November 2025:4. Women’s Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/03-NEW-WHC-FACTSHEET-Complementary-And-Alternative-Therapies-NOV2025-B.pdf Accessed: 24 April 2026
Topic Last Updated: 18 June 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 24 April 2026

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