Washington, D.C., July 27, 2016—In response to the September 2016 edition of Consumer Reports, which included several items on dietary supplement, CRN issued the following statement.
Statement from the Council for Responsible Nutrition:
“More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year, including popular products like the multivitamin, vitamin D, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics.
Overwhelmingly, dietary supplements are safe and play a valuable role in helping Americans live healthy lifestyles. The industry is regulated by FDA, and the robust regulations give the government the ability to remove unsafe products from the market. It is patently illegal for products to be sold as dietary supplements if they contain prescriptions or illegal drugs, and we urge the government to use its enforcement authority to protect consumers from those products.
Consumers have a wide variety of choice when it comes to purchasing dietary supplements, and we suggest that if you come across an unfamiliar ingredient, such as many of the ones identified by Consumer Reports, the smart thing to do is to talk with your doctor. We also recommend, particularly if you’re taking prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications, that you share information about your supplement use with your doctor.”