Dietary Supplements

What Is a "Dietary Supplement"?

A dietary supplement is any product that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to add to the diet. These ingredients may be any of the following substances:

a vitamin,
a mineral,
an herb or other botanical,
an amino acid, or
a substance such as an enzyme

FDA considers dietary supplements to be foods instead of drugs. Each must be labeled as a dietary supplement and have a "Supplement Facts" label. Doctors may prescribe prenatal vitamins and mineral supplements. When a supplement is ordered by prescription it is regulated as a drug, not a food.