- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Childhood Brain Tumors
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke
- Memory
- Meningitis
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Movement Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuroblastoma
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
- Speech and Language Problems in Children
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Tremor
- Walking Problems
- West Nile Virus
- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
- Diabetic Eye Problems
- Diabetic Foot
- Diabetic Heart Disease
- Diabetic Kidney Problems
- Diabetic Nerve Problems
- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Prediabetes
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breastfeeding
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
- Childbirth
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Female Infertility
- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal Ligation
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Diseases
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vaginal Diseases
- Vaginitis
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vulvar Disorders
- Yeast Infections
- Alcohol
- Calcium
- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Color Blindness
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Friedreich Ataxia
- Genetic Counseling
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neural Tube Defects
- Neurofibromatosis
- Newborn Screening
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Pregnancy and Medicines
- Rett Syndrome
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Tourette Syndrome
- Tuberous Sclerosis
- Usher Syndrome
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Allergy
- Animal Bites
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Aplastic Anemia
- Asthma
- Asthma in Children
- Childhood Leukemia
- Childhood Vaccines
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Eosinophilic Disorders
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Hay Fever
- HIV
- HIV and Infections
- HIV in Women
- Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Infectious Diseases
- Infectious Mononucleosis
- Juvenile Arthritis
- Kawasaki Disease
- Lymphedema
- Lymphoma
- Multiple Myeloma
- Pemphigus
- Pneumocystis Infections
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Tonsillitis
- Vaccines
- Viral Infections
- Adhesions
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders
- Arm Injuries and Disorders
- Back Injuries
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Burns
- Chest Injuries and Disorders
- Concussion
- CPR
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries and Disorders
- Finger Injuries and Disorders
- Foot Injuries and Disorders
- Fractures
- Hand Injuries and Disorders
- Heel Injuries and Disorders
- Hip Injuries and Disorders
- Inhalation Injuries
- Insect Bites and Stings
- Jaw Injuries and Disorders
- Knee Injuries and Disorders
- Leg Injuries and Disorders
- Mosquito Bites
- Neck Injuries and Disorders
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries and Disorders
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Tick Bites
- Toe Injuries and Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders
- Acute Bronchitis
- Bird Flu
- Chronic Bronchitis
- COPD
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)
- Croup
- E-Cigarettes
- Fistulas
- Flu
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
- H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- Legionnaires’ Disease
- Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
- Sleep Apnea
- Smoking
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping Cough
- Anatomy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Birth Control
- Chlamydia Infections
- Circumcision
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Genital Herpes
- Genital Warts
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes Simplex
- Infertility
- Male Infertility
- Penis Disorders
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Diseases
- Reproductive Hazards
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Problems in Men
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Syphilis
- Testicular Cancer
- Testicular Disorders
- Vasectomy
- Abdominal Pain
- Bad Breath
- Bleeding
- Breathing Problems
- Bruises
- Chest Pain
- Choking
- Chronic Pain
- Constipation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Edema
- Fainting
- Fever
- Frostbite
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Heat Illness
- Hives
- Hypothermia
- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Dietary Supplements
Summary
Dietary supplements are vitamins, minerals, herbs, and many other products. They can come as pills, capsules, powders, drinks, and energy bars. Supplements do not have to go through the testing that drugs do.
Some supplements can play an important role in health. For example, calcium and vitamin D are important for keeping bones strong. Pregnant women can take the vitamin folic acid to prevent certain birth defects in their babies.
To take a supplement as safely as possible:
- Tell your health care provider about any dietary supplements you use
- Do not take a bigger dose than the label recommends
- Check with your health care provider about the supplements you take if you are going to have any type of surgery
- Read trustworthy information about the supplement
NIH: National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Children
- 10 Things To Know About Dietary Supplements for Children and Teens National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Dietary Supplements for Toddlers American Academy of Pediatrics
Specifics
- 5 Things to Know about Probiotics National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- 6 Things to Know about Type 2 Diabetes and Dietary Supplements National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Apetamin: An Illegally Imported Weight Gain, Figure Augmentation Product Food and Drug Administration
- Botanical Dietary Supplements: Background Information National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Colloidal Silver: What You Need to Know National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Do You Need Dietary Supplements? Vitamins, Minerals, and More National Institutes of Health
- FDA Warns of Use of Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) among Teens, Young Adults Food and Drug Administration
- Is Kratom Safe? National Institutes of Health
- Omega-3 Supplements: In Depth National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Pomegranate National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Probiotics: What You Need to Know National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe): In Depth National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Tianeptine Products Linked to Serious Harm, Overdoses, Death Food and Drug Administration
- Trace Elements: What They Do and Where to Get Them Texas Heart Institute
- Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplements for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Start Here
- 5 Tips: What Consumers Need To Know about Dietary Supplements National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Dietary and Herbal Supplements National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- FDA 101: Dietary Supplements Food and Drug Administration
- MedlinePlus: Herbs and Supplements National Library of Medicine
- Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements Food and Drug Administration
- Using Dietary Supplements Wisely National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Related Issues
- Alerts and Advisories National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Caution Consumers: Honey-Based or Honey-Flavored Syrup Products May Pose Health Risk Food and Drug Administration
- Dietary Supplements American Cancer Society
- Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Drug-Nutrient Interactions and Drug-Supplement Interactions: Examples of Dietary Supplement Interactions American Academy of Family Physicians
- Know the Science: How Medications and Supplements Can Interact National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safer, or Better National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Watch Out for False Promises on Some Dietary Supplements Food and Drug Administration
- Weight Loss, Male Enhancement, and Other Products Sold Online or in Stores May Be Dangerous Food and Drug Administration
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Dietary Supplements National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Trace Elements National Institutes of Health
Reference Desk
- Definitions of Health Terms: Minerals National Library of Medicine
- Definitions of Health Terms: Vitamins National Library of Medicine
Older Adults
- Dietary Supplements for Older Adults National Institute on Aging
Women
- Dietary Supplements: Tips for Women Food and Drug Administration
Find an Expert
- Find a Nutrition Expert Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Food and Drug Administration Food and Drug Administration
- Food and Nutrition Information Center Food and Nutrition Information Center
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
Journal Articles
Teenagers
- Sports Supplements Nemours Foundation
Men
- Supplements and Men’s Health Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Patient Handouts
- Understanding Dietary Supplements Food and Drug Administration