Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) is a U.S. government office established in 1995 to enhance understanding of dietary supplements and ensure consumer safety. Operating under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), ODS collaborates with various government agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to evaluate the benefits and risks associated with dietary supplements, which are widely used by American adults and children. With approximately 90,000 dietary supplements available on the market, the ODS plays a crucial role in addressing the less stringent regulations governing these products compared to pharmaceuticals.
The office's initiatives include funding research, developing extensive databases, and establishing good manufacturing practices to ensure product quality. ODS has highlighted the efficacy of certain supplements, such as calcium for osteoporosis and iron for preventing maternal anemia, while also identifying potentially harmful products like ephedra, which has been banned due to adverse side effects. In recent years, ODS has continued to expand its efforts, including the launch of the Dietary Supplement Label Database and ongoing research into the effects of various nutrients. Overall, ODS is committed to providing reliable information to the public and healthcare professionals regarding the safe and effective use of dietary supplements.
Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
DEFINITION: A US government office formed to enhance knowledge of dietary supplements to ensure medical understanding and consumer safety.
DATE: Founded in 1995
Introduction
The US Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) was established in 1995, as mandated by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. ODS was formed to better understand the science behind dietary supplements, to identify useful and harmful supplements, and to disseminate reliable information to the medical community and the public. As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the office collaborates with other government organizations, including the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to raise public awareness of the benefits and risks of dietary supplements. ODS, NCCAM, and the FDA evaluate the methods of action of thousands of supplements and develop tools to understand their use within given populations.
Dietary Supplements
As the name suggests, dietary supplements are any tablets, pills, capsules, or liquids that are taken orally to enhance a person’s diet. There are approximately ninety thousand dietary supplements available in the United States. Between 50 and 75 percent of American adults, and possibly one-third of all children in the United States, use some type of supplement, including vitamins, minerals, and weight-reduction supplements, for health promotion and disease prevention.
FDA regulation of dietary supplements, which are often complex mixtures, is less strict than it is for prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals, leading to an enhanced role for ODS. Manufacturers of supplements do not need to follow standard guidelines, nor do they need to back up medical claims, such as claims that a product lowers the risk of a certain disease, with scientific research. As a result, the manufacture of dietary supplements is not standardized, and some products fail to meet their health claims. To increase the authority of the ODS and to ensure public safety, the FDA, in 2009, issued an evaluation of health claims of both conventional foods and dietary supplements. In 2022, the NIH Dietary Supplement Research Coordinating Committee (DSRCC) was established as a branch of ODS to increase collaboration with other NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). The DSRCC comprises staff from various offices in the IOC who aim to provide the public with the best information possible concerning natural products, dietary supplements, and health research.
Highlights and Accomplishments
Since its inception, ODS has helped to fund dietary supplement research grants and projects that examine usage rates and that evaluate, for example, the science behind supplements; has developed reference databases (which cite approximately 750,000 world references); has sponsored conferences and workshops; has led campaigns to educate the public on the potential risks of supplements; and has helped establish good manufacturing practices (GMPs) to ensure the quality of dietary supplements. These efforts are supported by Dietary Supplement Research Centers located at different universities in the United States. Research programs have included studies on glucosamine and chondroitin for knee osteoarthritis, on saw palmetto as a urinary aid for males, and on the potential cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.
In the twenty-first century, the ODS continued to offer extensive databases, sponsor grants from research, perform population studies, and provide education and training to healthcare professionals. The ODS also co-funded the NIH Consortium for Advancing Research on Botanical and Other Natural Products (CARBON). Initiatives being tackled by the ODS in the 2020s include programs and resources related to iodine, iron, and vitamin D. The organization’s ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) reached 100,000 total labels in 2020.
Through ODS-sponsored research, many dietary supplements have proven essential to maintaining health: calcium is now known as effective in reducing the risk of osteoporosis; certain vitamins and antioxidant supplements have been found to help reduce the effects of macular degeneration; and iron supplements during pregnancy are now known to be essential in preventing maternal anemia and reducing the rate of premature births. Other supplements have been found to be potentially harmful. Beta-carotene, which was promoted as reducing the risk of developing cancer, was later found to increase lung cancer rates in people who smoke cigarettes. Ephedra and ephedrine-containing supplements for weight reduction are now banned in the United States because of the side effects of taking the supplements, side effects that include high blood pressure and heart damage.
Bibliography
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"Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) Strategic Planning for 2022–2026." National Institutes of Health, dpcpsi.nih.gov/sites/default/files/3.30PM-ODS-Strategic-Plan-Betz-FINAL-r1-508.pdf. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.
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