The federal law that governs oversight of supplements is riddled with loopholes, and important rules are rarely enforced. Many consumers assume that, like prescription drugs, all supplements must be proven safe and effective before being sold to the public. Unfortunately, this is generally not the case.

Investigations by the Center for Science in the Public Interest find that claims that dietary supplement manufacturers make about the benefits of their products are frequently misleading or unsubstantiated. In addition:

• Hundreds of weight-loss, workout, and sexual enhancement supplements also have been found by federal regulators to be tainted with unlabeled stimulants or illegal, dangerous drugs;
• Supplements can have potentially harmful interactions with certain prescription drugs or medical conditions.
• Other supplements may contain allergens that are not declared on the labels;
• And some supplements, especially herbal products, do not contain exactly what’s on the label. The adulteration of herbal supplements with fillers and synthetic chemicals intended to fool quality-control testing is rampant worldwide and has persisted as a problem for years.

For example, St. John’s Wort, a supplement that is believed by some to treat depression, menopausal symptoms, and smoking addiction (among other ailments) interacts with critical prescription medications, including blood thinners, anti-retroviral medications for HIV/AIDS, antidepressants, birth-control pills, some cancer medications, and other necessary medications. In addition, the drug is prone to other side effects such as increased sensitivity to sunlight, anxiety, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, and sexual dysfunction.

Other supplements, including those that are commonly consumed, have also been associated with a range of serious and problematic health conditions, such as gingko biloba and saw palmetto.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), here are some examples of common claims and business practices in the dietary supplement market that you should watch out for:

• “Natural” or “non-toxic:” Such claims do not mean that a supplement has no side effects or is safe to use.
• “Treat,” “prevent,” or “cure” claims: Avoid any supplement that claims to treat, prevent, or cure diseases like cancer, dementia, depression, and diabetes, or conditions like ADHD or drug addiction. Claims like these are unproven, illegal and make a supplement an unapproved drug by law.
• “Supports,” “maintains,” or “enhances” claims: Supplements can make these kids of fuzzy claims with very little evidence. Be skeptical..
• Testimonials: Unfortunately, fake online reviews of products are now common.
• Claims suggesting proven effectiveness without citing a credible source: These include phrases like “scientific breakthrough,” “clinically proven,” “miraculous cure,” “secret ingredient,” or “ancient remedy.” Ignore them. Be aware that some labels or websites cite poor-quality studies that were funded or conducted by the company.
• “Cure-all” claimsfor a wide variety of ailments: If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
• “Patented:” Patents are awarded to ideas that are novel, non-obvious, and potentially useful, but that is no guarantee that they actually work.
• “Free trial:”. This most likely means free only if you can quickly cancel the sale, sometimes before you have time to evaluate the product. Otherwise, the supplement manufacturer may start charging your credit card hefty monthly fees.
• “Money-back” guarantee: The fine print in the “guarantee” may make it impossible to get your money back.
• Risky websites: Avoid websites that fail to list the company’s name, street address, phone number, or other contact information. They often have something to hide and you’ll have no way to contact them if your purchase never arrives.

Along with publicizing credible, accurate information about supplements, CSPI is also fighting scams and misinformation. We call out the bad actors taking advantage of vulnerable consumers, and when necessary, we report them to the FDA or take them to court.

See an updated list of dietary supplement reforms CSPI supports here.

Some of our advocacy campaigns, listed here by topic:

Smoking cessation claims:

• FDA Urged to Take Enforcement Action against Manufacturers of Dietary Supplements that Promise to Help Smokers Quit

Anti-opioid claims:

• Crackdown Urged on Supplements Marketed as Opioid Withdrawal Aids
• FDA, FTC Warn Companies Marketing Supplements as Opioid Addiction Withdrawal Aids

Fertility supplements:

• Manufacturers of “Fertility” Supplements Selling False Hope
• Appendix to Letters to FDA and FTC re: Fertility Supplements: contains information regarding specific supplements and their claims

COVID-19 and immunity supplements:

• Walking the Immunity Tightrope
• CSPI Urges FDA Enforcement Action on Televangelist Jim Bakker’s Fake Coronavirus “Cure”
• “Immune Boosterism” from Dr. Peter Lurie’s blog, Beyond the Curve
• CSPI Urges Federal Enforcement Action Against Supplement Manufacturers Making Illegal Antiviral Claims

Pure, powdered caffeine:

• FDA Finally Takes Enforcement Action against Distributors of Deadly Powdered Caffeine

Cannabis (including CBD):

• Letter to Congress on CBD Safety and Regulation
• FDA Says Cannabidiol is not Generally Recognized as Safe, and Warns More Sellers
• CSPI Urges FDA to Take Steps to Reduce Risks of Cannabis Use