Essential of Good Health and The Need for Supplements Under Law in Virginia

As used in Section 485B, The term “dietary supplements” has the meaning given that term in Section 201(ff) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Whenever an amendment or reversal is expressed in this Act by way of amendment of, or repeal of, a section or other provision, reference shall be taken to be made to a section or other provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to set standards for food additives, and for other purposes. The Commission shall undertake a study on, and make recommendations regarding, regulation of label claims and statements in relation to dietary supplements, including use of literature regarding dietary supplement sales, and procedures for the assessment of such claims. At least three members of the Commission shall be qualified through scientific training and experience to assess health benefits from use of dietary supplements, and one such three members shall be experienced in pharmacognosy, medical botany, traditional herbalism, or other relevant sciences.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) definition of dietary supplement is included in the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). A non-profit organization was established in 2001 as a means for the dietary supplement industry to help ensure the intentions of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act [DSHEA] are met, providing significant health benefits information and responsible use of dietary supplements to all Americans. Dietary supplements are included under the health functional foods (HFF) category in South Korea, regulated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) according to the HFF Act, in order to promote safety. Texas does not include vitamins or dietary supplements as foods, but rather health products, which are exempt from sales taxes.

Essential of Good Health

It should be noted that nutritional supplements were exempt before the 2005 repeal of the South Dakota exemption. Unlike drugs, supplements are not allowed to be sold with the intent of treating, diagnosing, preventing, or curing disease. The primary European Union law is Directive 2002/46/EC, which covers dietary supplements that contain vitamins and minerals. In Australia, most dietary supplements are regulated in a complementary medicines category that includes vitamins, minerals, herbs, aromatherapy, and homeopathic products, though some products can be considered foods with specific uses and are regulated by the Food Authority.

While vitamins and dietary or dietary supplements can benefit your health, they may also pose health risks. Some supplements may help ensure you are getting enough of the vital substances the body needs to function; others may help lower the risk of illness. Supplements should not substitute for a full diet, which is essential to healthy eating — so make sure to also eat variety.

The public health choice which is more beneficial than using most supplements on the market, except as noted above, is eating a nutritious diet that meets all of your macro- and micro-nutrient needs. In any case, I think healthy foods, without dietary supplements, are insufficient, since we cannot always get everything we need from food, no matter how meticulously we plan our diets. I continued taking dietary supplements after I was pregnant, in order to get benefits for the basic nutrients I knew I would not get through diet alone, although I was highly dedicated to eating healthy. The foods that you eat–and maybe even some supplements that you take–are just one more source of antioxidant compounds.

With over 90,000 different supplements on the market, it can be confusing to figure out which ones are safe and which ones are not. Laboratory studies and a number of large-scale observational studies–the kind that survey people about their eating habits and supplement use, then follow up with them to monitor how they develop health patterns–have noted benefits of a diet high in some antioxidants, and, in some cases, of supplements containing them. Large observational studies show benefits of vitamin E supplements, while controlled clinical trials show mixed results. Because of the occasional reports of adverse health effects of vitamin E supplements, scientists have debated whether the supplements may be harmful or even raise the risk of death.

For risk of excessive bleeding, the upper limit of vitamin E has been established for adults aged 19 years or older, which is 1,000 mg daily in any form of tocopherol supplement. In addition to the scientifically proven health benefits of using dietary supplements properly for the promotion of healthy living and the prevention of disease, these products may offer significant cost savings to our nations long-term healthcare costs.

The Fairness Tax Act would allow taxpayers to deduct amounts paid for specialty diet foods, diet supplements, or therapeutic foods as medical expenses, thus putting supplements fairly in line with other health benefits. An increase in federal funding to Medicaid HCBS beyond the current 1 year period may enable states to maintain a robust workforce of HCBS providers, provide new or expanded benefits for HCBS, and/or serve a larger number of HCBS enrollees, all of which could benefit children with special health care needs. Thirty-two states provide Medicaid/CHIP to less than half the children with special health care needs living in their states, while 19 states, including the District of Columbia, provide Medicaid/CHIP to more than half the children with special health care needs living in the 19 states. States are required to provide Medicaid to children receiving Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, but an estimated 21% of children with disabilities covered under Medicaid/CHIP are receiving SSI. What Dr. Paul Coates means is that the supplements are not regularly audited by our health agencies. To legally be sold in China, each food additive has to get the certificate for Health Product Approval from CFDA, which indicates Chinas current emphasis is much more on the safety and science-based evidence for functional ingredients.