Dietary supplements have become a popular choice for individuals who want to improve their health.  

However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements the same way as prescription or over-the-counter drugs are regulated. In fact, the FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are available for purchase in the marketplace. To mitigate the potential risk dietary supplements pose to the safety and health of consumers, the FDA requires all supplement labels to list how adverse reactions can be reported.

How does the FDA regulate dietary supplements?

The FDA regulates dietary supplements with the adverse event reporting system. Anyone who experiences an adverse reaction and suspects that a dietary supplement could be the cause can submit an adverse event report. The report is made to either the supplement manufacturer or distributor via the adverse event reporting information provided on the label. The FDA requires this reporting inform...