The Council for Responsible Nutrition reports that 74% of U.S. adults use dietary supplements. However, the FDA does not approve them for diagnosing, treating, or curing health conditions. That is why you will see the statement, “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease,” on every supplement label.
The Problem with Supplement Regulation
The FDA classifies supplements as food, not drugs, so the manufacturer is responsible for premarket approval for quality and efficacy, product labeling, and safety. This means that an independent party does not review their studies on their effectiveness or safety. The FDA, however, will act if products are unsafe.
Fewer than 20% of the 100,000+ supplements sold in the U.S. are certified for quality or purity.
American consumers trust that their prescription drugs are of high quality and consistent in purity and potency, often without question. According to a 2007 study, this expectation has been assumed with herbal supplements despite their lack of regulation in the United States. In a poll, 70% believed the FDA tested herbal supplements, and 60% thought they regulated them.
Prescription Drug Interactions
A primary concern with supplements is that many people use them but don’t always tell their doctors. A Johns Hopkins study found that 30% of patients were taking supplements for the same condition they were already using prescription medication to treat. Another study revealed that 25% of adults took a supplement alongside a prescription drug without informing their doctor.
This lack of communication can lead to harmful interactions, reduced drug effectiveness, or unexpected side effects. Always consult your doctor before starting a supplement.
Are Hair Supplements Worth It?
Many supplements target consumers’ fears and frustrations, using powerful marketing and social media influencers. But without a proper diagnosis, supplements may waste your time and money while your hair loss continues to progress.
Hair supplements are a booming industry, but despite the hype, most do not work for true hair loss conditions, such as androgenetic alopecia (genetic hair loss). According to the American Hair Loss Association, 99% of over-the-counter products marketed for hair loss don’t deliver meaningful results. Companies that sell shampoos, supplements, and serums touting them as the hair loss cure are simply tugging at the heartstrings of vulnerable hair loss sufferers. Over 7,000 products marketed for hair loss are available on Amazon alone, each with different formulations. Despite their widespread availability, there is limited scientific evidence to support their effectiveness in treating hair loss.
The most common cause of hair loss is genetic hair loss (androgenetic alopecia). However, many people mistakenly believe their hair loss is due to stress or nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, taking hair supplements may help only if you’re actually deficient in a specific nutrient. But if you’re not, supplements won’t treat genetic (hormonal) hair loss, and they could delay proper treatment, while you continue to have more loss. That’s why, if you are struggling with hair loss, get a proper diagnosis to choose the right treatment.
You Don’t Always Need a Supplement
The truth is, most people can meet their daily nutrient needs through a balanced diet, especially for vitamins like biotin, which your body also produces naturally. In healthy individuals, routine biotin supplementation isn’t necessary and may even interfere with lab results (like thyroid or heart tests).
Smarter Supplement Strategy: Test Before You Take
The safest, most effective way to choose supplements is to test your nutrient levels first.
Here’s how to do it right:
- Get micronutrient blood work from your doctor or a trusted testing service
- Review results with a provider who understands how nutrition affects your health
- Only supplement what your body is truly missing
This saves time, money, and reduces your risk of over-supplementation or interactions with medications.
Even “Clean” Supplements Can Have Side Effects
Certification ensures quality, not safety, for everyone. Even verified supplements can still:
- Interact with prescription medications
- Causes allergic reactions
- Trigger vitamin or mineral overdoses
- Liver injury
Supplements and Liver Damage
According to a study published in JAMA Network Open, turmeric is one of the most common herbal ingredients linked to toxic hepatitis in the US, while a review in the journal Hepatology found that 20% of liver toxicity cases are tied to herbal and dietary supplements.
And according to a study in the journal Liver Transplantation, cases of supplement-related liver failure that required liver transplant increased eightfold in the US from 1995 to 2020.