Supplement Labels

Question: What is the type of FDA claim used on qualifying supplement labels?

Answer: Well to start FDA in case you don't know stands for Federal Drug Administration. They test & issue medical approvals for all med's produced in the USA. I you look up lik 1 below it details the testing, stadards & labeling of approved supplement! The seconed link is a direct lto the FDA home page where everything is organised in a very easy a - z links. You can ask question & investigate the testing that went in to a specific supplent, with both contra indication & much more. Remmeber if you are takeing Perscribed medications its very important to read the info sheet which came with the suppliments & check on line details offten. Always inform your doctor if you are takeing perscribe medicines! Best of luck:-) Tim

Question: Who is responsible for Labels for supplements? I work at a contract company. We design and create supplements for other companies. We then package them in bottles and put the label that our customer wants on the bottle. We send the bottles to the customer, and the customer then distributes to consumers. CFR 21 Section 101.36 has quite a bit of rules and regulations concerning the format and information that must be on a supplement label. Is it our companies responsibility to ensure the label follows these requirements or the customer we're making it for? Hypothetically if the FDA did find a serious error on the label, would we be held accountable? Thanks.

Answer: Hypothetically but the Food and Drug Administration - founded in 1906 - is a hapless and hopeless organization. According to their mandate the FDA is indeed supposed to hold companies accountable for their products. When it comes to over-the-counter medications, supplements, herbal substances, and natural substances the FDA is essentially blind. The FDA does not require supplements to even contain the ingredients listed on the label. To give you an idea of how poor the FDA's performance is they recently cited Cheerios for their 'heart healthy' 'cholesterol lowering' claim. The FDA told the manufacturer of Cheerios that if they continued in this manner that the company would be fined and that all such packages of Cheerios would have to be recalled. The FDA however decided to drop the matter entirely. You might think that the FDA would at least 'police' prescription medications. The FDA has been known to approve drugs that lacked a single published study, they have approved drugs that had only 'test tube' data, they have approved drugs based solely on the companies assurance that the product was safe and effective, and they have approved drugs based upon 'abstracts' or summaries of studies without reading the actual study or reviewing the data. Several years ago the FDA approved a quinolone for the treatment of heart failure. The only trial on this drug was underway at the time. A month after approval the results caused concern and the FDA decreased the maximum dosage. A month after that the trial was stopped due to a significantly higher death rate in those taking the quinolone and the FDA withdrew the drug. In essence if the FDA had only waited for the only trial to be completed they would have saved many lives. In theory yes you would be held accountable but given the climate at the FDA I doubt that short of attorneys seeking compensation for wrongful death that the FDA would ever read your label.

Question: What steps should I take if I want to manufacture my own dietery supplement product? I'm not an expert in the field, but I'd like to launch my own line of supplements. For example, vitamins, weight loss pills, etc. It's more of an outsourced job where I can get a firm or equivalent to produce something to my specifications and I can slap my own brand onto it. I believe this may be commonly known as private label supplements. There're many US companies offering these services but are there in the UK? And if there are (there should be) how should I go about engaging their services? Thanks!

Answer: If you are not an expert in the field, then how can you promote your products ? Also, there is HUGE competiton in this industry with many companies promoting health and wellness products WHICH HAVE THE BACKING OF Doctors and Dieticians. The "first step" you should take is to KNOW what you are selling and to suss out the competion. Good Luck

Question: What joint supplement would you recommend? My seven year old thoroughbred gelding is currently on corta flex, but I am always open to new ideas. It is so hard to find a joint supplement that has really been proven to work, despite what the labels say.

Answer: My gelding has to be on joint supplement because of horrific scar injuries on both of his hind legs, and the joint supplement that was absolutely fantastic was Total Joint Care, by Ramard. Its absolutely incredible, has wonderful ingredients, and he was sound and playful within 3 days. Its nearly theraputic. :]

Question: If the place I work does not comply with FDA regulations on labels...? ...can I be held responsible in the future in any way. I am designing some supplement labels and trying to follow FDA regulations on font size, etc. The company told me that they don't care about the regulations and to make things very small.

Answer: You might want to consider being a whistleblower. That would give you the protection you are looking for.

Question: How do you read Omega 3 Labels? Ok, so this might be a stupid question but I'm 10 weeks pregnant and really want to start taking Omega 3 Fatty Acids to help with the baby's health and I'm not sure how to read it on labels. I have a bag of flax seed but it doesn't say anything on the label, am I stupid or is it under something else? I would just take a supplement but I can either have fish oil (Mercury) or the womens DHA which I will do if I can't figure this out. Thank you

Answer: Foods with an excellent source of Omega 3: Salmon, Flax seed , walnuts. To a lesser degree: Soy.Halibut,shrimp,scallops,Winter squash. Regarding your label question. How big could the label be? It's either there or not there! Usually though, a product high in omega 3 will boldly print this on the front of the package.

Question: Can i bring supplement pills on a airplane? I take hypergain and im going to flordia for 2 weeks and i need to bring it with me. Can they take it away from me or if the labels on the bottle will they let me go? Or should i just put it in my suitcase thats going under the plane?

Answer: You can take them with you.

Question: When to take a dietary supplement? I am taking this vitamin c pills. and on the label says to use as a dietary supplement take with liquids. Now what I'm wondering is should I be taking this before I eat? and how long before? because I have been taking it at random times during the day, but I want it to be effect so when do i take it?

Answer: Taking vitamins with a meal is fine. It doesn't really matter. Your body won't use excess vitamins anyway, and if you are eating properly then vitamin supplements are excess. Really you should only be taking supplements if you are experiencing a deficiency in those nutrients, which would only occur if you were eating a VERY restricted diet. There are also studies which have shown that excessive intake of Vitamin E and C are linked to heart disease. Vitamin overdoses are very real, and getting more common, especially in children, because people are demanding that every food product be stuffed with extra vitamins. Fact is that we don't need them, and taking too many of them is very bad for you. Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant, but your body uses free radicals in the process of attacking invading organisms. Vitamin C helps prevent this process, which is rather ironic given the claims made about Vitamin C.

Question: why does my whey protein supplement say to mix with cold drink and drink it immedietly? can i just mix the protein shake with water in a water bottle, so when im done working out at the gym i can immedietly drink it? but it wont be cold and im not drinking it immedietly like it says on the label...will it still be as effective?

Answer: Its ok if its not cold or you can go home and drink it right away.. By immediately it doesnt mean put down the dumbells and start drinking your shake, you can take it even 15 min after workout, but make sure its not gonna be too late like 30-45 min after, 10 to 15 min after workout is effective so its ok, but if your gym is really far from your house and you have to walk or drive for 30-40 min its better to bring it with you to gym but if you live near the gym like me you can walk home and drink it immediately as u get home..

Question: Folic Acid while taking a calcium supplement? I can't stand the taste of any kind of milk even if it is flavored, I haven't drank milk since I was in elementry school and I'm now 27. But I love milk shakes and ice cream. And I use milk in recipes that require it. My doctor advised me to take a calcium supplement. My mother, who's a nurse, constantly advises me to take folic acid to avoid birth defects if my husband and I become pregnant. Couldn't I just take centrum which has folic acid in it and then calcium? Also, I never see folic acid and calcium together on the back of a multi-supplement label...should the two not be taken together for some reason? And lastly, most calcium supplements come from sharks, is there another type that is as easily accessable as the brand that comes from sharks? Is this safe?

Answer: Unfortunately I can access this article http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/113343060/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 It might be important. Maybe here: http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/site/DocServer/Big3_OverviewSheet.pdf?docID=861 In any case as to CaLcium this is what I found http://www.dancewithshadows.com/business/pharma/calcium-diet-supplement.asp You do need higher quantities of Folic Acid if you plan to get pregnant more than you find in Centrum. You can find so much info on the nt.

Question: What do it means - Do not take within 6 hours of sleep? Hi! What does it means by a dietary supplement label - Do not take within 6 hours of sleep? If I sleep at 10pm, the latest time I should take the dietary supplement is 4pm right?

Answer: Yeah that's right! .If you go to sleep at 10PM; you should take it at 4PM or sooner. . Reason for that. Dietary supplements tend to give you energy.boost. You don't want this energy boost,( med peaks at bedtime) so you can sleep/rest comfortably and uninterrupted.

Question: Are supplements in labeled containers ever a problem for international flights? Going to Costa Rica from U.S.A. for 3 months with my son who is on many supplements for medical problem. Some powders, some pills, can't get them there so I must take a large supply. Should I check them or carry on or both? Will they think they're explosives or drugs or that we plan to sell them? I just want to avoid trouble and not lose them. Thanks.

Answer: No, most likely you will not have a problem. I have traveled to Europe and Asia with large quantities of pills on my person. As they are not liquids, I would keep a supply on your carry on, particularly since your son will need them, and god forbid your luggage gets loss. I would also keep some checked just in case. To err on the side of caution, you could get a doctor's note documenting that your son's supplements are for medical purposes. Finally, just to be safe, check Costa Rican import laws. More than likely though, nobody will notice nor really care, but getting a doctor's note is a good way to cover yourself.

Question: Does anyone know of a good supplement to take after workouts to relieve soreness and help muscle growth? I'm not looking for a high priced fancy label or anything i just want something to get the job done

Answer: protein - you can have it from food also but protein shake wright after working out is the best thing to do - it repairs muscle. to avoid soreness - stretch.

Question: Do you think I need a collagen supplement? You see, I drink collagen supplements three tablets twice daily (as the label says how I'm supposed to). I'm 15 yrs old, 5'3 in height and weigh 112 lbs, so I am wondering if it's necessary. I am not sure if this is doing me any good. Here is the supplement facts for the serving size of 6 tablets: Collagen Type I & III 6g Sodium 0.03g Vit C (as calcium ascorbate) 60mg No fat, cholesterol or carbs. It says here it's good for the joints, tendons, ligament, bones, muscles, skin, hair, nails I take the tablets when 30 mins before a meal, when my stomach is empty (I follow the label).

Answer: you need to lower your cortisol levels in your body and lower the insuline levels by eating low carbs and drinking a lot of green tea and you will be young and beautiful glowwing skin will radiate and delay wrinkles. n forget all the expensive stuff. trust me on this one. I have been reading for years and green tea is an ancient secret. no sugar. you will lose weight and feel great and lose belly fat and saddle bags just from drinking green tea for a few weeks. YOU WILL HAVE MORE ENERGY! RELAX AND SLEEP GOOD. if you take suppliments you dont need you are giving your body something to excrete in your stool, thats all. it sells and people buy it. like shark cartilage and oyster shell calcium..you know something...they are totally worthless. our body can not digest oyster shells...it actually causes crust in your veins and sometimes leads to a stroke. cortisol is the killer hormine and like cortisone it will make your skin thin and face fat and round. insuline makes all your organs sick and high levels damage kidneys and your heart.. it also makes your body store fat and causes a fatty liver in many middle aged people...green tea prevents this. really. it's too good to be true.

Question: Can the diet supplement Everslim cause a seizure? My friend took it for 3 days and then had a seizure. There is no warning label on the box. Should she sue?

Answer: What are the ingredients? Did she follow the instructions? Do a search on Google and see if you can find people with similar experiences.

Question: Why are herbal supplements have a "NO APPROVED THERAPEUTIC CLAIMS" indicated on their labels?

Answer: There is no system in place to test herbal supplements for the claims they make, nor is there any system in place to guarantee they contain what they claim to contain. You can grind bluegrass from your yard, place it in a capsule and call it an herbal remedy, make tons of money because you've got testimonials from all of your friends and neighbors that it straightened the problem right out. Unless there is true scientific proof, testimonials are the same as the ten different stories you'll hear from ten people watching a robbery. You figure it out.