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November 30, 2000

Alternative Therapies and Explanations

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Question from the USA:

What do you think about the various dietary supplements that are being marketed right now? Do you think any of those will be helpful in controlling blood sugar?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

There have been some small studies that have suggested that some herbals might have some effect on decreasing blood sugar, but I’d also suggest you read:

Dietary Supplements from the Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. They state:

FDA regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations than those covering “conventional” foods and drug products (prescription and Over-the-Counter). Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the dietary supplement manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed. FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. Generally, manufacturers do not need to register with FDA nor get FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements. Manufacturers must make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading.

FDA’s post-marketing responsibilities include monitoring safety, e.g. voluntary dietary supplement adverse event reporting, and product information, such as labeling, claims, package inserts, and accompanying literature. The Federal Trade Commission regulates dietary supplement advertising.

Herbal remedies: There’s no magic from the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
Unproven Therapies from the American Diabetes Association.
Dietary Supplements, Herbs, and Hormones at Quackwatch.

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