The Top 6 Sources for Valuable Vitamin Supplement Information Online

Looking for more of the latest vitamin supplement information? Your doctor or a dietician can be a great resource, as can your local library. In addition, there is a wealth of current information to be found online. Muddling through the thousands of sites discussing vitamins and minerals can be time consuming as well as confusing. For the latest, most complete and perhaps most trustworthy vitamin supplement information, try the following online government and independent resources:

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website, http://www.usda.gov has excellent information on nutrition, healthy eating, and dietary supplements. Visitors should click on the “food and nutrition” topic link to locate information on macronutrients, phytonutrients, and individual vitamins and minerals. Learn about supplement regulations, label requirements and read the latest consumer reports and warnings. Check out the updated version of the Food Pyramid while you’re there, too, and see how your diet measures up.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website http://www.ftc.gov contains information relating to the labeling of dietary supplements. Discover which vitamin supplement companies have been charged with making false claims, and learn how deceptive vitamin supplement advertising is handled on the federal level.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website http://www.fda.gov has valuable information on vitamin supplements under the subject “food.” Supplements are not addressed under “drugs” since they are regulated by the FDA as food, although not “conventional” food. The FDA website has a very informative FAQ section on dietary supplements, including information on their safety, labeling, and recommended consumption.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) website http://www.nih.gov also provides vitamin supplement information. A search of “vitamin supplement” yields almost 2000 articles on a variety of topics related to vitamin and mineral consumption.

The American Cancer Society website http://www.cancer.org is an independent resource for vitamin supplement information as it relates to cancer. Search “vitamin supplement” to access pages and pages of articles and blogs related to cancer prevention or treatment with vitamins. The results of the most recent studies are likely to surprise and perhaps disappoint you, but new hope is being generated, too as more is learned about the role of nutrients in cancer treatment and prevention.

The American Heart Association website http://www.americanheart.org also features a variety of articles on supplement use and makes recommendations about their usage in relation to heart health. Before taking a vitamin to prevent heart disease, check out what one of the leading independent heart health societies has to say on the matter. Important dietary recommendations are also provided.

The best defense many of us may have against misleading claims about vitamin supplements is factual information and scientifically based conclusions. Don’t fall prey to deceptive advertising practices or marketing schemes featuring fear tactics. Knowledge truly is power when it comes to vitamin supplements, and your health may depend on the quality of the information you have.