Using the Dietary Supplement Label Database to Identify Potentially Harmful Dietary Supplement Ingredients

Over half of young adults, athletes, and Military Service Members self-report using at least one dietary supplement (DS) 1 or more times per week. DS may be consumed to improve health, provide more energy, increase muscle strength, and/or enhance performance. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised concerns regarding adulteration, safety, and adverse events associated with DS marketed for brain health and bodybuilding. Some DS products may compromise health as well as lead to a serious adverse event. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), available at https://dsld.nlm.nih.gov/, can be freely accessed and used by researchers, providers, and consumers alike to screen for potentially harmful DS. It was developed to serve the research community and as a resource for health care providers and the public. Herein we provide two examples of how the database can be used to identify DS ingredients of concern in products marketed for brain health and bodybuilding. The search for DS marketed for brain health returned 49 unique DS, and the search on DS marketed for bodybuilding returned 18 unique DS. Search results were cross-referenced with the Operation Supplement Safety High-Risk Supplement List, the FDA Tainted Products Marketed as Dietary Supplements list, the Natural Medicines database, and NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheets. Three ingredients found in DS marketed for brain health and two ingredients in DS marketed for bodybuilding were identified as "of concern". Educational tools, including the DSLD, can help consumers and providers make informed decisions regarding DS.