Nutrition plays a crucial role in promoting health and preventing chronic disease. Government data show that most Americans fall short in many key nutrients. Dietary supplements can provide shortfall nutrients and help to fill nutrient gaps. This module highlights recent research showing the contribution of dietary supplements to nutrient intakes in the overall U.S. population and provides examples of how dietary supplements address specific nutrient needs at different life stages. This module also offers practical information for the clinician on the use of dietary supplements to support nutritional needs in certain health conditions and to counter nutrient depletions caused by medications. Dietary supplement interactions with medications as well as known contraindications will also be discussed. Finally, the module provides an overview of the regulatory framework for dietary supplements in the U.S.
CPE Level: 1, 2
CPEU: 1
Performance Indicators: 8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.1.5
Learning Objectives
- Describe the basic U.S. federal regulatory framework for dietary supplements
- Identify the nutrient gaps in the U.S. population and demonstrate how dietary supplements contribute to nutrient intake
- Explain the role of nutrient supplementation in good nutrition at different life stages and in certain health conditions, as well as known dietary supplement contraindications and interactions with medications
Speakers
Regan L. Bailey, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.
Regan Bailey is Associate Institute Director for the Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture and Professor of Nutrition at Texas A&M University. She previously served as a Professor of Nutrition Science at Purdue University, and as a Nutritional Epidemiologist and Director of Career Development at the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.
Dr. Bailey served on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for American Advisory Committee, and as chair of the Data Analysis and Food Pattern Modeling Subcommittee. She was a member of the 2021 Committee on Scanning for New Evidence on Riboflavin To Support A Dietary Reference Intake Review for the National Academy of Medicine. She was appointed to serve on the American Heart Association's Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Nutrition Committee. She is a member of the Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy for the National Academy of Medicine.
Tieraona Low Dog, M.D.
Tieraona Low Dog, MD is a physician, author and educator. Dr. Low Dog is one of the foremost experts in the United States on the safe and appropriate use of botanical remedies and dietary supplements. She has overseen the evaluation panel for supplement/botanical safety at the United States Pharmacopeia, including joint reviews with the Department of Defense, for the past twenty years. A prolific scholar, Dr. Low Dog has published 50 research articles in medical/science journals and written 20 chapters for medical textbooks. She was a founding member of the American Board of Integrative Medicine and the Academy for Women's Health.