Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)

DATE: Founded in 1995

• DEFINITION: A US government office formed to enhance knowledge of dietary supplements to ensure medical understanding and consumer safety.

Introduction

The US Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) was established in 1995, as mandated by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. ODS was formed to better understand the science behind dietary supplements, to identify useful and harmful supplements, and to disseminate reliable information to the medical community and the public. As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the office collaborates with other government organizations, including the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to raise public awareness of the benefits and risks of dietary supplements. ODS, NCCIH, and the FDA evaluate the methods of action of thousands of supplements and develop tools to understand their use within given populations.

Dietary Supplements

As the name suggests, dietary supplements are any tablets, pills, capsules, or liquids that are taken orally to enhance a person’s diet. There are more than 100,000 dietary supplements available in the United States. Between 50 and 75 percent of American adults, and possibly one-third of all children in the United States, use some type of supplement, including vitamins, minerals, and weight-reduction supplements, for health promotion and disease prevention.

FDA regulation of dietary supplements, which are often complex mixtures, is less strict than it is for prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals, leading to an enhanced role for ODS. Manufacturers of supplements do not need to follow standard guidelines, nor do they need to back up medical claims, such as claims that a product lowers the risk of a certain disease, with scientific research. As a result, the manufacture of dietary supplements is not standardized, and some products fail to meet their health claims. To increase the authority of the ODS and ensure public safety, the FDA, in 2009, issued an evaluation of health claims of both conventional foods and dietary supplements. In 2022, the NIH Dietary Supplement Research Coordinating Committee (DSRCC) was established as a branch of ODS to increase collaboration with other NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). The DSRCC comprises staff from various offices in the IOC who aim to provide the public with the best information possible concerning natural products, dietary supplements, and health research. The ODS also sponsors research grants through the ODS Co-funding Program.

Highlights and Accomplishments

Since its inception, ODS has helped to fund dietary supplement research grants and projects that examine usage rates and that evaluate, for example, the science behind supplements; has developed reference databases; has sponsored conferences and workshops; has led campaigns to educate the public on the potential risks of supplements; and has helped establish good manufacturing practices (GMPs) to ensure the quality of dietary supplements. These efforts are supported by Dietary Supplement Research Centers located at different universities in the United States. Research programs have included studies on glucosamine and chondroitin for knee osteoarthritis, on saw palmetto as a urinary aid for males, on the potential cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, and on botanical safety.

The ODS maintains extensive databases, performs population studies, and provides education and training to healthcare professionals. The ODS also co-funded the NIH Consortium for Advancing Research on Botanical and Other Natural Products (CARBON). Initiatives being tackled by the ODS in the 2020s include programs and resources related to iodine, iron, and vitamin D, as well as the connection between health and resilience. The organization’s ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) reached over 200,000 total labels by the mid-2020s.

In the ODS's Strategic Plan 2025-2029, the office's research priorities included studying the biological effects of supplements, advancing research on population-based dietary supplement use and impact, and improving analytical sciences related to supplements. The plan also emphasized collaboration and resource utilization, which support greater research capacity and advance science.

Through ODS-sponsored research, many dietary supplements have proven essential to maintaining health: calcium is now known as effective in reducing the risk of osteoporosis; certain vitamins and antioxidant supplements have been found to help reduce the effects of macular degeneration; and iron supplements during pregnancy are now known to be essential in preventing maternal anemia and reducing the rate of premature births. Other supplements have been found to be potentially harmful. Beta-carotene, which was promoted as reducing the risk of developing cancer, was later found to increase lung cancer rates in people who smoke cigarettes. Ephedra and ephedrine-containing supplements for weight reduction are now banned in the United States because of the side effects of taking the supplements, side effects that include high blood pressure and heart damage.

Bibliography

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"Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) Strategic Planning for 2025–2029." National Institutes of Health, ods.od.nih.gov/pubs/NIHODSStrategicPlan2025-2029PublicComments.pdf. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.

"Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) Strategic Planning for 2022–2026." National Institutes of Health, dpcpsi.nih.gov/sites/default/files/3.30PM-ODS-Strategic-Plan-Betz-FINAL-r1-508.pdf. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.

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Timbo, B. B., et al. “Dietary Supplements in a National Survey: Prevalence of Use and Reports of Adverse Events.” Journal of the American Dietary Association, vol. 106, 2006, pp. 1966-74.