Health Supplements

Before starting to take a supplement, it is advisable to take the following steps:

• Check with your doctor to find out his or her opinion about:
  • The usefulness of the supplement 
  • Whether it negatively impacts your physical condition or the drugs you are taking.
• Check to see if the information that comes with the supplement has been tested in a scientific, double-blind placebo control trial. (A placebo looks like the acutal pill, but has no active ingredients in it). A double-blind placebo control trial means:
  • That part of the test group took a placebo (generally a sugar pill) instead of the actual supplement, while the other group took the supplement. 
  • Neither the participating patients nor the doctors know who is receiving the supplement and who is receiving the placebo. 
  • The results of the two different groups are tested over time in a controlled situation.
• Look at evidence based information about supplements you are considering. For instance, see:
  •  "About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products" at www.mskcc.org/aboutherbs
  • The Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health's information sheets and publications: http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov , Tel.: 301.435.2920
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Information Center provides information at www.nal.usda.gov/fnic , Tel.: 301.504.5719. Click on "Dietary Supplements".
  • The information on the Memorial Sloan Kettering websirte about herbs, botanicals and vitamins: www.mskcc.org/aboutherbs
  •  Also see The Internet: Respected Comprehensive Sites. 

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