The difference between dietary supplements and health products

Dietary supplements are one of the subcategories of health care products. The two have never been in parallel relationship - people often think that they are two categories. In fact, they are confusing "functional health products" and "dietary supplements" that both belong to the category of health care products.

A while ago, I was helping my aunt organize a lot of bottles and cans she had stored, and I discovered that she regarded vitamin D calcium tablets with a blue cap and melatonin, a sleep aid with a blue cap, as two different things. She said that the former was a "dietary supplement, safe" and the latter was a "health product, with side effects", which made me laugh and cry. According to my country's current regulatory rules, all regular products with blue hat logos are health foods (also commonly known as "health products"). The general category is divided into two branches: one is "nutrient supplements" that only claim to supplement vitamins, minerals, proteins and other nutrients, which is what we often call dietary supplements. ； The other category is products that claim to have specific health care functions, such as assisting in lowering blood lipids, improving sleep, and enhancing immunity. These are all functional health products.

However, regarding the boundary between the two, academic circles and regulatory circles have always had different opinions. One group believes that dietary supplements are essentially to supplement nutrients that are lacking in daily diet, and should not be bundled with health products with functional claims for supervision. Instead, they will increase the cost of nutritional supplements for ordinary people. ； The other group insists on classifying them into the category of health food. After all, high-dose nutrient supplements also have risks. In my previous rotation in the nutrition department, I encountered someone who took high-dose vitamin A purchased from overseas. After three months of eating, they lost their hair and their skin became dry to the point of bursting. After a check, I found out that it was chronic poisoning.

Speaking of overseas shopping, I would like to say one more thing. The definitions of dietary supplements in different countries are quite different. For example, in the classification of the US FDA, dietary supplements are a category alongside ordinary foods, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drugs. They do not need to be approved in advance before they can be put on the market. As long as the manufacturer ensures safety, you can buy a 1000 mg vitamin C tablet and a folic acid content that is several times higher than the recommended value in my country. According to my country's regulatory standards, if these are brought into the country without applying for a blue hat, they will not even be considered health products. They can only be regarded as ordinary imported foods and cannot claim any health effects at all.

If you really want to distinguish them, you don’t need to have so many complicated concepts. When I help people distinguish them, I usually look at two points: First, look at its role in external publicity. If it only says that it supplements a certain nutrient and has no other effects, then it is a dietary supplement.； If it involves improving a certain physical condition and regulating a certain function, then it is a functional health product, which belongs to the same blue hat category as dietary supplements. The second is to look at the dosage. The dosage of regular domestic dietary supplements is based on the "Reference Intake of Dietary Nutrients for Chinese Residents". Daily consumption will basically not be excessive. If the content of a certain nutrient in a certain supplement you buy exceeds the recommended daily intake several times, it is either a product bought overseas or a wild brand that does not meet the standards. It is best to ask a doctor before taking it.

Don’t listen to those bloggers who say, “Dietary supplements are good from abroad, but domestic health products are subject to IQ tax.” This is not true. I once helped a friend see a liver-protecting tablet sold overseas. It is claimed to be a dietary supplement made from natural extracts. In fact, it contains many ingredients that are only found in prescription drugs, which may damage the liver if taken for a long time. On the contrary, domestic blue-hat products, whether dietary supplements or functional ones, must undergo strict toxicology tests before they can be put on the market, and their safety is even better.

Anyway, if I usually buy it myself, if I have eaten too much takeout recently and am short of vegetables, I will buy a multivitamin with a blue cap. It is a dietary supplement, so you can eat it with confidence.； If the elderly at home have high blood lipids and want to supplement some Omega-3, they will also look for regular blue-hat functional health products and consult a doctor before taking them. In the final analysis, no matter what it is called, it cannot replace eating well, nor can it cure diseases. Understanding the difference is just to prevent yourself from spending money in vain or eating the wrong things.