Industry calls on global expansion for supplement bureaucracy, amid consultations for US Draft Strategy Plan

02 Sep 2022 --- The US National Institute of Health is set to review its Draft Strategy Plan 2022 – 2026 on dietary supplements after the consultation period has ended. Its top goal is to expand the scientific knowledge surrounding ingredients and broaden the industry workforce.

Drafting of the plan was undertaken by the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS).

Commenting on the strategy, Andrea Wong, Ph.D. senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), highlights a key area of change in the plan is a shift in communication. 

“As industry is an important stakeholder in the dietary supplement space, we recommend that specific language is developed in the strategic plan on how to develop and maintain two-way communication and potential partnerships with industry members. Much of the language is one-way, coming from ODS to industry, but does not appear to be encouraged from industry to ODS, beyond commenting on the strategic plan.”

Impact beyond US
Wong notes ODS is likely the only government-funded office in the world that supports and funds research, tools and education focused on dietary supplements. “While we recognize that the stakeholders of ODS are in the US, we recommend that ODS, to the extent possible, extend its efforts globally to help other governments establish similar entities in other countries.”

The plan outlines five specific goals:

1. Expand the scientific knowledge base on dietary supplements and their ingredients by stimulating and supporting a full range of biomedical research and by developing and contributing to relevant initiatives, workshops, meetings, and conferences
2. Enhance the dietary supplement research workforce through training and career development
3. Foster development and dissemination of research resources and tools to enhance the quality of dietary supplement research
4. Translate dietary supplement research findings into useful information and disseminate it to researchers, health professionals, government officials, policymakers, and consumers. 
5. Coordinate and support the development of collaborative initiatives to address gaps in dietary supplement research.

Funding is needed to develop and support a cadre of researchers who productively study dietary supplements, the draft strategy outlines.Funding research
According to the ODS, more than 80,000 dietary supplements products contain vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, probiotics, glucosamine and fish oils. “Yet questions remain about the cellular mechanisms, metabolism, efficacy, and safety of many dietary supplement formulations.”

The plan entails the ODS will identify dietary-supplement-related public health areas and support innovative research to evaluate the health effects of dietary supplements. A core focus will be promoting health and reducing the risk of disease. 

A report published by the CRN revealed that using supplements with an eye on preventative healthcare could save the government billions of dollars in healthcare. According to the report, 75% of the health care spending in the US covers the costs of chronic diseases that could “potentially be avoided with preventative care.” It highlights that cumulative net target avoided costs for the period 2022-2030 would be $40.2 billion, for preventative hospitalization costs caused by omega 3.

Ingredients for policy
As part of the strategy, the ONS also seeks to collaborate with stakeholders to inform public health policy in relation to nutrients and supplement ingredients. It is also eyeing a supplement database to address dietary supplement intakes. 

The plan seeks to improve public health through supplements. “This work allows for assessments of dietary supplement formulations such as through quantification of ingredients and studies of disintegration, with particular focus on nutrients and supplements of current public health concern. These include iron, iodine, folic acid and folate, prenatal and infant and child multivitamins, and herbal supplements.”

According to Wong, dietary supplement use and its contribution to meeting the unique nutrient needs of lactating women is under-researched. “ODS could conduct or support research in this area and educate consumers and healthcare providers on the different nutritional requirements during the post-partum period compared to during pregnancy.”

New initiatives
As part of the ODS’ strategy, the plan also provides for increased efforts to address diversity and health equity through investigation, communication, and workforce development activities.

In the meantime, the US is also in the midst of preparing to overhaul its nutrition policy after 53 years, as a number of experts are gearing up for the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. 

Recently, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit organization with more than 17,000 doctor members, is demanding an urgent investigation into the problematic Dietary Guidelines 2025 to 2030 development process in a formal request, suggesting they favor health over wealth. 

By Andria Kades