Diet supplements have taken on a large role in mainstream dieting trends. Thousands of new diet supplements come onto the market every year, promising dramatic results, but many of these claims are unfounded. Dietary supplements are not standardized or regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so there is no assurance of product potency or purity, comments nutrition consultant Ellen Coleman, writing online for the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. For safety reasons and simply soundness of mind, some basic techniques can be implemented and simple questions asked to evaluate the claims and safety of dietary supplements to help determine whether they are safe, effective and worth the investment.
Step 1
Look at labels and claims realistically. If the product makes outrageous and unrealistic claims that seem to good to be true, they most likely are. Be honest with yourself about what you're looking to accomplish with the supplement, and don't fall into the traps of hype and marketing.
Step 2
Research the product through scientific journals online and reputable product review sites to review the results of trials that have been done using the product over time. Links to thousands of medical journal articles can be found through the National Library of Medicine's database PubMed. Dietary supplement manufacturers that openly expose their science, research and findings are generally safe and effective in what they are claiming to do.
Step 3
Contact the manufacturers of the product you are interested in, ask questions and get feedback. Reputable manufacturers will be open to their customers' questions and will be readily available to answer them for you. If you can't find contact information or if the brand website has little information about the origin of the company, their standards and regulations, look for another supplement.
Step 4
Identify the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) label that means that manufacturers have performed ample testing, potency checks, safety checks and other accountability factors before they produced and sold their products. Many products sold online do not have these valuable markings to identify tests, trials and safety, so be aware, Coleman suggests.
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