The five major food groups: cereals, vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat (and meat
substitutes), and fats, oils and sweets. A lack of folic acid causes birth defects, such as
spina bifida, which leaves the victim severely disabled. Folic acid is also found in
multi-vitamin supplements, and these are recommended for pregnant women. It is
better to eat many types of fish, than to eat red meat. If at all possible, mother’s should
be encouraged to breast feed their babies. The best-selling, most interesting and
controversial dietary supplements are multi-vitamins. The American Medical
Association (AMA) does not recommend them. Instead, the AMA recommends getting
your vitamins and minerals from a healthy, balanced diet. The National Institutes of
Health maintains several pages on their website that have fact sheets on many dietary
supplements. The NIH has an office of dietary supplements. It provides information on
the use and safety, nutrient requirements, database resources, news and research.
However, it is the FDA that has regulatory responsibility for dietary supplements, as
dictated by the dietary supplement health and education act, or DSHEA, passed in
1994. The DSHEA indicated that the dietary supplement manufacturer is responsible
for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed, but the FDA is
responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it
reaches the market [1]. The popular dietary supplement, açaí, will make you gain
weight – not lose weight. Another supplement, myo-inositol, may help prevent lung
cancer in smokers.
Keywords: Açaí, AMA, American Medical Association, DSHEA, FDA, Folic
acid, Myo-inositol, National Institutes of Health, NIH.
