If you buy a dietary supplement, are you getting what you think you paid for?

While supplements are not regulated like foods and drugs, they are required to be safe, unadulterated and properly labeled; produced with good manufacturing processes; and promoted with truthful label information. Many manufacturers provide reliable information, but some don't abide by the rules, resulting in supplements arriving on store shelves every day with claims to be the next miracle cure.

What can consumers do to protect themselves?

Do some digging for information. Avoid supplements that use borrowed research or studies that may or may not apply to this particular product. Sometimes, research data is distorted to match the product's claims or presented in charts and tables that look scientific but aren't.

And avoid supplements that are promoted through testimonials by satisfied customers or celebrities, rather than supported by actual research.

It's the position of the American Dietetic Association that most healthy people can get the nutrients they need from food. So if you decide to take supplements, discuss it first with your doctor or a registered dietitian.