Current Issues Regarding Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the United States: Part 3: Policies and Practices Regarding Dietary Supplements In Health Care Facilities.

Dietary supplements, or nutraceuticals, fall into the subcategory of CAM called “biologically based therapies.”1,8,9 The quantity and diversity of these products are enormous.8 Supplements include herbs, minerals, teas, vitamins, amino acids, animal tissue extracts, essential oils, and Asian medicines taken orally for the purpose of promoting health and nutrition.8,17 In the U.S., dietary supplements are considered to be “functional foods,” used for health benefits other than nutrition, and they are therefore regulated as foods instead of drugs.8 As for the difference between “complementary” and “alternative” medicine, the former is used together with conventional medicine, whereas the latter is used in place of it.15 “Integrative medicine” refers to a therapeutic approach that integrates conventional, complementary, and alternative medicine and re-emphasizes the relationship between health care practitioners and patients.1,5