Mark Blumenthal: DSHEA protects herbs, reduces fraud in dietary supplements

Mark Blumenthal, founder of the American Botanical Council, shares how the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) transformed access to herbal supplements. Before DSHEA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) viewed herbs as unapproved medicines, requiring costly new drug applications that made it nearly impossible to market simple, traditional remedies. By introducing structure-function claims, DSHEA allowed companies to communicate the benefits of vitamins, minerals and herbs, expanding consumer awareness while ensuring continued access to these products. 

Mark highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring product authenticity, recalling historical issues with adulteration in herbal supplements. Through the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program, a collaboration among the American Botanical Council, the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Natural Products Research, Mark is helping to reduce fraud and improve standards for botanical ingredients worldwide. Watch the interview to learn how DSHEA shaped the herbal supplement industry and the critical work being done to protect its future. 

Watch the full documentary: The DSHEA Effect. 

Hear from the team behind The DSHEA Effect in this episode of The Natural List. 

Related:Breaking the binary: How DSHEA redefined the supplement industry

Presented by New Hope Network and Nutrition Business Journal.   
Underwritten by Ingredion, Country Life, Alkemist Labs, Now Foods and Specialty Nutrition Consulting.