NIH to Launch Web Site For Dietary Supplements

18 January 1999 00:00  [Source: ICB Americas]

Amid the growing popularity of vitamins, hormones, herbal remedies and protein powders, the National Institutes of Health has launched an Internet database to provide scientific information on dietary supplements.

NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says the free site will help health experts and the public find credible information from published, international, scientific literature.

"This will allow consumers to go to one source to find scientific information on dietary supplements," says Bernadette Marriott, office director. "Much of what may be available may not have scientific references attached to it."

The database, linked off of NIH's Internet site, will soon allow users to search for bibliographic information with scientific and common key words for various dietary supplements. Citations are already being collected.

"I think there is enough information out about dietary supplements that are coming from all different areas that it would be nice to have something that has more of a scientific base to it, rather than rumor or folklore," says Irv Wainer, director of the Georgetown University Bioanalytical Center.

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly