Daily Herald opinion: It's time to require dietary supplement makers to register with FDA

This editorial represents the consensus opinion of The Daily Herald Editorial Board.

It's not a stretch to assume we'd all like to have a better memory, a healthier heart, no aches and pains, an ideal weight, the metabolism of a 17-year-old athlete, smooth skin and a sunny attitude about life.

Achieving even a few of those things as we enter middle age requires a lot of work and commitment.

And that's why many of us look to improve our lot in life with a pill.

Some 70% of Americans take one or more dietary supplements to fill gaps in what their diets don't provide, chase away sickness and for myriad other reasons.

Claims that if you take just a spoonful of stuff before bed you can lose four pounds of stubborn fat each night while you're sleeping seem rather suspect, don't they? But the allure to try it could be very strong with those who feel they have nothing left to lose — except for the weight.

But how much do we know about what we're putting in our bodies?

Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Republican Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana are introducing legislation that aims to help.

The Food and Drug Administration, Durbin says, estimates there are between 50,000 and 80,000 dietary supplements on the market in the U.S. today.

“The Food and Drug Administration and the American consumers are pretty much flying blind,” he said on the Senate floor Tuesday.

Think about that: The organization that is supposed to be telling us what it is safe for us to take doesn't even know what's out there.

In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which gave the FDA the authority to regulate dietary supplements but didn't require companies to register their products.

There were only 4,000 supplements on the market back then.

The new bill would require manufacturers to register their products with the FDA by including the name of the product, its ingredients, a copy of its label, allergen warnings and health claims it makes.

This is more than just a consumer empowerment issue.

If people are sickened or die from taking one of these supplements, its ingredients can be cross-referenced with those of other supplements to determine what is dangerous.

This effort is not an attempt to ensure that any of these supplements are effective. That's another choice for you to make as a consumer.

Even the largest lobbying group for the supplement industry has endorsed this legislation, so its aboveboard manufacturers aren't painted with the same brush as those who would poison us for a quick buck.

This bill is a no-brainer, and we strongly urge bipartisan support.