Announcements and News Releases

2018

• Will supplements help your workout or diet routine? New resources from NIH cut the confusion on dietary supplements.
  January 24, 2018 (News Release)
  The new year is a time to set new goals, and for many people this means losing weight and improving fitness. Although these goals are best met with a nutritious diet and regular physical activity, many people may turn to dietary supplements for a boost to their routines. To help cut the confusion, the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health has two new resources to help people understand what is known about the effectiveness and safety of many ingredients in dietary supplements promoted for fitness and weight loss.

2015

• NIH awards nearly $35 million to research botanical dietary supplements and other natural products through innovative research centers program
  September 9, 2015 (News Release)
  Five research centers will focus on the safety of natural products, on how they work within the body, and on the development of cutting-edge research technologies. The centers, jointly funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), include three Botanical Dietary Supplements Research Centers and two Centers for Advancing Natural Products Innovation and Technology.
• Study Shows No Benefit of Omega-3 Supplements for Cognitive Decline
  August 25, 2015 (News Release)
  While some research suggests that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids from fish can protect brain health, a large clinical trial by researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that supplements of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil did not slow cognitive decline in older persons. With 4,000 patients (average age 72 years) followed over a five-year period, the study is one of the largest and longest of its kind.
• Nearly 1 in 7 Hispanic/Latino Adults Has Some Hearing Loss
  May 28, 2015 (News Release)
  In the largest study to date of hearing loss among Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States, researchers have found that nearly 1 in 7 has hearing loss, a number similar to the general population prevalence. NIH-funded research points to factors related to environment, cultural subgroup, and certain medical conditions.

2013

• NIH Launches Dietary Supplement Label Database
  June 17, 2013 (News Release)
  Researchers, as well as health care providers and consumers, can now see the ingredients listed on the labels of about 17,000 dietary supplements by looking them up on a website. The Dietary Supplement Label Database, free of charge and hosted by the National Institutes of Health, is available at www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov.
• NIH study provides clarity on supplements for protection against blinding eye disease
  May 6, 2013 (News Release)
  Adding omega-3 fatty acids did not improve a combination of nutritional supplements commonly recommended for treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of vision loss among older Americans, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The plant-derived antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin also had no overall effect on AMD when added to the combination; however, they were safer than the related antioxidant beta-carotene, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

2011

• CARDS Updated with NIH Data
  June 13, 2011 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the NIH during fiscal year 2009. CARDS now contains 10,653 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.
• NIH Study Addresses Concerns about High Folate Levels
  June 8, 2011 (News Release)
  Taking folic acid supplements or eating fortified grain products is unlikely to worsen problems related to low levels of vitamin B12, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and five other institutions in the United States, Ireland and Norway.

2010

• New NIST Dietary Supplement Reference Materials could be 'Berry' Useful
  November 9, 2010 (News Release)
  Scientists at NIST, in collaboration with ODS and the FDA, have developed standard reference materials™ (SRMs) to help accurately measure organic acids in dietary supplements made with Vaccinium berries.
• Botanical Research Centers Announced
  August 31, 2010 (News Release)
  Studies of the safety, effectiveness, and biological action of botanical products are major focuses for the five dietary supplement research centers selected to be jointly funded by the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), two components of the National Institutes of Health. The NIH's National Cancer Institute is co-supporting two of the five centers.
• National Institutes of Health-Sponsored Workshop Provides Guidelines for Soy Research
  May 20, 2010 (News Release)
  Participants in a workshop sponsored by the National Institutes of Health have developed guidelines on designing and evaluating clinical research studies investigating soy, representing the first guidelines of their kind in the field of soy research. The guidelines are published in the June 2010 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.
• CARDS Updated with NIH Data
  March 5, 2010 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the NIH during fiscal year 2008. CARDS now contains 9852 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.
• Preventive Medicine 2010: Annual Meeting of American College of Preventive Medicine
  February 17–20, 2010 (Announcement)
  ODS had an exhibit booth at this conference.

2009

• CARDS Updated with USDA Data
  October 4, 2009 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during fiscal year 2007. CARDS now contains 9026 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.
• NIST Releases Vitamin D Standard Reference Material
  July 14, 2009 (News Release)
  Scientists at NIST, in collaboration with ODS, have developed a new reference sample for vitamin D in blood serum to help laboratories validate the accuracy of their test methods.
• Letter to editor: The intention to treat principle, and the potential impact of excluding data from the analysis of clinical trial data.
  June 1, 2009 (Announcement)
  Christopher T. Sempos and Mary Frances Picciano. Letter to editor: The intention to treat principle, and the potential impact of excluding data from the analysis of clinical trial data. Journal of Nutrition 139(6):1204, June 2009.
• Botanical Research Centers Program RFA
  April 30, 2009 (Announcement)
  ODS and NCCAM plan to continue the Botanical Research Center Program for another five-year period with NCI's participation. The purpose of this program is to promote collaborative interdisciplinary study of botanicals, particularly those found as ingredients in dietary supplements.
• Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database (DSID) Now Available
  April 20, 2009 (Announcement)
  The Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database (DSID) will help researchers improve estimates of the U.S. population's total nutrient intakes. The database provides statistical estimates—based on chemical analysis—of the nutrient content of selected ingredients in dietary supplements, compared with label-reported ingredient levels.

2008

• CARDS Updated with USDA Data
  November 21, 2008 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during fiscal year 2006. CARDS now contains 7760 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.
• Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) Study Fails To Show Benefit in Preventing Dementia in the Elderly
  November 18, 2008 (News Release)
  The dietary supplement Ginkgo biloba was found to be ineffective in reducing the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This research was co-funded by five components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM); National Institute on Aging (NIA); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Office of Dietary Supplements.
• Key Gaps Remain in Understanding Health Effects of Vitamin D
  August 12, 2008 (News Release)
  An in-depth review of current research on the health effects of vitamin D is being published as the proceedings of the NIH conference, "Vitamin D and Health in the 21st Century: An Update", which will appear in an August 2008 supplement to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• ODS/NLM Partner to Pilot Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD)
  August 1, 2008 (Announcement)
  On August 1, 2008, the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world's largest medical library, announced the award of a contract to Abt Associates, Cambridge, MA, for a pilot study to determine the feasibility of developing a Web-based database to catalogue the labels of all dietary supplements sold in the United States.
• Trainee Travel Award Announcement
  May 29, 2008 (Announcement)
  Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health, announces Trainee Travel Awards to attend the 2008 Rutgers University International Training Program on Natural Products August 11-15, 2008, at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
• CARDS Updated with NIH and USDA Data
  January 14, 2008 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the Institutes and Centers of the NIH during fiscal year 2006, as well as projects funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during fiscal year 2005. CARDS now contains 7509 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.

2007

• Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research Highlighted in 2006 Annual Bibliography
  October 1, 2007 (News Release)
  To help advance the field and better inform the public, the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has published the 2006 Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research, highlighting 25 of the most significant dietary supplement research advances of the past year.
• New Vitamin D Evidence Report Reveals Gaps in Knowledge and serves as Basis for Upcoming NIH Conference on Vitamin D and Bone Health
  August 20, 2007 (News Release)
  A new evidence report on vitamin D and bone health reviews the current scientific evidence and identifies its strengths and weaknesses. This report will be a valuable resource for an upcoming National Institutes of Health conference September 5-6, 2007, that will examine a range of scientific perspectives related to vitamin D and bone health across the lifecycle.
• CARDS Database Updated with USDA Fiscal Year 2004 Data
  August 19, 2007 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during fiscal year 2004. CARDS now contains 6187 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.
• ODS Co-Funds Iowa Center to Study Botanicals Used in Dietary Supplements
  May 3, 2007 (News Release)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced a grant to Iowa State University to study botanicals used as ingredients in dietary supplements.

2006

• CARDS Updated with NIH and USDA Data
  December 18, 2006 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the Institutes and Centers of the NIH during fiscal year 2005, as well as projects funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during fiscal year 2003. CARDS now contains 5923 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.
• ODS Surveys Dietary Supplement Education at Nation's Academic Institutions
  October 6, 2006 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is conducting a survey on dietary supplement education in the nation’s academic institutions between October-December 2006. Its purpose is to learn the extent to which any significant, focused instruction on dietary supplements and their role in health and disease is being provided to graduate and health-professional students in departments or schools of nutrition, food science, medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacology and pharmacy, kinesiology and exercise science, and complementary and alternative medicine.
• Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research Released in Annual Bibliography (2005)
  September 21, 2006 (News Release)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announces the release of the 2005 issue of the Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research. This seventh issue of the Bibliography includes abstracts of 25 noteworthy dietary supplement research papers published in 2005, as judged by an international team of reviewers.
• Panel Urges More Multivitamin Research
  May 26, 2006 (Announcement)
  
• NIH Holds State-of-the-Science Conference on Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements for Chronic Disease Prevention, May 15-17, 2006
  May 4, 2006 (News Release)
  In observational studies, MVM use has been associated with better health outcomes but there are few data available from randomized trials to provide more definitive evidence. As more and more Americans seek strategies for maintaining good health and preventing disease, and as the marketplace offers an increasing number of products to fill that desire, it is important that consumers have the best possible information to inform their choices. Toward that end, this conference is expected to delineate gaps in current knowledge and to provide guidance about how NIH can help to fill those gaps.
• CARDS Updated with USDA and DOD Data
  April 27, 2006 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during fiscal years 2001 and 2002, as well as projects funded by the Department of Defense (DOD) during fiscal years 1999-2004. Also added during this update were 7 records for NIH during fiscal years 2000-2002 to complete the dataset for these years. CARDS now contains 4585 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.
• CARDS Updated with Fiscal Year 2004 Data
  January 12, 2006 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the NIH during fiscal year 2004. CARDS now contains 4047 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.

2005

• Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research 2004
  October 24, 2005 (News Release)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announces the release of the sixth issue of the Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research. This publication presents significant research in the dietary supplement field for the year 2004.
• CARDS Updated with Fiscal Year 2003 Data
  April 7, 2005 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the NIH during fiscal year 2003. CARDS now contains 3084 records of federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.
• ODS and NCCAM Co-Fund Five Botanical Research Centers
  April 7, 2005 (News Release)
  
• CARDS Updated with USDA Data
  January 27, 2005 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during fiscal years 1999 and 2000. CARDS now contains information on 2224 federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.

2004

• Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research 2003
  October 8, 2004 (News Release)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announces the release of the fifth issue of the Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research. This publication presents significant research in the dietary supplement field for the year 2003.
• IBIDS Database Celebrates Five Years with a New Look and New Features
  August 18, 2004 (News Release)
  The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) at the National Agricultural Library are delighted to announce the "launch" of the new, improved, Web-accessible International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) Database today, Wednesday, August 18, 2004.
• ODS Strategic Plan for 2004-2009 Now Available
  January 28, 2004 (News Release)
  ODS has released its five-year strategic plan entitled, "Promoting Quality Science in Dietary Supplement Research, Education and Communication: A Strategic Plan for the Office of Dietary Supplements 2004-2009."
• Expanded "Mad Cow" Safeguards Announced
  January 24, 2004 (News Release)
  HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced several new public health measures, to be implemented by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to strengthen significantly the multiple existing firewalls that protect Americans from exposure to the agent thought to cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as mad cow disease) and that help prevent the spread of BSE in U.S. cattle.
• FDA Plans to Prohibit Sales of Ephedra
  January 5, 2004 (Announcement)
  On December 30, 2003, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified manufacturers of the FDA's intent to publish a final rule on dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids. The rule will have the effect of banning the sale of these dietary supplements when it becomes effective, 60 days following publication. In addition, FDA issued an alert to consumers advising them to stop using ephedra products immediately.

2003

• CARDS Updated with Fiscal Year 2002 Data
  December 19, 2003 (Announcement)
  The Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the completion of an update to the Computer Access to Research on Dietary Supplements (CARDS) database. This update added projects funded by the Institutes and Centers of the NIH during fiscal year 2002. CARDS now contains information on 1748 Federally funded research projects on dietary supplements.
• Coral Calcium: FTC and FDA Take Action Against Deceptive Marketing
  June 10, 2003 (News Release)
  FTC Charges Marketers of Coral Calcium Supreme Dietary Supplement and a Pain-Relief Product With Making False and Unsubstantiated Claims
• FDA Acts Against Products Marketed as Street Drug Alternatives
  April 1, 2003 (News Release)
  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced enforcement actions against firms that are marketing street drug alternative products, some of which contain ephedra or other sources of ephedrine. FDA sent warning letters to eight firms because they marketed products that they claim can be used as alternatives to street drugs.
• Registration Now Open for 5th Annual NIH SBIR/STTR Conference (June 2-3, 2003, Bethesda, MD)
  March 26, 2003 (Announcement)
  
• Treatment for Minor Depression
  March 21, 2003 (News Release)
  
• CARDS Updated with Fiscal Year 2001 Data
  March 18, 2003 (Announcement)
  
• Ephedra: Recent Publications and Announcements
  March 10, 2003 (Announcement)
  
• FDA Proposes Labeling and Manufacturing Standards for All Dietary Supplements
  March 7, 2003 (News Release)
  
• IBIDS Database Updated Winter, 2003
  January 29, 2003 (Announcement)
  
• CARDS Updated with Fiscal Year 2000 Data
  January 3, 2003 (Announcement)
  

2002

• Historic Nutrition Information Resource On-line
  December 2, 2002 (News Release)
  
• IBIDS Database Updated Fall, 2002
  October 17, 2002 (Announcement)
  
• NIH Releases Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research
  October 16, 2002 (News Release)
  
• Thunder God Vine and Rheumatoid Arthritis
  October 1, 2002 (Announcement)
  The roots of Thunder God Vine, a plant whose leaves and flowers are highly toxic, have been used medicinally in China for over 400 years. A root extract of this plant was shown to safely and effectively reduce pain and inflammation in a small group of people with treatment-resistant rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
• IBIDS Database Updated Summer, 2002
  July 15, 2002 (Announcement)
  
• NIH Funds Botanical Center in Iowa to Study Health Effects of Echinacea and St. John's Wort
  June 25, 2002 (News Release)
  
• IBIDS Database Updated Spring, 2002
  April 30, 2002 (Announcement)
  

2001

• IBIDS Database Updated Fall 2001
  November 29, 2001 (Announcement)
  
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Announces Availability of the CARDS Database
  October 26, 2001 (Announcement)
  
• Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research 2000
  October 15, 2001 (News Release)
  
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Announces Research Awards
  August 31, 2001 (News Release)
  
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Appoints Senior Nutrition Research Scientist
  July 31, 2001 (Announcement)
  
• IBIDS Database Updated Summer 2001
  July 9, 2001 (Announcement)
  
• Winter 2001 Update to the IBIDS Database
  February 26, 2001 (Announcement)
  

2000

• Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research 1999
  December 13, 2000 (News Release)
  
• Fall 2000 Update to the IBIDS Database
  December 8, 2000 (Announcement)
  
• NIH Announces Funding of Additional Centers for Dietary Supplement Research: Botanicals
  September 20, 2000 (News Release)
  
• Summer 2000 Update to the IBIDS Database
  July 31, 2000 (Announcement)
  
• ODS Announces New Listserv
  July 1, 2000 (Announcement)
  
• IBIDS Database Updated Spring 2000
  April 19, 2000 (Announcement)
  
• IBIDS Database Updated Winter 1999-2000
  January 28, 2000 (Announcement)
  

1999

• NIH Appoints Dr. Paul M. Coates as Director of ODS
  October 26, 1999 (News Release)
  
• IBIDS Database Updated Fall 1999
  October 25, 1999 (Announcement)
  
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Announces Funding of Dietary Supplements Research Centers
  October 6, 1999 (News Release)
  
• Summer 1999 Update to the IBIDS Database
  July 7, 1999 (Announcement)
  
• Spring 1999 Update to the IBIDS Database
  May 4, 1999 (Announcement)
  

1998

• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Launches Dietary Supplement References Database (IBIDS)
  December 31, 1998 (News Release)
  
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements to Examine the Role of Zinc in Health
  October 30, 1998 (News Release)
  
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Expands Research Support
  October 1, 1998 (News Release)
  
• Listen to an interview with ODS Director Dr. Bernadette Marriott on NPR's Talk of the Nation Science Friday with Ira Flatow
  September 25 – January 5, 2004 (Announcement)
  
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Appoints Nutrition Scientist
  July 6, 1998 (News Release)
  

1997

• ODS Supports Conference Proposals Developed by NIH Institutes, Centers, and Divisions
  December 5 – January 5, 2004 (Announcement)
  
• ODS Announces Award for Kristine Scannell, M.S.L.S. Supervisory Librarian, National Library of Medicine
  December 2 – January 5, 2004 (Announcement)
  
• Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels, Final Report Transmitted November 24, 1997
  November 25, 1997 (Announcement)
  
• St. John's Wort Study Launched
  October 1, 1997 (Announcement)
  
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Expands Research Support
  September 25, 1997 (News Release)
  

1996

• New NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Announces First Research Awards
  December 17, 1996 (News Release)