Special Topics in Medicine & Health

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. NCCIH was formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

These guidelines are not fixed protocols that must be followed, but are intended for health care professionals and providers to consider. While they identify and describe generally recommended courses of intervention, they are not presented as a substitute for the advice of a physician or other knowledgeable health care professional or provider.

When talking to your patients about complementary health approaches, you want to be able to answer the question: Is there any scientific evidence that this complementary product or practice works and is safe? The resources on this page will help inform you about what the science says (limited to the past 5 years).

When talking to your patients about complementary health approaches, you want to be able to answer the question: Is there any scientific evidence that this complementary product or practice works and is safe? The resources on this page will help inform you about what the science says.

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is an annual study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), in which tens of thousands of Americans are interviewed about their health- and illness-related experiences. NCCIH has worked with the CDC to include questions on complementary health approaches in this survey periodically.

The Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) includes full label derived information from dietary supplement products marketed in the U.S. with a Web-based user interface that provides ready access to label information. It was developed to serve the research community and as a resource for health care providers and the public. It can be an educational and research tool for students, academics, and other professionals.

Dietary ingredients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs or botanicals, as well as other substances that can be used to supplement the diet. Federal law does not require dietary supplements to be proven safe to FDA's satisfaction before they are marketed.

Dietary supplements may seem like harmless health boosters. But while some have proven benefits, many don't. Unlike drugs, dietary supplements aren't evaluated or reviewed by FDA for safety and effectiveness, and even "natural" supplements can be risky depending on the medicines you take or the medical conditions you have. In recent years, hundreds of supplements also have been found to be tainted with drugs and other chemicals.

Examples of Deceptive or Questionable Marketing Practices and Potentially Dangerous Advice

Herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage - holistic treatments may be a useful part of your self-care. Learn more about options and the science behind their safety and effectiveness.

Dietary supplements are vitamins, minerals, herbs, and many other products. They can come as pills, capsules, powders, drinks, and energy bars. Supplements do not have to go through the testing that drugs do.

An herb is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicines are one type of dietary supplement. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts, and fresh or dried plants. People use herbal medicines to try to maintain or improve their health.

The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) fact sheets give a current overview of individual vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements. ODS has fact sheets in two versions—Health Professional and Consumer.

FDA regulates Food; Drugs; Medical Devices; Radiation-emitting products; Vaccines, Blood and Biologics; Animal & Veterinary; Costetics; Tobacco products