dietary supplement

noun

: a product taken orally that contains one or more ingredients (such as vitamins or amino acids) that are intended to supplement one's diet and are not considered food

Examples of dietary supplement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

High-antioxidant black seed oil is also sold as a dietary supplement, often used to support immunity, reduce inflammation and improve digestive health. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 22 Nov. 2025

Africa Import’s Organic Moringa Leaf Power (1-kilogram box) sold after June 5 is also affected, as are all Member’s Mark Super Greens dietary supplement powder products, regardless of lot codes and best by dates. —Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025

Melatonin Supplements Can Affect the Whole Body In the United States, melatonin is sold as an over-the-counter dietary supplement and is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 5 Nov. 2025

In the United States, because melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement, manufacturers aren’t subject to the level of scrutiny involved in the US Food and Drug Administration’s safety measures and approval processes for drugs. —Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

dietary supplement

noun

: a product taken orally that contains one or more ingredients (such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, or amino acids) that are intended to supplement one's diet and are not considered food

The study is looking at whether taking daily dietary supplements of vitamin D₃ or omega-3 fatty acids reduces the risk for developing cancer, heart disease and stroke.

—Mary Brophy Marcus, USA Today

A hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain, melatonin also occurs naturally in some foods. It therefore may be sold as a dietary supplement in the United States under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, without premarket approval from the FDA.

—Lynne Lamberg, The Journal of the American Medical Association

… batches of a dietary supplement L-tryptophan that have been implicated in a mysterious disease were produced by a genetically engineered organism.

—Leslie Roberts, Science