dietary supplement

noun

|Updated on: 3 Aug 2018

Definition of dietary supplement

: 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

Recent Examples of dietary supplement from the Web

They can be found in food such as yogurt, miso and soy beverages or in dietary supplements.

— Fortune, "Why Washing Your Hands Too Much Could Make You Sick," 12 June 2018
The product has attracted more attention than other anti-aging dietary supplements, in part because Elysium has enlisted as scientific advisers a half dozen Nobel laureates, including Harvard chemistry professor emeritus Martin Karplus.

— robert weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "Scientists in Mass. and beyond are working to slow the aging process," 19 May 2018
Genesis Communications, which distributes Jones' radio show, and Midas Resources, which sells precious metals, dietary supplements and other items on the show, were also named in the suit.

— aaron cooper, CNN, "Six more Sandy Hook families sue broadcaster Alex Jones," 23 May 2018
Residents originally from Central America know that the store carries brands from back home — El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras — and come seeking items as varied as hair gel (Moco de Gorila) and dietary supplements (Lainez Bacaolinita).

— marissa j. lang, Washington Post, "A CVS store might be coming to the neighborhood. These D.C. residents are trying to stop it.," 4 May 2018
Sources of vitamin D include exposure to the sun, fatty fish such as salmon and trout, foods such as milk and orange juice fortified with the vitamin and dietary supplements.

— laurie mcginley, latimes.com, "Higher vitamin D levels linked to lower colorectal cancer risk, study finds," 14 June 2018
For example, a major 2015 study found that taking dietary supplements does not appear to reduce the risk of cancer.

— amanda macmillan, Health.com, "Is It Possible to Take Too Many Vitamins?," 6 June 2018
Along one wall, a woman in a ski hat is prepping samples of dietary supplements for one of Ellipse’s clients.

— bruce schoenfeld, WIRED, "Your Next Glass of Wine Might Be a Fake—and You'll Love It," 30 May 2018
Childhood obesity increases your kids' risk of chronic disease ► What about dietary supplements?

— bryant stamford, The Courier-Journal, "Is testosterone replacement therapy safe? Here's what you need to know," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dietary supplement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of dietary supplement

1967

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

dietary supplement

noun

medical Definition of dietary supplement

: 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, 4 Oct. 2011

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, 2 Oct. 1996

… 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, 31 Aug. 1990