The Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD): A new resource for researchers and consumers

Authors: DWYER, JOHANNA - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); BAILEN, RICHARD - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); SALDANHA, LEILA - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); GAHCHE, JAIME - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); COSTELLO, REBECCA - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); BETZ, JOSEPH - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); DAVIS, CINDY - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); BAILEY, REGAN - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); POTISCHMAN, NANCY - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); ERSHOW, ABBY - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); SORKIN, BARBARA - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); KUZAK, ADAM - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); RIOS-AVILA, LUISA - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); CHANG, FLORENCE - Us National Library Of Medicine; GOSHORN, JEANNE - Us National Library Of Medicine; ANDREWS, KAREN - University Of Maryland; Pehrsson, Pamela; GUSEV, PAVEL - University Of Maryland; Harnly, James - Jim; HARDY, CONSTANCE - Food And Drug Administration(FDA); EMENAKER, NANCY - National Cancer Institute (NCI, NIH); HERRICK, KERSTEN - National Center For Health Statistics

Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/3/2018
Publication Date: 8/3/2018
Citation: Dwyer, J., Bailen, R.A., Saldanha, L., Gahche, J., Costello, R., Betz, J., Davis, C., Bailey, R., Potischman, N., Ershow, A., Sorkin, B., Kuzak, A., Rios-Avila, L., Chang, F., Goshorn, J., Andrews, K., Pehrsson, P.R., Gusev, P., Harnly, J.M., Hardy, C.J., Emenaker, N., Herrick, K. 2018. The Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD): A new resource for researchers and consumers. Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy082.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy082

Interpretive Summary: This paper describes the development, key features and common applications of the Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), a database of dietary supplement labels sold in the United States. It is an easily accessible public-use database and was developed to provide information on the dietary supplement composition for use by researchers and consumers. These types of databases have not been widely available, despite trends indicating that many Americans are using dietary supplements. It is important to document exposures to dietary supplements because they contain nutrients and other bioactive ingredients that may have beneficial or adverse effects on human health. The DSLD is periodically updated to track changes in product composition and capture new products entering the market. Usability testing with consumer and researcher user groups has been completed and the DSLD interface has been improved. Additional refinements in the user interface and search features are planned. In addition, both a desktop and mobile device version are now available. The DSLD has been used for research, exposure monitoring, and other purposes by users in the public and private sectors. The DSLD provides a comprehensive database that policy makers, researchers, clinicians and consumers may find valuable for multiple applications. This paper provides multiple use-case scenarios of these applications.

Technical Abstract: This paper describe the development, key features and common applications of the Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD). Databases of dietary supplement labels sold in the United States have not been widely available despite trends indicating that many Americans are using dietary supplements (DS). It is important to document exposures to DS because they contain nutrients and other bioactive ingredients that may have beneficial or adverse effects on human health. An easily accessible public-use database was developed to provide information on their composition for use by researchers and consumers. The DSLD is periodically updated to track changes in product composition and capture new products entering the market. Usability testing with consumer and researcher user groups has been completed; information garnered from this assessment led to improvements of the DSLD interface. Both a desktop and mobile device version are now available. The DSLD has been used for research, exposure monitoring, and other purposes by users in the public and private sectors. Further refinement of the user interface and search features to facilitate ease of use for stakeholders is planned. The DSLD provides a comprehensive database that policy makers, researchers, clinicians and consumers may find valuable for multiple applications.