Chapter 2: The Global Regulations and Health Claims on Natural Dietary Antioxidant Supplements

Dietary supplements may have different names in various countries. The terms include natural health products, health foods, herbal supplements, and traditional medicine. However, the form is common and includes capsules, tablets, tinctures, powders, or pills at a daily dosage level. The dietary supplement is not represented for use as a conventional food or as the sole item of a meal or diet or as a replacement for drugs and medicines. The antioxidant supplements that contain catechins, anthocyanins, carotenoids, isoflavones, and various other phytochemicals are an important group of products, which may provide protection of cells from oxidative stress, support antioxidant activity, and enable the maintenance of good eyesight. The regulatory framework and health claims on antioxidant supplements are the focus of this chapter.