FDA

The FDA defines the boundaries of what a supplement is allowed to be.

It does not approve dietary supplements before they reach the market.
Instead, it regulates how they are manufactured, labeled, and monitored once sold.

This distinction is often misunderstood.

At a high level, FDA oversight centers on four signals:

• Manufacturing standards (cGMP) — whether products are produced under controlled and consistent processes
• Ingredient safety — whether substances are permitted, and whether new ingredients require notification
• Labeling compliance — whether claims and disclosures meet regulatory requirements
• Post-market enforcement — how the agency responds to adverse events, mislabeling, or unsafe products

The FDA does not evaluate whether a supplement is effective.
It evaluates whether it is compliant.

A product can meet FDA requirements and still be poorly formulated.
Compliance is a baseline. Not a signal of quality.