About ODS

fish oil capsules in a beaker

ODS provides up-to-date scientific information about dietary supplements. About half of all US adults take dietary supplements, spending almost $60 billion a year.

The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the lead federal government entity addressing the scientific exploration of dietary supplements. ODS is located in the NIH Office of the Director in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives in Bethesda, MD.

ODS was established by Congress as part of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-417, DSHEA). Its mission is to strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, stimulating and supporting research, disseminating research results, and educating the public to foster an enhanced quality of life and health for the U.S. population.

ODS scientific staff have international reputations for their work in the fields of analytical chemistry, pharmacognosy, biochemistry, epidemiology, clinical nutrition, dietetics, and health communications, allowing ODS to address the complex and sometimes challenging issues pertaining to dietary supplements. Learn more about our staff.

Read about ODS programs and initiatives and learn about the vitamin, mineral, botanical, and other supplement ingredients by reading ODS fact sheets, written for health professionals and in English and Spanish for consumers.

Mission, Origin, and Mandate

Details about the origin of ODS, our mission and mandate.

ODS Director's Page

Messages from Dr. Stefan Pasiakos highlight ODS programs, ODS staff, and advances in dietary supplement research.

ODS Invites Public Comment on Draft Strategic Plan 2025-2029

Anyone with an interest in the ODS mission is invited to comment on the draft ODS Strategic Plan for 2025-2029. All responses must be submitted by Friday, August 30, 2024, 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time.
Read the ODS Strategic Plan from previous years.

Budget

Current and historical ODS funding appropriations by fiscal year.

Staff Bios, Publications, and Presentations

Brief biographies of ODS staff members and their publications and presentations.

ODS Timeline

ODS was created in 1995. Learn about the history of ODS.

ODS Email List

A convenient way to receive news from ODS via e-mail. Join the ODS email list to receive our electronic newsletter and other news from ODS.

NIH Dietary Supplement Research Coordinating Committee

Established to increase collaboration among programs which include a focus on dietary supplements, or the intersection of dietary supplement, natural product, and nutrition research.

NIH Virtual Tour

Take the NIH Virtual Tour to explore the main NIH campus via an interactive map. 
Visita virtual de los NIH en español (Spanish-language NIH Virtual Tour)