My husband says I take too many pills, which he calls drugs. I say they are supplements.
Drugs are medicine.
They are intended to cure, alleviate, treat, prevent, or diagnose a disease. Their effectiveness, safety, dosages, and possible interactions are determined by carefully designed studies. Supplements are defined by the FDA as any product taken by mouth that contains a so-called 'dietary ingredient,' which may include vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and other substances. Supplements are not tested or authorized by the FDA before they are marketed. Aside from this limitation, supplement makers have essentially an open field in promoting their products.