Two Hundred Fifty Years of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Health

Our nation just turned 250 years old, and the ingredients and traditions that eventually became today's dietary supplement industry have been part of America's story from its very beginning.

Anyone who is older than 55 probably remembers the bicentennial in 1976. Despite the turbulence of the time—remember Watergate, gas rationing and double-digit mortgage interest rates?—the nation took a moment to pause and celebrate 200 years of the grand experiment. I remember decorating my bike for a local July 4th parade, memorizing the Preamble, and the homemade colonial costume my mom sewed for Bicentennial Day at school.

With our 250th birthday in the rearview mirror, I wonder if we similarly took a moment to celebrate? And in particular, for those of us in the dietary supplement industry, if we reflected on the role our products have played in the life of the nation. Supplementing the diet isn't some modern invention but the latest chapter in a long American tradition. For as long as there has been an America, there have been people looking to nature to help them stay healthy.

Long before modern medicine, Native American communities understood the healing properties of plants, roots, and herbs, and early settlers quickly learned from that knowledge, relying on botanicals like echinacea and other traditional remedies to treat everyday ailments.

When CRN’s Executive Committee conducted a planning retreat at the George Washington Library at Mount Vernon, we got to see Washington’s journals in his own handwriting requisitioning a range of medicinal herbs from England.

Frontier families often had little choice but to depend on what they could grow, gather, or preserve. Good health wasn’t something found at the nearest hospital, it was something cultivated at home.

As the country grew, so did our understanding of nutrition. Sailors learned the hard way that citrus (vitamin C) could prevent scurvy. Cod liver oil became a familiar source of vitamins A and D, and many a grandmother, including mine, coaxed grandchildren to swallow it with the promise of some honey afterward.

The discovery of vitamins in the early 20th century changed the way Americans thought about preventing disease. Iodine virtually eliminated goiter in many parts of the country. Vitamin D dramatically reduced rickets in children. Scientific breakthroughs didn’t replace nature—they helped explain why so many traditional approaches had worked all along. And many “folk remedies” now have sound science that demonstrates why they are so effective.

After World War II, as American families became more focused on convenience, prevention, and better nutrition, once-a-day multivitamins became a fixture in medicine cabinets across the country. What had once been a patchwork of folk wisdom, family remedies, and emerging science became part of the daily routine for millions of Americans.

The same year as the Bicentennial, Congress enacted the Proxmire Amendment, which prohibited FDA from limiting the potency of vitamins and minerals, prohibited the agency from classifying food supplements as drugs solely because of their potency, and prohibited FDA from establishing standards of identity that restricted combinations of nutrients. The preventive health practices of a growing number of Americans got the attention of Washington who enshrined their right to use vitamins.

Fast forward again to 1994, and Americans again rose up to insist on protection for their right to have access to supplements and the information to make better decisions about their preventive health. Our uniquely American spirit to practice self-care and the right to petition our government led to the passage of DSHEA and created a unique category of dietary supplements.

Today’s supplement industry stands on the shoulders of that history. Three-quarters of Americans take vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, probiotics, protein and fiber supplements, and botanical ingredients every day—not because they’re looking for a miracle cure, but because they want to live healthier lives. They exercise. They eat better. They seek out reliable information. Supplements have become one of many tools Americans use to take responsibility for their own well-being.

That’s a uniquely American idea.

But as much as this landmark Semiquincentennial is an opportunity to look back, America’s 250th is also an opportune moment to look forward at what lies ahead. Better diagnostics will mean we can address many health concerns before they show symptoms; AI will allow us to personalize supplement regimens based on genetics, dietary practices, lifestyles and early warning of disease. As longevity increases, so too will the desire for longer healthspans. There is potential for us to live longer, more vibrant lives nourished with what our bodies need.

Supplements will play an even greater role in our nation’s health. The science behind them has advanced dramatically. Manufacturing is more sophisticated. Quality standards are higher than ever. But the underlying motivation remains remarkably familiar: people want to feel better, stay healthy longer, and care for themselves and their families.

Another attribute of the supplement industry that will continue to flourish is the values that supplements embody. Ours has always been a nation that values personal responsibility, innovation, and freedom of choice. These values are reflected in the way consumers approach their health. They want access to products that can help them fill nutritional gaps, support healthy aging, maintain active lifestyles, and complement—not replace—the care they receive from physicians and other healthcare professionals.

As America enters its next 250 years, that pursuit of better health will continue. The tools will evolve; research will uncover new opportunities and technologies will change manufacturing. But one thing is unlikely to change: Americans will continue to look to nutrition, botanicals, vitamins, and dietary supplements as trusted partners in living healthier lives.

Some traditions are worth celebrating because they’ve endured. This is one of them.

About the Author

Steve Mister is the President and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition.