Title: Module One Discussion (Not required)
Course: BIO 160 RTZ > Section: Module 1 Chapters 1, 2 and 3 (Weeks Two and Three)

Are dietary supplements safe and effective?

In a short essay (~650 words), please take a position on the following question: Are dietary supplements safe and effective? In this essay, you should also consider these related questions: How are dietary supplements currently regulated? Who is responsible for ensuring that dietary supplements are safe? How are therapeutic/medicinal claims evaluated? Should the federal government be doing more to regulate supplements? Why or why not?

For this assignment, begin by reviewing the assigned material in the links provided:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/09/10-surprising-dangers-of-vitamins-and-supplements/index.htm

http://www.helpguide.org/life/supplements_dietary_nutritional_herbal.htm

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm153239.htm

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/DietarySupplements-HealthProfessional/

You are also encouraged to conduct your own research on the topic and include the new references you have found in the references cited section of your essay.

Please use the online materials that you read to inform your position for this essay. After you have decided what you want to say, cite the references (both the ones provided and the ones you found on your own, as appropriate) to support your position. Be sure to give citations (in APA format) where appropriate, and please consider the essay an opportunity to place the material into a new synthesis that reflects your thoughts and is written entirely in your own words. As a reminder:

- A student must provide a reference for any information that is not common knowledge.  This includes specific information that is known by the student, but is not known by the general population.
- Use of direct quotes is strongly discouraged in a short essay. The essay assignments are best completed by (a) reading source material to obtain facts (scientific knowledge) and (b) using these facts (with attribution) to support your own opinion and ideas, using your own voice.
- The most appropriate way to cite source material is to completely reword the idea or concept and give the author(s) credit in the text.