WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) voiced strong support for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent call to expand nutrition education in U.S. medical training programs.
For years, the dietary supplement industry has advocated for a greater emphasis on nutrition in medical, pharmacy, and dietetics education, arguing that many healthcare providers lack sufficient instruction on the role of nutrition in disease prevention and long-term health.
CRN highlighted its own efforts to fill that gap, including pharmacist education on vitamin D, physician training on prenatal supplements, and continuing education for dietitians addressing nutrition gaps and the role of supplements.
“We’ve been calling on schools of medicine, pharmacy and dietetics to acknowledge the relationship between nutrition and better health as well as a proper role for dietary supplements. Poor diets are not without consequence. It’s encouraging to hear the Administration sound similar alarms that healthcare providers should get this training before they are certified to practice,” said CRN President & CEO Steve Mister.
CRN pointed to the wealth of research supporting the benefits of supplementation for health, illustrated by the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheets on a wide range of supplements, and noted that healthcare providers should be aware of these resources and remain open-minded when their patients discuss their supplement usage.
“Too often, when consumers ask about supplements or seek advice from their providers about their supplement regimens, these conversations get shut down instead of fostering an informed dialogue. We can do better,” Mister continued.
According to CRN’s latest survey, 75% of Americans use dietary supplements, and more than 9 in 10 of those users say the products are essential to their wellness routines.
