Supplement Safety & Efficacy Flashcards
7 cards from real IIN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Supplement Safety & Efficacy flashcards as text
A client is interested in taking ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) for stress. Which condition would be a contraindication to consider?
Answer: Autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus
Ashwagandha is an immune stimulant, which can exacerbate autoimmune diseases by further activating an already overactive immune response.
The term 'adulteration' in the context of dietary supplements refers to:
Answer: Products that contain unlisted ingredients, contaminants, or substituted materials
Adulteration occurs when a supplement contains undisclosed ingredients such as pharmaceutical drugs, heavy metals, or substituted plant species, posing serious safety risks.
Probiotics are generally measured and dosed in:
Answer: Colony-Forming Units (CFUs)
CFUs (Colony-Forming Units) measure the number of viable, living bacteria capable of dividing and forming a colony, which represents the active probiotic dose.
A client asks about using essential oils internally as dietary supplements. A key safety concern to communicate is:
Answer: Many essential oils are highly concentrated and can be toxic when ingested without proper guidance
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts (often 50–100x more potent than dried herbs), and many can cause liver toxicity, mucous membrane damage, or adverse reactions when ingested.
Which of the following best describes the difference between a supplement's 'best by' date and its actual potency at time of use?
Answer: Many supplements degrade gradually before the best-by date depending on storage conditions such as heat, light, and humidity
Potency degradation is a continuous process influenced by environmental factors; improper storage (heat, light, moisture) can cause a supplement to lose potency well before the printed date.
When advising a client on supplement use, an IIN Health Coach's primary role is to:
Answer: Provide general wellness education and refer to a qualified healthcare provider for medical decisions
IIN Health Coaches operate within their scope of practice by offering general health education and lifestyle guidance, and must refer clients to licensed healthcare practitioners for diagnosis, prescription, or clinical protocols.
A client reports taking a 'proprietary blend' supplement where individual ingredient amounts are not listed. What is the main concern with this labeling practice?
Answer: It is impossible to assess whether any single ingredient is present in a therapeutically effective dose
Proprietary blends only disclose the total weight of the blend, not individual ingredient amounts, making it impossible to verify if any component is dosed at a clinically meaningful level.