The American public and the popular press have con- siderable interest in the use of dietary supplements (1,2). In view of observed widespread use, there is a need for further information regarding dietary supplement prod- ucts and their potential clinical applications. This report presents recently compiled data on dietary supplement use in the United States and discusses primary consider- ations for further research in this area. These considera- tions focus largely on the need for a standard approach to product characterization and the need to develop an ap- propriate knowledge base for individual products, prior to embarking on large multicenter trials assessing product efficacy.