If you take nutritional supplements for your health, if you recommend them to your patients, and if they are an important part of your clinical protocols, your life has been touched by the work of Loren D. Israelen, JD.
For more than four decades, Israelen has been a major player in the development and evolution of the nutritional supplement and natural products industries. He was among the architects of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the federal law that essentially created the category of products now widely known as “dietary supplements,” and established a framework for regulating these products.
It’s hard to imagine that there was a time when herbs and vitamins were considered unapproved drugs, and doctors who recommended them could be arrested, or severely disciplined by state medical boards, for doing so. This was the world before DSHEA. Israelsen and a small but very dedicated group of natural health advocates—including Senator Orrin Hatch—have made a massive effort to change that.
Following the passage of DSHEA, Israel—an attorney by training—went on to found and lead the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), a membership organization representing companies, researchers, clinicians, and industry thought leaders committed to the ethical development and intelligent regulation of this thriving industry.
On June 29, 2026, on the eve of his retirement from formal industry activities, Israelsen took the time to talk to him Comprehensive primary care He shared his views on the role of nutritional supplements in clinical practice, the world as it was before DSHEA, the countless changes that have occurred since then, and the future of the natural health care movement.
Check the interview And go behind the scenes with someone who has truly reshaped the American healthcare landscape!
