The term natural health product is used in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 to describe substances such as vitamins and minerals

Dietary mineral

Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common organic molecules. Examples of mineral elements include calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, and iodine...

, herbal medicines, homeopathic preparations, energy drinks, probiotics, and many alternative

Alternative medicine

Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....

 and traditional medicine

Traditional medicine

Traditional medicine comprises unscientific knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine...

s.

Regulation

Natural health products are currently regulated under the Natural Health Product Regulations, under the authority of the Food and Drugs Act

Food and Drugs Act

Food and Drugs Act is an Act of the Parliament of Canada regarding the production, import, export, transport across provinces and sale of food, drugs, contraceptive devices and cosmetics...

. The regulations address the sale of natural health products, manufacture, packaging, labelling and importation for sale of natural health products, the distribution of natural health products, and the storage of natural health products. Under the regulations, all natural health products require a Natural Product Number (NPN), analogous to the Drug Identification Number

Drug Identification Number

Any product defined as a drug under the Canadian Food and Drugs Act must have an associated Drug Identification Number .The Drug Identification Number is the 8 digit number located on the label of prescription and over-the-counter drug products that have been evaluated by the Therapeutic Products...

s (DINs) used to identify and monitor drugs in Canada.