Do Supplements Actually Work or Are They Just Another Wellness Trend With False Promises?
Popping supplements is currently in trend.
They are the latest “lifestyle choice du jour” and are being endorsed, on what seems like, every wellness influencer’s feed on social media.
From multivitamins and gummies for kids to probiotics and IV drips, you can now easily get your daily dose of nutrients in the form of a capsule or injection.
And thanks to powerful marketing tactics, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.
But do supplements actually live up to the hype and work, or are they just another wellness trend based on virality and false promises?
I’ve always been a bit sceptical of supplements.
For me, it seems counterintuitive to take artificial vitamins when I can obtain all the necessary vitamins and nutrients I need from a well-balanced diet. For example, why would I dose myself with iron tablets and magnesium, etc. if I can get my hands on a high-quality, grass-fed beef that gives me everything I need?
Of course, I understand the requirement for supplements if you have a deficiency. For example, vitamin D supplements can be beneficial for people who don’t get enough sun exposure, especially those in the Northern hemisphere during winter.
I also see the importance of vitamin B12 supplements for people who follow a plant-based diet. B12 is essential for the body to function properly and can be found mainly in meat, eggs, fish and dairy products.
But what I can’t seem to understand is why young and active women, who clearly get their daily dose of nutrients from a healthy, balanced diet choose to take supplements and then promote them on social media for their own personal gain.
We are once again being led to believe that optimum health is one-size-fits-all. Not only does it look like waking up at 5 am and drinking a green juice, but it now also consists of taking a daily dose of supplements and getting an IV drip every week.
But are these wellness “nostrums” even that necessary? Or more importantly, effective?
PSA: You don’t need to drink a green juice every morning and take a dose of supplements to be “well”
Notes by Thalia
What are supplements?
Before I do a deep dive into the supplement industry to see what all the fuss is about, let’s first take a look at what supplements are and how they supposedly benefit us.
A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to provide additional nutrients or other beneficial substances that may be missing or lacking in a person’s diet. For example, iron supplements can be beneficial for people who lack sufficient iron in their diet or are anaemic.
Supplements contain a wide variety of ingredients, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and amino acids. They are usually consumed in the form of pills, tablets, capsules, powders, liquids such as probiotics and now even as chewy gummies (which are probably full of sugar, lol).
Supplements are not intended to replace a balanced diet, but rather be used to complement an already healthy lifestyle.
The benefits of supplements include:
- Provides essential nutrients lacking in an individual’s diet
- Prevents vitamin deficiencies and helps manage existing ones
- Helps manage stress or anxiety levels
- Improves physical performance
- Boosts energy and focus
- Promotes better sleep
- Prevents diseases
- Benefits overall health and well-being
I mean looking at this list of potential benefits, it’s no wonder that the popularity of supplements has skyrocketed.
However, like with most viral trends, a dark side soon develops.
The rise of supplements on social media
The first time I came across supplementation as a lifestyle choice, was when celebrities would show themselves getting recreational IV drips either after a long-haul flight or all-nighter.
These IV vitamin infusions claimed to cure hangovers and exhaustion by rehydrating the body, as well as providing the bloodstream with essential nutrients and minerals.
They soon became a wellness ritual for those looking for a quick and easy way to restore energy levels.
But at $120 — $600 a pop, these hydration therapy sessions aren’t exactly affordable. Or attainable for that matter.
And now that IV vitamin drips are popular again, they only seem to be reserved for the wealthy.
The supplement space has since grown into something much bigger.
There is now an extremely large number of supplements available on the market from well-known, global companies that have been around for decades to fresh and trendy brands that have popped up out of thin air and gained recognition through influencer marketing.
It’s now the norm for influencers to promote their favourite supplements and protein shakes in exchange for a commission.
Go and look at any wellness influencer’s “link in bio” and I guarantee they offer a discount to at least one supplement label or protein powder brand that has helped them “become the best version of themselves.”
“We fall for these fads because we want a quick fix and a miracle health boost, and a daily vitamin and mineral supplement might seem like the perfect solution. Everyone likes to feel that they are doing something good for themselves.”
Tim Spector | Spoon-Fed
Are supplements just another wellness fad?
Over the course of the past year I have seen a huge flux of online content showing young women who live supposedly “healthy” lifestyles take supplements and/or protein powder.
Shared over 9.7 million times on Instagram, the #supplements hashtag has also racked up 2 billion views on TikTok.
When you see a handful of people taking supplements you don’t bat an eyelid. But when you are bombarded with millions of “Reels” and “Stories” all showing content creators take supplements as part of their morning routine, you start to question whether they actually live up to the hype. Or is this wellness ritual just another marketing ploy from the brands themselves?
The thing that shocked me the most, was when I saw a 33-year-old lifestyle influencer, someone who I’ve followed for the past 5 years and actually quite admire, filming herself taking her daily dose of supplements from a pill organiser.
Yes, a pill organiser!!
You know, a plastic container which is labelled with the days of the week on them.
The ones that a sick person would use in order to keep track of their medication.
The ones that my grandmother used.
Now don’t get me wrong, it’s great that she is prioritising her health and wellness and reminding herself to do it. But at the same time, she is only in her thirties. She’s still so young and active.
Why does someone at that age feel the need to take so many supplements? Especially when she seems to eat a well-rounded diet which she openly shares on Instagram.
And she’s not the only one.
Vitamin organisers are now sold in popular online stores including Amazon, Love Wellness and SHEIN.
They are being commercialised as an essential item while taking supplements is considered the norm.
But what’s normal about a healthy person popping a daily pill which has been artificially made in a factory?
“Supplements are easy and promise faster results. Taking them sounds better than what’s actually necessary: eating nutritious meals and committing to big, concrete lifestyle changes. We are prone to buying what we want to believe, and we want to believe in quick solutions.”
Rina Raphael | The Gospel of Wellness
Do supplements actually work?
According to Tim Spector, bestselling author of Spoon-Fed, “We will spend $193 billion a year on supplements globally by 2025, making the companies that produce them as rich as the pharma giants.”
$193 billion a year? No wonder new supplement brands are popping up all over the place. There’s so much money to be made here.
My biggest problem with this?
Supplements currently do not require FDA approval before being marketed.
In fact, brands don’t even need to prove that their product works. They just need to show that they are safe for people to consume.
This means that manufacturers are able to make bogus and “vague health claims” because they never have to prove them. (Rina Raphael, The Gospel of Wellness)
So the next time you see statements like, “supports digestive health” or “boosts energy” on a label, just take a moment to question the intentions behind that claim because they could be exaggerated and misleading.
Another thing to consider is what goes into your supplements
Many multivitamins have been proven to contain more than just the necessary nutrients. Because vitamins are naturally tiny, supplements are often padded out with “bulking agents, preservatives” and other hidden ingredients including “minor chemicals or waste products that are never checked.” (Tim Spector, Spoon-Fed)
The failure to regulate the supplement industry is doing more harm than good as consumers continue to invest in “magical” pills that fail to provide scientific evidence that they are truly effective.
What’s more, is that there is not enough research being done on the negative side effects that these supplements might be having on the human body.
Once again influencers, brands and global companies continue to profit without accountability.
“The science behind supplements simply doesn’t stack up.”
Tim Spector | Spoon-Fed
My own experience with supplements
A few years ago, I went through a period where I wasn’t eating enough red meat. So I decided to fill in the iron I was missing from my diet with supplements. They claimed to boost energy and aid better sleep but after taking them for 3 months, I still felt tired.
To be perfectly honest, all they did was make me constipated.
N.B. I understand that many people do benefit from taking (iron) supplements. This is just my own personal experience so please be kind.
When I spoke to my mum about it, a former nurse, she just looked at me in horror and asked, “Why are you even taking supplements at your age?”
And I have to hand it to her, she was right. I am a healthy individual with zero deficiencies. I follow an 80/20 balanced diet, move my body at least once a day and don’t smoke.
My only vice is that I love to drink red wine, but hey I heard it was an anti-oxidant so it can’t be the worst thing in the world right?!
Anyway, my mother’s comment really made me question why I would choose to take and rely on synthetic vitamins and nutrients when I am more than capable of eating REAL food which is also delicious!
“Relying on artificial supplements is not an indicator of a balanced and healthy diet.”
Tim Spector | Spoon-Fed
Eat real food, not supplements
If you ask me, healthy people do not need to take supplements.
All you need is to eat a diverse range of good-quality food that consists mainly of fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy. “For 99 per cent of people, this will provide all the healthy vitamins and minerals you will ever need.” (Tim Spector)
It’s also important to be aware that if you eat both a balanced diet and take supplements then you run the risk of “overdosing” which can cause harmful effects. Something that never seems to be mentioned by influencers or the brands themselves.
However, if you are planning on taking supplements for any reason, just be mindful of your dietary habits first as you might already be getting what you need from your diet. It’s also worth double-checking that your supplements will not interfere with any prescribed medications.
To help ease overwhelm and confusion, I personally recommend speaking to a medical professional or healthcare provider first before using that discount code from your fave influencer.
And remember that there’s more to wellness than nutrition.
There are 4 other basic fundamentals to follow that all lead to optimum health:
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Habits
- Self-care
Final thoughts
It is so easy to be influenced by those you look up to.
Especially those online.
Marketing has become so powerful it has normalised misleading and pseudo-scientific claims and turned them into philosophies to live by.
But it’s essential to become aware that not everything you are told is the truth.
If your favourite influencer is swearing by their supplements and giving you a 10% discount code to go buy your first dose, step back a moment and question their intentions.
Ask yourself:
- Who is this brand?
- How are they producing their supplements?
- What are they putting into their supplements?
Or maybe an even more important question to ask is,
“Do I even need what they are selling?”
If you eat a well-rounded diet and don’t have any deficiencies, then the chances are it’s probably a hard no. But if you are still unsure, I recommend speaking to a healthcare professional.
Learn to read between the lines and always do your research first.
I know this probably takes the fun out of social media, but we’re not talking about buying a $30 gratitude journal or pair of period pants here.
We’re talking about orally taking something that directly impacts your health.
Influencers only ever tell half the story. It may seem as though their supplements are working for them but are they actually truly healthy? Or are they purely selling you a one-size-fits-all diet solution in order to monetise their online presence?
Be wary of their claims and emotionally manipulative language. Don’t just believe anyone who says a product or modality will definitely work for you just because it has worked for them.
Stay curious and remember that health is specific to your individual needs.
Until next week,
Thalia xx
“The commercialized wellness space can lend itself to predatory practices by those who seek to profit from the needs of the struggling. Uncredentialed influencers assert themselves as legitimate substitutes. They push pricey placebos masquerading as supplements, sham “detox” diets, and unsubstantiated IV vitamin injections.”
Rina Raphael | The Gospel of Wellness
Disclaimer: The content found in this blog post is the own opinion of Thalia-Maria Tourikis and is for informational and educational purposes only. Please also note that this blog post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links then I will be rewarded at no extra cost to you. Any money earned through affiliates will be put towards running my blog and newsletter.
