How effective are dietary supplements and vitamins: do they really work wonders for health?

Around the world, more and more people are taking dietary supplements that promise to improve skin and hair condition, strengthen the immune system or increase performance. All of this is a market worth billions of dollars. How to distinguish truth from advertising, reports DW.

Photo: iStock.com/anilakkus

Angela Clausen from the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia has been working on this topic for many years.

“The problem is that so many people view dietary supplements as a kind of natural medicine, so they use them for therapy and to alleviate or treat illness,” she said. “But dietary supplements are really only designed to supplement the essential components that we don’t get enough of in our diet.”

On the subject: Dietary supplements are being recalled in the US after they were found to contain deadly poison.

At best, when consumers buy dietary supplements that provide no benefit, they are simply wasting their money. However, some substances, such as vitamin D, iodine or selenium, can be harmful if taken in too large quantities. Recently David Mitchener 89-year-old retired British businessman dies from an overdose of vitamin D. The health risks were not indicated on the supplement packaging.

Dietary supplements are subject to much less control precisely because they are not medications. They may be sold without testing for safety, quality or effectiveness. Consequently, dietary supplements do not always contain the ingredients listed on the package or may not contain them in the amounts stated. Sometimes they contain dangerous or prohibited substances.

False promises about the benefits of dietary supplements are everywhere on social media, as evidenced by a study of hundreds of posts and stories conducted in 2021.

Supplements That 'Make You Smarter'

In one TikTok video, which has been viewed nearly 1,7 million times, a user states: “You're not stupid, you just don't have enough blood flow to your brain, which is preventing you from concentrating, concentrating effectively. Lack of blood circulation leads to very poor memory."

The four recommended supplements from the video that supposedly help with focus and memory are ginkgo biloba, bacopa monnieri, L-theanine, and magnesium L-threonate.

This is a false statement.

“The user talks about very specific metabolic mechanisms, and at first he really seems competent,” noted nutritionist Friederike Schmidt from the University of Lübeck. “However, we really have no idea what the user-mentioned drugs do or whether they help at all.”

For example, one of the claims made in the video is that Bacopa monnieri plant extract increases levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, which improves memory.

“This is very far-fetched,” Schmidt assured. “At the moment, not a single methodologically sound study has been conducted on this topic.”

Angela Clausen of the Consumer Advice Center knows all too well that citing weak or irrelevant studies is a common tactic in promoting dietary supplements.

Overall, the user's claims are completely unsubstantiated from a scientific point of view. There is no evidence that his “top four supplement recommendations” improve cognitive function in the way he describes.

Is turmeric a miracle cure?

According to another video in Spanish that has over 1,5 million views, powdered turmeric dissolved in water can help against eczema. It is also claimed to detoxify the body, prevent arthritis and reduce the risk of cancer.
This is incorrect information.

Turmeric, used as a spice, has long been believed to be beneficial for digestion. However, according to Clausen, “all of these allegations are unacceptable. There are no studies to support them."

Research has shown that a specific turmeric extract - curcumin - at a certain dosage has an anti-inflammatory effect only in laboratory tests, in vitro. But these effects can only be attributed to this particular extract and precisely in this dosage, and not just turmeric. The effect in humans may be completely different from the effect in a test tube.

“We are very far from saying that turmeric definitely helps,” Schmidt emphasized.

The nutritionist explained that the problem with curcumin is that it is very reactive, meaning that it reacts with many substances in the laboratory. This is probably why it is considered effective against so many different diseases and problems. But this does not mean that curcumin in its pure form will necessarily be effective for people.

Does collagen actually improve skin, hair and nails?

Social media posts attribute many positive qualities to collagen. The video claims it will make your skin firmer, your nails stronger, and your hair shinier. These are all unsubstantiated allegations.

Collagen is a protein that is naturally produced by the body and is important for bones, joints, muscles and tendons. Supplements containing collagen are derived from animals, usually from slaughterhouse waste.

It is unclear how well the body is able to process collagen obtained from external sources. According to a 2023 meta-study, even collagen's best-known purported effect—anti-aging skin—still needs further research.

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“There is no convincing evidence that it has this effect, especially on the joints,” Clausen said. In 2022, the Consumer Advice Center successfully sued collagen powder maker Glow25 over its use of the "Healthy Bones and Joints" slogan.

Claims made on social media are often exaggerated, unscientific, and even dangerous to our health.

“In many cases, we see people simply spending money on products they don’t need,” Schmidt concluded. She called it "a very tempting idea: you can improve your health with a few capsules or powders."

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