Global consumers will spend more than $177 billion on nutritional supplements in 2023, with at least a quarter of that amount, roughly $45 billion, according to a study by U.S.-based research and marketing firm Grand View Research. More than 1,000 were purchased by Americans.
March 20, 2024
This number is expected to continue to grow rapidly over the next decade due to increased awareness of personal nutrition and an aging population.
According to greatgreenwall.org, approximately 59 million Americans regularly use some kind of vitamin or supplement, spending an average of $510 per year.
They’re everywhere: gummies, protein shakes, and countless other supplements that increase your body’s supply of important vitamins and minerals.
However, most of us don’t need those supplements, especially if we focus on eating a balanced diet every day.
Get your fruits and vegetables
Remember the “Healthy Food Pyramid” poster in elementary school? If you followed it, most Americans would be able to pocket the amount of money they spend on commercial supplements each year.
“For most people, multivitamins or supplements are not necessary. If you have a balanced diet and are able to eat nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables, you do not need multivitamins or supplements,” says Pennsylvania. said Dr. Matthew Silvis, associate director of university clinical affairs. Medical Director, Family and Community Medicine, Penn State Department of Health, Primary Care Sports Medicine, Penn State Department of Health; “Despite the vitamin industry being a multi-billion dollar industry, the general answer is that most people don’t need vitamins. However, some people may need to consider multivitamins or supplements. And it’s personal.”
Examples include pregnant women who may need more folic acid than they normally get in their diet. Patients with osteoporosis who may benefit from calcium and vitamin D. Vegans and people suffering from celiac disease who require a multivitamin combined with supplements such as iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, copper and zinc.
More is not necessarily better
Before spending money on vitamins and supplements, it’s best to discuss your options with your doctor, Silvis says. If your body does not need a certain supplement, it will simply be excreted and the money spent will be thrown into the toilet.
“If you’re eating a balanced diet, the vitamins and minerals you’re taking with your multivitamin are literally just excreted in your urine,” Silvis says. “There is a limit to the amount of vitamins that can be absorbed, and once that limit is exceeded, they are simply excreted.
“So the idea that ‘if something is good, it must be better’ is not true. Also, taking too much of certain vitamins can cause problems.”
For example, excess vitamin A can cause a toxicity known as hypervitaminosis, which can lead to serious problems such as vision and skin changes, bone pain, and even liver damage.
But what about vitamin C when you’re sick?
Perhaps the most widely accepted supplement is vitamin C, which has a reputation for preventing colds or at least speeding recovery if the patient is suffering from congestion in the head or chest.
Silvis said there is no empirical evidence that vitamin C has preemptive powers. Whether it helps speed recovery is inconclusive.
“There’s a lot of debate about whether vitamin C actually changes the duration of the disease,” Silvis says. “However, as with other vitamins, you can meet your daily dietary needs if you eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables.”
While overdosing on vitamin C is not as dangerous as overdosing on vitamin A, it can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, including nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, Silvis said.
For athletes
Another reason for the increase in global supplement consumption is the unparalleled market saturation that has occurred over the past two decades in exercise enhancement products such as creatine, protein shakes, and amino acids.
For high-intensity athletes who participate in physically demanding training, it makes sense to use certain supplements, said Silvis, who has been team physician for the Hershey Bears minor league hockey franchise for 16 years. says.
“Professional hockey players consume an incredible amount of fuel on a daily and weekly basis. We look at their protein intake, but we don’t know if they consume enough fuel to make up for those losses. “You can’t eat a lot of chicken or steak or protein and lose muscle mass,” Silvis said. “They supplement well with protein shakes because it’s a quick and easy way to maintain protein intake.”
But that doesn’t mean everyone who participates in track and field needs to supplement their training, especially if they’re eating a balanced diet.
“Do all athletes need to take protein shakes? Absolutely not,” he said. “Kids on the T-ball team don’t need protein shakes.”
Make sure it’s safe
If patients are going to use nutritional supplements, they should at least make sure that what they are taking is as safe as possible. According to Silvis, there are two important and easy ways to do this. When purchasing vitamins, look for the United States Pharmacopoeia Certified mark on the product to ensure that what the label says is actually in the product and in the specified potency and amount .
When purchasing sports performance enhancers, only purchase products certified by NSF Certified for Sport. NSF Certified for Sport is a nonprofit organization that requires strict certification standards, including ensuring that products are free of unlabeled harmful contaminants, such as traces of anabolic steroids. .
“These are checks and balances that we can provide to our patients, because when you go to the store, there are a lot of walls and rows and rows of options,” Silvis said. “So if I’m not going to give that person the knowledge of what to look for, both in terms of what’s in a vitamin or supplement and whether or not it’s safe for the patient, I won’t do it.” I think my job is done. ”
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