Dietary supplements: health risks little known
10.01.2025 17:40
Whether it's ginkgo for concentration problems or vitamin D for a strong immune system, dietary supplements are repeatedly touted as true miracle cures. However, more than half of consumers feel very or rather poorly informed about the potential health risks of dietary supplements. This is the finding of a representative survey commissioned by the German Consumer Organization (vzbv). The vzbv is calling for clear rules for the sale of dietary supplements.
„"Consumers repeatedly mistakenly assume that food supplements are tested for safety and efficacy before they are sold. But this is not the case. Currently, there are neither approval procedures nor legally defined maximum levels for vitamins or minerals in food supplements," says Sabrina Göddertz, a consultant in the Food Team at the vzbv (German Association for the Protection of Health). "European legislators must urgently take action here. The long-announced maximum levels regulation at the EU level is important to protect consumer health. The regulation must not be delayed any further."“
Lack of safety testing of dietary supplements
The market for dietary supplements is large: More than half (54 percent) of consumers surveyed have purchased one or more dietary supplements in the past six months. However, more than half (55 percent) felt very or somewhat poorly informed about the potential health risks of dietary supplements overall. The clear majority of consumers surveyed (95 percent) somewhat or completely agreed with the statement that dietary supplements should be tested for safety before they can be sold.
The German Association of Consumer Protection and Consumer Protection (vzbv) criticizes the lack of such a safety test to date. This poses health risks for consumers. Especially in online and direct sales, dietary supplements are offered with dosages that exceed the daily requirement of vitamins and minerals many times over. This has been repeatedly demonstrated by market checks by consumer centers and results from official food inspections. A maximum limit regulation based on age is urgently needed, especially to protect children from health risks.
Influencer advertising: a grey area for dietary supplements
95 percent of consumers surveyed somewhat or completely agreed with the statement that suppliers and manufacturers of dietary supplements should only be allowed to advertise health claims if they are scientifically substantiated. Health-related claims about dietary supplements are strictly regulated by the European Health Claims Regulation. Nevertheless, inadmissible advertising claims about dietary supplements can be found repeatedly, especially online and on social media. Health-related advertising claims made by influencers represent a legal gray area in this regard.
„"When influencers claim that certain dietary supplements have helped them, for example, solve their digestive problems or finally become pregnant, it's almost impossible to verify," says Göddertz. "It can be dangerous if consumers, based on such testimonials, forgo medical advice for health problems and take dietary supplements on their own. This can then lead, for example, to the non-availability of necessary medical treatment or to undesirable interactions between medications taken at the same time and dietary supplements."“
method
Representative telephone survey of 1,001 people aged 18 and over in Germany conducted by the forsa institute on behalf of the vzbv. Statistical margin of error: max. ± 3 percentage points in the total sample. Survey period: October 21 to 31, 2024.