Last year research predicted that by the end of 2020, digital marketing will account for more than half of the global advertising industry that’s worth over 500 billion dollars. And supplements are one of the hottest commodities on social media right now, raking in millions of dollars in sales. Many brands rely solely on promotional content from brand ambassadors, often without any noticeable input or advice from health professionals. Powered by these endorsements, the vitamin and supplement market is a rapidly growing industry currently worth over $180 million in Australia alone.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) does require corporate sponsors to provide evidence that their product works, but most vitamins and supplements fall into the category of “low-risk complementary medicines”, manufactured using a pre-approved list of ingredients and quantities.

According to Naima Abdat, an experienced naturopath based in Sydney, social media herbs likely won’t cause significant harm beyond “just wasting money”, they may just provide no benefit because they’re not potent enough to cause side effects.

One such example of a supplement which has become increasingly popular, is apple cider vinegar gummies. These gummies are advertised to taste nothing like vinegar, while maintaining the benefits. Abdat regularly prescribes her patients to consume apple cider vinegar before meals to aid digestion. But, because people don’t enjoy the flavour, they’re more likely to take a more “palatable”, diluted form like a gummy, which may defeat the vinegar’s purpose.

“Being able to taste the acv in your mouth is what triggers the vagus nerve at the back of your tongue which sends the message to the stomach to release those enzymes,” she tells upstart.

“So, although you’re having an apple cider vinegar [tablet], by the time it gets to your stomach the function is now different, it’s going to create a more acidic environment then it might help on that level. But what we’re trying to do is stimulate your own gastric enzymes; that happens when you taste it.”

20-year-old Mariam Ibrahim has trialled a number of supplement brands for different health concerns.

“I saw ads on Instagram, everyone was buying them and on TikTok everyone was trying them, so I thought ‘why not?’,” she tells upstart.

Ibrahim used the popular apple cider vinegar gummies, and while the overall result from consistent use was underwhelming, she says they did make her feel better.

“I did notice my cravings for junk improved,” she says. “As in they [were] reduced, and there was a little improvement with bloating too.”

As a naturopath, Abdat works to assess people’s health issues and suggest natural remedies in the form of herbs, or lifestyle and dietary changes. She says that the reason these supplements have a limited effect, is because they don’t actually change the underlying problems in a person’s lifestyle.

“If you have issues with bloating, but your issue is actually food intolerances it might help a tiny bit, but it’s not going to actually resolve your bloating,” she says.

After trying a number of online supplement brands, “to see if they live up to the hype” Ibrahim was left feeling like “it wasn’t really worth it”. She now prefers a different method of acquiring vitamins.

“I would 100 percent go to a chemist rather than online now, that’s where I get all my supplements. I ask the pharmacist and they advise me on what’s best to take,” she says.

Abdat says it’s far more effective to consult a health professional to identify underlying issues which could be causing symptoms, and to find an effective treatment and decipher if supplements are the right thing for them not just a trending product.

“At least to find out what the problem is. It saves money and time to see a professional who will help you find out what your triggers are and how to manage them,” she says.

“Go with a reputable brand that has professionals behind it. There are some brands that if you call, they have a nutritionist or a naturopath that you can talk to. Then you know it has been formulated by someone who knows what they’re talking about.”

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Article: Zainab Arab is a Masters of Journalism Innovation student at La Trobe University. Follow her on Twitter at @zainabarab2

Photo: by Adam Nieścioruk is used under a creative commons license. The image has not been modified.