Dietary supplements
Do we really need them?
In recent years, dietary supplements have experienced a real boom. Whether to support eyesight, to boost fitness or simply as a precaution – many people regularly reach for tablets, powders and capsules. Around two thirds of adults take dietary supplements, around a third of them several times a week*. Dietary supplements have developed into a billion-euro market and are now regarded as indispensable. But is consuming these products really necessary?
Who needs dietary supplements?
For many people, taking dietary supplements is a matter of course – whether out of concern about not getting enough nutrients or in the hope of improving their own health and preventing illness. The decision as to whether dietary supplements are necessary is often made without expert advice. What many people don’t know: dietary supplements are foods that, in small doses, often contain isolated added substances such as vitamins and minerals in concentrated form. Unlike medicinal products, they do not have to go through an approval procedure. Only registration with the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) is required. Manufacturers alone are responsible for the safety and quality of the products, while the competent food authorities monitor compliance with legal requirements.
Despite widespread advertising claiming that dietary supplements support a healthy diet or can have special effects, the reality is often different. According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), which advises the federal government on the safety of dietary supplements, and the German Nutrition Society (DGE), a balanced diet is entirely sufficient for most healthy people to cover their need for all essential nutrients. One exception, however, is vitamin D, which the body produces itself when the skin is exposed to sufficient sunlight. In most cases, dietary supplements are therefore superfluous and, if overdosed, could even be harmful when taken over a long period.
The risks of dietary supplements
One important point: dietary supplements are not “miracle cures”. They cannot compensate for an unhealthy or one-sided diet. On the contrary: an excessive intake of certain individual nutrients can even be harmful – for example through oversupply or interactions with medication. Around 10% of dietary supplement users report undesirable side effects.
There are, however, exceptions. In certain cases, such as a proven nutrient deficiency or for risk groups such as pregnant women or vegans, selected dietary supplements may be useful. Vegans, for example, are advised to supplement vitamin B12. Pregnant women are also advised to ensure a sufficient intake of folic acid in order to avoid health risks for the child; at times, this may also come from dietary supplements. In such cases, however, it is recommended to seek medical or nutritional advice beforehand.
The power of influencers – advertising and misinformation
Another problem in connection with dietary supplements is advertising, which is often spread via social media and influencers. Many influencers enjoy great credibility among their followers and are hired by companies to promote dietary supplements. The products advertised most frequently are proteins, magnesium and vitamins C, B6 and D3. The impression is often given that the products work wonders, for example against tiredness, stress, hunger, excess weight, hair loss or sleep problems. But what the advertising doesn’t tell you: many of these health-related statements, known as health claims, are not permitted in the EU. In some cases, promises of healing are even made, which are completely prohibited for foods. It is also often concealed that the substances which are supposed to have special effects were added.
According to a report by the consumer protection organisation Foodwatch**, around a third of Instagram stories about dietary supplements contain impermissible health claims. Alternative: one example of this are influencers who promoted creatine powder with the claim that it improves memory, lowers cortisol levels and stress and ensures a firmer look. Such prohibited claims can create a distorted picture of health among followers and lead to uncertainty. Unfortunately, there is so far no effective control by the authorities, as they are overwhelmed by the task of checking advertising on social media.
Secondary plant compounds – why natural foods are better
Natural foods offer a wide range of health-promoting substances that are often missing in dietary supplements. A particularly important component is secondary plant compounds. These substances, which give plants their colour and serve as defences against predators and as growth regulators, can have a positive effect on metabolic processes in the body. The best known include polyphenols, carotenoids, phytoestrogens and glucosinolates. Many bitter substances, which give foods their bitter taste, also count among the secondary plant compounds.
Although they are not essential nutrients, secondary plant compounds have, among other things, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and even anticarcinogenic properties. These substances are a result of the natural biodiversity of plants. Around 5,000 to 10,000 of these substances occur in plant foods such as vegetables, fruit and pulses.
Unlike the isolated nutrients in dietary supplements, it is the complex composition of different substances that makes natural foods valuable for health. The German Nutrition Society (DGE)*** therefore recommends consuming secondary plant compounds via natural foods and avoiding isolated secondary plant compounds. It could be crucial for the effect of secondary plant compounds that they act within the whole plant. Isolated secondary plant compounds, on the other hand, could even be harmful if taken in high doses.
Natural foods for every day
Natural plant foods are a crucial source of a wide range of important nutrients that support our body every day in its natural processes and in its regeneration. Instead of isolated dietary supplements, fruit, vegetables, pulses and nuts provide us not only with vitamins, minerals and fibre but also with a wide range of secondary plant compounds. The diversity of more than 100 plant ingredients is contained in our P. Jentschura WurzelKraft® / AlkaLife®. The granules contain more than 100 plant ingredients such as fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, vegetables and bee pollen.
At our Jentschura Campus you will learn how to integrate natural, plant-based foods into your everyday life with ease. In our cookery courses Alkaline Cooking and My Alkaline Buffet or in the seminars JobFood and Preventive Nutrition Training, which are subsidised by health insurance funds, we show you how to prepare healthy dishes that fit into everyday life.
Conclusion: a balanced diet is the key
It is not a single dietary supplement that is responsible for our health, but a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit, pulses, nuts and wholegrain cereals. For example in the form of the Mediterranean diet/food culture, which is associated with particular longevity. Dietary supplements should only be taken in special cases and after expert advice. A varied diet and regular exercise are the key to health.
- *Bundesgesundheitsblatt issue 11/25, article 3: https://link.springer.com/articl...
- **Foodwatch: https://www.foodwatch.org/de/neuer-report-influencerinnen...
- ***DGE https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/fachinformationen/sekundaere-pfl...
