Supplement industry

What it is

The supplement industry sells vitamins, minerals, herbs, protein and 'longevity' compounds in a market worth well over 150 billion dollars a year, regulated as food rather than medicine in most countries, so products reach shelves without proof of benefit. Evidence of benefit exists for a few specific cases (vitamin D in deficiency, folate in pregnancy, creatine for strength) and is weak or absent for most everything-in-one stacks. Coverage here includes recalls, contamination and dose errors, marketing crackdowns, and the forums where enthusiasts trade protocols.

Written by the Alivewire editors from the coverage below, 3d ago. Not medical advice; how the ratings work.