Vitamins, minerals, botanicals: a checklist against empty promises
12.1.2026
Translation: machine translated
16 per cent of the population would need dietary supplements, 57 per cent take them. Why? Because there is hardly anything that can be marketed so easily without having to provide evidence. Here is a checklist for reputable supplement recommendations.
«The food supplement revolution» is on my desk - according to the cover, it's the bestseller from France. It was written by biologist and biochemist Mathieu Bouarfa, who smiles at me from the cover and promises: «What you really need to know about selecting, dosing and combining active ingredients». At first glance, he provides a decent list of sources for download. Sounds (apart from the tell-tale superlatives) like a solid basis for a well-founded overview of dietary supplements (NEM) and their sensible use.
The joy doesn't last long, however. After a few chapters, a question arises that almost always resonates with food supplements: Is it about orientation (what is useful, what is not)? Or is it about a logic in which a remedy is immediately available for every condition - including dosage, combination tips and an impulse to buy? At least Bouarfa makes his setup transparent. Even the cover shows that the book is also backed by «Nutrastream» - his own company that sells food supplements. Voices from the (admittedly impressively large) Nutrastream Community also appear throughout the text to support his arguments.
Source: Anna Sandner
This initially seems trustworthy because it is approachable. But it's worth taking a closer look: Just because something sounds scientific and refers to studies doesn't automatically make it reputable and neutral.
First of all, the basic rules on food supplements
Food supplements are legally foods, not medicines. This has a practical consequence that many people underestimate: There is no authorisation procedure as there is for medicinal products. As a rule, products are not systematically tested for their effectiveness before they are sold - the responsibility lies primarily with the manufacturers (and therefore with those who potentially earn money from them).
This does not mean that food supplements are bad per se. They can be useful in certain situations - for example in cases of proven deficiency or in phases of life with an increased need. At the same time, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) emphasises that 'For most people, dietary supplements are superfluous if they already have a good supply. And high-dose preparations can increase the risk of undesirable effects.
Why the marketing of food supplements works so well
The structure of the bestseller follows a pattern that readers love: A chapter takes on a topic such as stress, skin or hair, explains the background and ends with a list of food supplements that «should help here». This is a rewarding concept because it fulfils two needs at the same time: you want to understand what is happening in your body. And you want to do something - preferably immediately and with as little effort as possible.
Source: Anna Sandner
Bouarfa draws a line between «not ill» and «optimally healthy». In other words, he describes that micronutrients are not only interesting when there is a deficiency, but are also well suited for «optimisation»: as an active attempt to delay possible problems. It is precisely at this point that a guide can easily tip over from «What is medically justified?» to «What else could you take as a private pension provision?».
You can find out more details about what is really relevant to health and what is more marketing than health advice in the knowledge show «May Think X Food supplements - pointless to dangerous».
You can also find out more about minerals and vitamins here:
And another classic in many food supplement debates: nutrition is important, but food contains fewer «good substances due to depleted soils». This sounds plausible, but often remains vague - and is practically ideal as an argument to legitimise the step from plate to capsule.
Checklist: How to recognise reputable supplement recommendations
Note for Switzerland: Health-related statements in the labelling and advertising of food supplements are generally prohibited unless they are expressly permitted (e.g. listed claims). For this reason, packs/shop texts often do not contain any study references or detailed risk/effect discussions. These checklist items are intended as test questions - for example for guides, influencer posts or international advertising.
1. is a defect being addressed - or is it just being optimised?
It becomes serious when a clear distinction is made: «This makes sense in the case of a proven deficiency or clear risk group» versus «This could make your life even better». For optimisation beyond the need, the evidence is often thin - and the risk of overdose increases.
2. Is the target group included?Many effects do not apply to everyone, but to certain groups (such as people with low intakes, certain diets or life stages). If recommendations are predominantly formulated for everyone, the most important information is often missing: whether you are even meant at all.
3. What evidence is used and is the selection balanced?
If effects are promised somewhere: Is the work transparent, balanced and using high-quality evidence (human studies/reviews), or are only suitable studies cherry-picked? A warning sign is a one-sided selection of sources: If only studies that support one direction are cited, but counter-findings or «zero effects» are consistently missing, a distorted picture emerges. Even if each individual source is reputable in its own right.
4. Are effect sizes and limits mentioned?
«Helps» is not a measurement. Serious recommendations show what is realistic (small effect, only under certain conditions, only in combination) and what is not. If it almost always sounds like «noticeably better», that's more rhetoric than results.
5. Are limits also specified for promises of efficacy?
If specific health effects are promised somewhere (for example in advertising, social media or foreign sources): Are limitations, target group information and possible risks and interactions also made transparent - or are the claims one-sidedly positive?
6. Are Community experiences sold as evidence?
Experience reports can provide orientation. But they are no substitute for factual evidence. When Community testimonials are used as arguments, it is worth separating them: Is this an example or is it supposed to be proof?
7. Are there conflicts of interest and are they categorised transparently?
If an author or creator also sells products, this is not automatically dubious. The decisive factor is whether this is made transparent and categorised in a comprehensible manner and whether recommendations are recognisably slipping in the direction of «more and more». This categorisation is particularly important in the food supplement market, which is less strictly controlled than the pharmaceutical sector.
Three questions before buying
«What exactly do I want to achieve - and is there solid evidence that has shown an improvement in human studies?»
«Do I have evidence of a real need (stage of life, diet, blood values, medication)?»
«What dose makes sense, at what point does it become too much and how long should I take it for?»
Food supplements can be helpful if they are used in a targeted manner. However, they can also become a permanent construction site if every uncertainty is answered with a new capsule. A good guide allows both: room for manoeuvre - and clear limits.
How influencers make money with food supplements and false health promises can be read here:
If I were uncritical, Bouarfa's food supplement revolution would leave me with a shopping list of all 80 food supplements discussed. After all, everything can make something better. And who doesn't want good skin, perfect digestion or fewer stress symptoms? But if I go through the checklist and stick to serious criteria, things look different: With a predominantly healthy, balanced diet, vitamin B12 and vitamin D prescribed by a doctor are enough for me (as a vegetarian with a diagnosed deficiency).
Header image: N.Voitkevich/Pexels
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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