{"id":770136,"date":"2026-09-14T07:34:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T07:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/770136\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T07:34:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T07:34:12","slug":"its-not-scientific-just-anecdotal-when-health-supplements-do-more-harm-than-good-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/770136\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s not scientific, just anecdotal\u2019: When health supplements do more harm than good \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

As autumn takes hold, the thoughts of many turn to taking supplements in the hope of warding off seasonal colds and flu. <\/p>\n

At the top of a till in a supermarket chain in north Dublin sits a cardboard stand filled with a powder supplement that promises to aid digestion and immunity.<\/p>\n

A woman stands in front of it, evaluating her options, while her toddler sits in the trolley, waving and smiling at passersby. <\/p>\n

She weighs up two different packages, returning one to the shelf and placing the other inside the trolley with the rest of the grocery shop. \u201cHopefully this will help with the bloating,\u201d she says to her husband.<\/p>\n

The man asks: \u201cDo you not have something for that at home?\u201d <\/p>\n

The wife shakes her head. \u201cThat\u2019s for my hair, skin and nails. This is for my gut. I need to have a healthy gut.\u201d<\/p>\n

The interaction, observed by this reporter, is one that is becoming increasingly commonplace as more and more people in Ireland turn to food and nutrition supplements in the hopes of improving their health and wellbeing. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Children and adults should take Vitamin D supplements up to St Patrick\u2019s Day, Department of Health saysOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Once only available in health-food shops, now such products are everywhere: pharmacies, supermarkets, newsagents and discount stores. <\/p>\n

Available in a range of formats, consumers can choose to consume them as powder, capsules, tablets, gummies, liquids and drops.<\/p>\n

The exact proportion of the Irish public taking supplements is unknown, but a 2022 study conducted by Ulster University on behalf of Safefood suggested it could be almost half.<\/p>\n

A 2025 study by Red C polling company, meanwhile, ranked Ireland as fourth globally for supplement use. It found that four out of five Irish adults regularly take vitamins or nutritional additions. <\/p>\n

According to the Safefood study, a significantly higher proportion of food supplement users were female, aged 35 to 49, and had a more advantaged socioeconomic background.<\/p>\n

The top three food supplements reported by users were vitamin D (60 per cent), multivitamin or mineral (41 per cent) and vitamin C (34 per cent). Almost half of parents in the survey (47 per cent) reported giving supplements to their children. <\/p>\n

Speaking at the time, Dr Aileen McGloin, director of nutrition with Safefood, said this research suggested many people were \u201cspending money on supplements they likely don\u2019t need\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"DrDr Aileen McGloin, director of nutrition, Safefood: research suggested many people are ‘spending money on supplements they likely don\u2019t need’. <\/p>\n

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global food supplement ingredients market size was valued at $17.3 billion (\u20ac14.8 billion) in 2025 and is projected to grow to $18.5 billion (\u20ac15.9 billion) in 2026, before rising to $35.3 billion (\u20ac30.2 billion) by 2034.<\/p>\n

The trend can be seen in Ireland, too. Pretax profits last year at the largest health food retailer in Ireland, Holland & Barrett, increased by 12 per cent to \u20ac2.97 million.<\/p>\n

Revenues at the chain, which sells a vast array of supplements, increased from \u20ac66.36 million to \u20ac74.74 million in the 12 months to the end of September last year.<\/p>\n

Current health advice from the Health Service Executive (HSE) recommends Irish people should take vitamin D, particularly between October and March, due to the lack of sunshine during this period. <\/p>\n

Women of childbearing age are recommended to take folic acid, even if they are not intending to get pregnant at this time. If they become pregnant, the women should continue to take the folic acid supplement for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Do we really need food supplements to stay healthy?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

The other recommended supplement is iron, but this is for those who are deficient in iron or who have iron-deficiency anaemia. Women are particularly at risk of this deficiency, and this can be diagnosed through a blood test.<\/p>\n

Outside of that, however, there is very little evidence to support the taking of any of the other vast numbers of supplements available on our shelves or online, according to Dr Paul Ryan, clinical lead for therapeutics at the Irish College of GPs.<\/p>\n

\"DrDr Paul Ryan, clinical lead for therapeutics at the Irish College of GPs: there is one key demand members of the public should make when considering health supplements – show me the evidence. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor collagen, there are industry-funded trials on skin elasticity and joint pain, but there were inconsistent results. When they went to replicate phase three studies, it fell on its face. There was insufficient data,\u201d says Ryan, who is also a pharmacist.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreatine \u2013 there are some small studies on creatine that show in athletes there may be some short-term muscular benefits, but the problem is the trials were short-term, only taken for a number of weeks. It\u2019s not for the general population, it\u2019s only athletes doing a lot of strength training.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018So copper and zinc for example \u2013 if you have very high doses of one of those, it can affect your absorption of the other. They can cause interactions for people who might be on medications\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Sandra Wilkinson, Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute<\/p>\n

For ashwaganda supplements, often advertised as helping to lower stress or regulate a person\u2019s nervous system, Ryan says there is \u201cinsufficient evidence\u201d, and \u201clots of flaws with the studies that were done\u201d.<\/p>\n

Primrose oil is often advertised to help with menstrual symptoms, but Ryan believes \u201cthere is little to no evidence to support that\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cLion\u2019s Mane? There\u2019s insufficient evidence. Coenzyme Q10, there\u2019s little to no evidence,\u201d Ryan adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor melatonin, sometimes shift workers may find it of benefit and some people with jetlag, in terms of helping with sleep \u2013 but the evidence isn\u2019t great for that either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the apparent lack of evidence for many of these claims, social media would lead the public to believe that not only are supplements helpful, they\u2019re necessary for a range of issues including gut health, youthful appearances and to fight off infections.<\/p>\n

Ryan says there is always one key demand that members of the public should make when deciding what to buy: show me the evidence. <\/p>\n

Even if it is a doctor, a pharmacist or a scientist making a claim, the public must know whether it is based on evidence, he says. \u201dAnd if it is based on evidence, where has their study been published? There are some journals out there that don\u2019t do peer review at all,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is behind the claim? If you look at the collagen, the biotin, the ashwaganda, the lion\u2019s mane \u2013 a lot of it was backed by a company that produces it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many companies provide \u201cconsumer reviews\u201d, but these do not act as scientific evidence behind the related health claims, Ryan says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is, if you produce a medicine in a trial, it has to get regulatory approval by the FDA [the US food and drug administration] or the EMA [European Medicines Agency]. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are producing a supplement, these are not evaluated for safety or efficacy by an agency. A lot of these nutraceuticals \u2013 they don\u2019t have to show they\u2019re safe, they don\u2019t have to show they\u2019re effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

One woman in her 40s who does not want to be named says she takes collagen daily to help with joint stiffness. The symptom developed \u201cout of nowhere\u201d when she entered perimenopause, she says, and she did not know how else to ease it.<\/p>\n

Collagen supplements state that they help \u201dwith collagen production to maintain that youthful look, so I kind of thought, why not give it a go?\u201d she says of her decision to start taking them. <\/p>\n

\"HealthHealth food supplements, and the choices consumers face in buying them: ‘Whether a particular claim is acceptable will depend on the wording used and the evidence available to support it.’ Photograph: iStock <\/p>\n

She typically spends \u20ac50 a month on collagen, and during the winter period she adds other supplements that promise to aid energy levels, bringing her monthly expenditure to \u20ac80.<\/p>\n

Does she notice a difference? \u201cI do. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s just in my head, but if I feel better and it doesn\u2019t seem to be causing any harm, then I\u2019m happy to spend that money. Your health is your wealth.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, contrary to popular belief, some of these supplements can have side-effects, health experts say. Too much vitamin D can cause kidney stones, while other supplements can cause nausea, stomach cramps and fatigue.<\/p>\n

Sandra Wilkinson, spokeswoman for the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (Indi), says many supplements advertised as being \u201cnatural\u201d can mislead public trust.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a real perception that [these] can do no harm because they\u2019re natural. But actually, in very high doses, they can do harm. It can affect your absorption of something else,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0The electrolytes boom: a wonder supplement \u2013 or an unnecessary expense?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\u201cSo copper and zinc for example \u2013 if you have very high doses of one of those, it can affect your absorption of the other. They can cause interactions for people who might be on medications. So if you\u2019re on any medications at all, even something like an antibiotic, you should ask a pharmacist before taking a supplement.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is hard to ignore all of the advertisements for these supplements that you might see every day. Not only are they placed in stores, they\u2019re pushed widely by influencers on social media platforms. <\/p>\n

\u2018I have measured supplements that, not only did they not have the amount of active compound present, [they] actually had foreign bodies that shouldn\u2019t be there\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0John Nolan, Nutrition Research Centre Ireland <\/p>\n

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says influencers must have evidence to back up any health claims, in line with European legislation. <\/p>\n

ASA chief executive Orla Twomey says: \u201cIn general, health-related claims should not be made unless they can be supported with appropriate evidence and comply with the relevant legislation governing nutrition and health claims.<\/p>\n

\"OrlaOrla Twomey, chief executive of the Advertising Standards Authority: health-related claims should not be made unless they can be supported with appropriate evidence. Photograph: ASA <\/p>\n

\u201cWhether a particular claim is acceptable will depend on the wording used and the evidence available to support it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilkinson describes the industry as a \u201clucrative business for anyone with good genes who can sell a good story\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome go in with good intentions; it\u2019s coming from a good place, but there are others who are going in because it\u2019s a good source of income. I see things pop up in my [social media] feed, like celebrities or someone who can make personal claims that can be very convincing, but it\u2019s not scientific; it\u2019s just anecdotal,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven when people have credentials that look good, we still don\u2019t know that person. A social media doctor is not your doctor: they\u2019re not online because they\u2019re specifically looking after you,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpecifically, if what they\u2019re saying is linked to a product, and if they are invested in that product, then we all need to approach that with a certain amount of scepticism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prof John Nolan, founder and director of the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland at the South East Technological University (Setu), says he is very pro-supplement and has spent more than two decades researching the benefits of supplementation in terms of macular degeneration and Alzheimer\u2019s. <\/p>\n

His university spinout company, known as Supplement Certified, tests what is actually found in supplements. Through this, he has discovered that many products do not deliver what they promise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have measured supplements that, not only did they not have the amount of active compound present, [they] actually had foreign bodies that shouldn\u2019t be there. I\u2019ve measured arsenic in some. I\u2019ve measured metals like lead in supplements,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe companies should be made to invest to test that their actual formula works… The companies should be forced to have their supplements tested…\u201d<\/p>\n

There are regulations around supplements at a European level, particularly regarding promised health claims on labels. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland monitors this in Ireland and says it takes \u201cenforcement action\u201d against companies that do not comply with these rules.<\/p>\n

However, a spokeswoman confirmed food supplements are not subject to the same authorisation process as medicines and do not require pre-market approval to demonstrate efficacy.<\/p>\n

Nolan does not think the current regulatory system goes far enough. Describing supplements as the \u201cwild west\u201d, he says there is a need for the industry to be \u201ccleaned up\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very much pro-supplement, but the danger to making sure we have the right supplements which could keep us healthy for longer is the noise and the misinformation around supplements.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As autumn takes hold, the thoughts of many turn to taking supplements in the hope of warding off…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":770137,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[102,6636,56,54,55,15749],"class_list":["post-770136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-health","tag-nutrition","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-weekendreview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=770136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/770137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=770136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=770136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=770136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}