Buying good health is an alluring idea. Popping a multivitamin pill requires less effort than eating vegetables and taking daily exercise. Last year, Americans spent over $48bn on vitamins and dietary supplements, according to Grand View Research. That is up from $45bn the year before. The money is going to waste.
America’s love of multivitamins can be traced back to the early 1990s when the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act allowed supplement creators to claim they supported health without seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Over half of all US adults now take dietary supplements.
There are close to 100,000 to choose from. Vitamin C is thought to ward off colds, vitamin D to improve bone health and collagen powder to improve skin. The fitness industry has increased demand for protein powder while faddish diets such as keto recommend extra calcium and magnesium. On Instagram, brands such as Sugarbear Hair sell gummy bear vitamins they claim can improve hair strength.