The Supplement Industry Is Not Only Unregulated—It’s a Money Making Machine

The wellness industry in the United States has exploded in recent years—reaching an estimated $2 trillion in 2023. But for American consumers, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. In the social media age, there’s wellness advice coming from everywhere—from your internet besties promoting wellness supplements to the Instagram “doctors” offering hacks for a better body. It’s no wonder it’s so difficult to decipher fact from fiction.

For the health-conscious eater, the supplement lover, or the parent just trying to figure out what to feed their kids that doesn’t have all the hormones, microplastics, and additives, Nicole Walters is right there with you. Walters recently welcomed Dr. Jessica Knurick, a registered dietitian to The Nicole Walters Podcast to discuss the state of the wellness industry. As an expert on nutrition, public health, and food policy, Dr. Knurick knows a lot about the accessibility of whole, nutritious foods, and she is here to help you navigate the precarious and ever-confusing wellness industry, as well as learn more about supplement regulation.

Why supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA

Supplements are a lucrative industry. From influencers to boutique gyms to wellness coaches, people sell supplements all the time—whether it’s through a lotion, cream, or a dissolvable pill. But according to Dr. Knurick, there is no governing body that is researching and regulating supplements. She explained the jarring history. In the 1990s, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration wanted more regulation over dietary supplements, and the response was an upheaval. Supplement companies lobbied against it because they knew they didn’t have scientific evidence for the claims they were making. 

The lobbyists and supplement companies proved successful. There was even a commercial with Mel Gibson that warned that the government would take over if they had oversight of dietary supplements. The commercial in question depicted FDA agents raiding Gibson’s house and confiscating his Vitamin C. Let’s just say that didn’t age well. 

“The FDA wanted to get regulatory oversight, but because we were in this deregulatory era coming out of the Reagan presidency, they took regulatory oversight away from the FDA,” Dr. Knurick explains. “So basically now, if there’s harm shown from a supplement, the FDA can step in and help, but they don’t regulate it.”

The “get rich” scheme of the supplement industry

When it comes to supplements, brands can essentially use whatever ingredients they want. While some brands do ethical research and third-party testing to determine what they put in their products, Dr. Knurick warns that is not the case for most. “Research has shown that over 50% of supplements tested weren’t exactly what was on the label,” she explains.

Walters says the supplement industry is another example of a “make money quick” scheme. “It’s unregulated, which is very common in America, and how a lot of people profit,” she explains. “But also, know that you may be liable if someone is harmed by your product.” 

Dr. Knurick explains that not only is the supplement industry not regulated, but the markups on the products are huge. “They are making a lot of money off those supplements; they’re probably making 50% more than what they’re actually worth,” she explains. “A lot of these are overpriced because it’s all marketing.”

How the wellness industry has marketed “health” 

Dr. Knurick explains that there are different variations of supplements. For example, a Vitamin D or iron supplement or any vitamin or mineral has a ton of research behind it. “What I am talking about is more of the trendy supplements that just don’t have the scientific evidence behind them,” she explains. 

Walters notes that there is always something new in the supplement industry—but a lot of that is marketing. “It’s just making a fresh spin on something that has been around forever,” she says.

Dr. Knurick agrees about the power of marketing in the supplement industry. “From a business perspective, there is recurring revenue and huge margins without any regulation—it’s like the best kind of business to have,” she adds. 

Is movement and eating whole foods enough?

Dr. Knurick explains that U.S. government policies have resulted in the lack of accessibility to nutritious food and preventative healthcare for Americans. There’s a lot of complicated information out there, but Dr. Knurick encourages consumers who are shopping for supplements to look for third party testing from reliable organizations like the USP and NSF.

“There is always something, but it’s a lot of noise,” she says. “Understand that the basics—the fundamentals of health—have been the same for decades.” 

Overall, Dr. Knurick encourages people to go back to the fundamentals. She says that you don’t need to be concerned about taking a specific supplement. Instead, move your body, eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains, and limit your intake of ultra-processed foods. Also, reduce stress and get seven to nine hours of sleep per day. Lastly, Dr. Knurick encourages preventative health screenings because it’s a lot easier to treat something if you catch it early.

“Come back to the fundamentals,” Dr. Knurick says. “Once you do that, you can do other cool things to optimize your health, but you don’t have to focus on that before the fundamentals.”

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