Gummies, Collagen, Creatine, Protein: Are Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Really Worth the Investment?

Before the 20th century, no one prescribed or even suggested taking vitamins or supplements to avoid getting sick. In fact, people believed that food served no other purpose than being “fuel” to give the body energy.

It wasn’t until 1747 that a military doctor discovered that giving oranges and lemons to sailors suffering from scurvy —a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C— could cure them.

Then, in 1937, biochemist and later Nobel Prize winner Albert Szent-Györgyi successfully isolated the compound for vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, a name derived from Latin meaning “without scurvy.”

For Carla Cepeda, an integrative physician at TecSalud’s Hospital Zambrano Hellion and clinical researcher at the Institute for Obesity Research (IOR), the use of supplements dates back much further in some parts of the world.

“If we talk about supplements, they’ve always been around. Through observation, we’ve learned that sometimes the body is missing something. For example, in Europe, women who were once labeled as ‘witches’ were often the ones who understood how certain plants, when used in cooking, could have effects on health,” explains Cepeda.

The Boom of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

The global supplement market is estimated to exceed $385 billion annually, with projections suggesting it could grow by around 7% by 2030, according to various market reports.

In Mexico, vitamin sales alone —excluding herbal products and protein powders— reached $137.41 million in 2024. However, Mexico is far from the top consumer: that same year, China led in total sales growth.

Supplements come in many pharmaceutical forms such as pills, emulsions, syrups, powders, tablets, capsules, and even gummies —but they are not considered medications or treatments.

In fact, Mexico’s General Health Law stipulates that a supplement must not contain hormones or pharmacological substances, although it can be fortified with vitamins or minerals.

“Dietary supplements are called that for a reason. They provide extra nutrients that we can’t get from food alone —for example, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and even vitamins and minerals,” explains José Antonio Palma Jacinto, Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences and faculty member at the University of Veracruz’s School of Bioanalysis, in Xalapa.

Palma Jacinto co-authored a recent study showing, through simulations, how certain vitamins could act at different molecular levels to reduce insulin resistance.

What Do Extra Vitamins and Supplements Actually Do?

Vitamins play an essential role in the body by supporting metabolic chemical reactions. Some, like A, E, and C, also have antioxidant activity.

These chemical reactions are crucial for our survival —they allow our bodies to produce energy, breathe, and carry out countless other vital processes.

However, over time and due to factors such as aging, natural changes in the body, or a limited diet, the nutrients we get from food may become insufficient.

“At some point, we consume excess fats and carbohydrates, which overwhelm these antioxidant molecules. They can no longer keep up, and we enter a state of severe oxidation. In other words, we end up harming our own bodies through our dietary habits,” explains Palma Jacinto.

Between 1913 and 1948, scientists discovered and chemically synthesized more than a dozen vitamins through research that combined clinical observation, animal studies, and chemical isolation techniques.

For example:

Studies on beriberi, a disease causing paralysis and heart problems, led to the discovery of thiamine, or vitamin B1.

In 1913, researchers identified vitamin A, or retinol, and its critical role in vision and growth. Later, they found it naturally occurring in foods like carrots, egg yolks, butter, and the well-known cod liver oil.

Do I Really Need Them?

According to Carla Cepeda, several health factors must be assessed before recommending supplements: a patient’s medical history, eating habits, sleep patterns, energy needs, age, and even daily productivity schedules. In many cases, additional tests are needed, and it’s crucial to define how long a supplement should be taken, since not all are meant for continuous use.

“If we have a diverse and sufficient diet, we don’t need supplements. Right now, there’s no solid evidence —because the World Health Organization (WHO) would have already stated it— that everyone should be taking them,” explains Cepeda.

The best course of action is to consult a healthcare professional who can determine whether your body truly needs extra supplementation.

“The risk of taking supplements without a prescription is that you might actually be consuming a product that, instead of helping you, could end up harming you,” says Palma Jacinto.

This is particularly important because Mexico’s supplement regulations aren’t as strict as those for medications, meaning some products may hit the market with misleading labels, excessive sugar, or even undeclared pharmacological substances.

“There are certain conditions where taking supplements is actually contraindicated because you’re putting too much strain on the liver. The liver is the first place where the body processes and eliminates what we need and what we don’t —and overloading it can be dangerous,” warns Cepeda.

It’s not uncommon for someone to take a daily multivitamin that, at best, the body won’t absorb properly —or at worst, could pose a risk if there’s an underlying condition or organ damage.

Even if taking supplements without a prescription doesn’t seem like a direct threat to your health, it could certainly hurt your wallet.

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