A recent study found that 81% of adults in the United States between the ages of 35 and 54 take dietary supplements, and 76% of all Americans take some kind of vitamin or mineral. Nutritional supplements are big business – the industry is worth $ 40-50 billion a year, with the average American investing $ 50-60 a month in a range of tablets to help with everything from brain health to brain health. hair loss through anxiety and recovery from COVID.

Nutritionist and author Dr. Marion Nestlé says that unless there is a medically identified deficiency, there is no scientific evidence to show that supplements make “healthy people healthier.” “. Most people, Nestlé says, need relatively few essential nutrients for good health, but there’s no doubt that people feel better if they take supplements. Nestlé says we should be skeptical of any medical claims made by these products, but realize that psychology plays an important role in our health.

Nestlé joins Jonathan Bastian for a deep dive into the industrial complex of natural supplements. When asked why so many of us are taking supplements without any scientific evidence that they do any good, Nestlé replies that it is more about their potent placebo effect: “They are not about science. , but from belief systems. ”

“Let’s Ask Marion: What You Need to Know About Food, Nutrition and Health Policy” by nutritionist and author Dr Marion Nestle. Photo by Bill Hayes.