Have you noticed it lately? Influencers on tiktok, or company ads on the streets, that offer supplements with promising results. I’m talking about fat burners, energy boosters, stress relievers, etc. It is a big industry, we can’t ignore that, but how is it possible that they can fool many people into buying these supplements with empty promises, or isn’t it empty promises? Let’s take a closer look at a few of these supplements and the reason why not to believe everything online, especially when it sounds ‘too good to be true’.
Fat Burners: A perfect example of a ‘Too good to be true’ supplement
It’s really frustrating that these supplements are being sold by big drugstores like Kruidvat and Etos (Netherlands). They promise rapid weight loss by increasing (fat)metabolism. These products are often marketed with misleading before-and-after images on social media, or with health claims that are still under evaluation in stores or webshops. However, the results are often questionable, if not ineffective or irrelevant.
Common issues
- Unproven ingredients: Some ingredients, like caffeine, only offer minimal metabolic boost. Far from what is advertised. Interestingly, Capsicum extract, primarily from chili peppers, may increase metabolism and promote fat oxidation[1]. However, without implemented in some sot of weight loss program, it has only modest effects in reducing body weight[2].
- Unproven promises: Sometimes claims are made that suggest active fat burning by only taking ‘fat burner’ pills, while this is still under evaluation of scientific research. And sometimes, even worse actually, little to none information is given about the effects, while the product clearly states ‘Fat Burners’. Please see the examples below.
Creatine: Another perfect example of a ‘Too good to be true’ supplement, but positive
Creatine is a great supplement for athletes and occasional gym-goers by improving strength, increase lean muscle, enhance recovery etc. The primary reason for these great effects is its ability to regenerate ATP*, by effectively acting as an ATP donor during intense exercises. For the non gym-goers, it also has shown potential for cognitive performance, improving mental fatigue and cognitive processing, particularly under stress or sleep deprivation. In contrast to Fat Burners, these claims are scientifically proven; in fact, creatine is the most researched supplement on the market. [3][4]
The Pros of creatine
- Scientific evidence: The benefits of creatine supplement, like enhancing muscle strength or improving cognitive performance, is proven by multiple scientific researches.
- Properly advertised: Creatine is often marketed as a supplement as part of a routine, in many cases a fitness routine, instead of a standalone solution, like fat burners. This makes clear that a person will see the benefits of creatine if it’s used in some sort of routine. Besides that, the benefits are supported with scientific research.
- Fun informative video: Here you can watch a fun video of two doctors explaining what creatine is and what it does.
Conclusion
Social media, like Instagram or TikTok, serve many uses, including the promotion of supplements. From a small analysis of two supplements, Fat Burners and Creatine, we can understand that the information and health claims shared by individuals, and sometimes companies, on these platforms should be taken with caution. Some supplements, like Fat Burners, can claim to have promising benefits, while having minimal or no effects. These are often marketing gimmicks used by individuals or companies to sell useless and cheap products, with cheap ingredients, at premium prices. On the other hand, some of the promoted supplements actually do meet the promised results advertised on social media, for example creatine.
It is important for people to remain skeptical when something is promoted as ‘too good to be true’, unless reliable and verified information is found regarding the promised results of supplements.
Reference
- Alonso-Villegas, R., González-Amaro, R. M., Figueroa-Hernández, C. Y., & Rodríguez-Buenfil, I. M. (2023). The genus capsicum: a review of bioactive properties of its polyphenolic and capsaicinoid composition. Molecules, 28(10), 4239.
- Zhang, W., Zhang, Q., Wang, L., Zhou, Q., Wang, P., Qing, Y., & Sun, C. (2023). The effects of capsaicin intake on weight loss among overweight and obese subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Nutrition, 130(9), 1645-1656.
- Kreider, R. B., & Stout, J. R. (2021). Creatine in health and disease. Nutrients, 13(2), 447.
- Rawson, E. S., & Venezia, A. C. (2011). Use of creatine in the elderly and evidence for effects on cognitive function in young and old. Amino acids, 40, 1349-1362.
The world of supplements are a double-edged sword, where in one hand there are products that are backed by actual science, and others which base themselves on the desires of the consumer. Many consumers are simply an average joe which has only a bare-bones understanding of the products. A much more recent example I can think of is when we talk about “electrolytes” and “eodium.” Electrolytes are considered “good,” but Sodium as “bad”. Yet, Sodium is an important electrolyte, which if cut out entirely (or replaced fully by potassium) means that the body might not receive all the necessary nutrients to function at its 100%.
So yeah all the consumers do need to do their due diligence when making their purchases of anything, not just supplements. It’s just that, in a world of (borderline) extreme health trends, caution has seemingly been thrown out of the window, just to have the hopes to reach their desired results. And it’s this vulnerability that advertisers make us of.
Its quite sad how companies profit in such a way from peoples insecurities. It just feeds off of the fact that many people don’t have loads of background knowledge on medicine and the types of ingredients used in supplements. I am quite surprised that there aren’t stronger regulations when it comes to this – an average consumer could not easily pick out which supplements are helpful and which are nonsense. The side effects to them are also rarely disclosed in a clear manner. Also most of these pills promise to deliver results by themselves – shortcutting the path of weightless, which is impossible and damaging – it must be clearly stated that without change of diet and/or implementing exercise into your daily routine, its simply impossible to loose weight. Or if the pills work regardless of no diet or lifestyle change – they are probably really, really damaging to your health.
Nice article, I believe that although still prevalent on the market ” fat burning ” products, incredibly popular during the 1990s and the first decade of the 2000 are decreasing in popularity, also due to serious nutritionists and doctors who dismantle their efficacy through their social media platform. Although, even professionals can be strongly biased, therefore a good way to understand if someone is intellectually honest is to observe their argumentation: do they refer to multiple studies done on a varied group of people? do they have experience with the issue at stake? is it their subject of study?
I think a big underlying problem for this phenomenon is that not a lot of people are well-versed in how to identify sources. Disregarding the fact that especially in the health industry if something seems too good to be true it almost always is. I think there should be more of a focus in education on how to verify scientific claims, be that for health based claims, cultural, political etc. Especially nowadays when there is an almost unlimited amount of information instantly avalaible to us 24/7.
The comparison between fat burners and creatine really stood out—one relying on flashy, misleading claims while the other is backed by solid science. It’s alarming how easily companies exploit people’s desire for quick fixes, especially when they use vague promises and manipulated images. The reminder to stay skeptical of anything that sounds “too good to be true” is crucial. On the other hand, it’s refreshing to see an example like creatine, where the benefits are clear, proven, and marketed responsibly. This blog emphasizes the importance of informed choices and the need to question online trends, especially when they involve our health.
I think that regulations regarding medicine should be more inclusive, such that such supplements are taken into account and covered by the regulations (think of regulations in The Netherlands related to selling and consuming antibiotics, for instance). This will move the products from one market to another, from so-called drug stores, like Kruidvat, to pharmacies. Moreover, consumption of such material will be done under supervision of specialised personnel, since such drugs may not be sold without a prescription anymore, and without professional guidance. However, the crucial question concerns the boundary between what is a medicine and what is not a medicine, but the boundary may not be clear-cut, and, consequently, schemey business people may take advantage and manage to promote new supplements with other alleged effects!
This was a really good blog to read. I wonder if some kind of legitimate app or website which rates and compares different supplements could help? In the past I know i’ve relied on internet forums mainly to figure out if a supplement is worth it or not, which can be a bit hit or miss.