A healthy and balanced diet, plenty of exercise in the fresh air, regular exercise, no smoking, no drinking, sleeping for ten hours and, ideally, meditating a bit in between: This is the key to a healthy body, a rested mind and a strong immune system . Even though we know all this, it is often difficult to implement it. We want to change that and are grasping at any straw to do so. The Germans favorite straw: Vitamin pills and nutritional supplements.
► In the cold months, for example, we lack vitamin D. The sun can hardly be seen, the mood is somehow in hibernation – exactly where our whole body would like to be. We feel weak and nostalgic.
What are dietary supplements?
If you think of protein powder when you think of dietary supplements, you are right, but the field of nutritional supplements includes much more. Basically it’s about everything we take, that replenishes and supports our nutrient balance.
► The term includes vitamins and minerals, trace elements, amino acids, Fiber and often also plant and herbal extracts.
The pills and powders business is booming
According to forecasts presented by Statista, the market size of nutritional supplement products will continue to increase: from around 112.3 billion US dollars in 2018 to an estimated 239.4 billion US dollars in 2028. According to the information service IQVIA, pharmacies alone set this figure in 2018 In 2022, around 2.96 billion euros will be spent on dietary supplements across Germany.
Over 75 percent of those surveyed in a Statista Consumer Insights study stated that they consume such products. Vitamins (61 percent) and minerals (36 percent) are the absolute favorites. One in four even uses proteins.
But do the shakes, capsules and powders really provide the hoped-for immune boost? Experts disagree. As long as it is against the great winter depression helps to swallow a little vitamin D, nothing should stand in the way of this trend.
► And what about you?
+++ App users can access the survey directly here: Do you take any vitamins or supplements?
A look into the medicine cabinets of our BILD colleagues
This BILD employee clearly trains, but also attaches importance to a fit immune system
Here someone thinks about everything from head to toe
Particularly important for a vegan diet: additional intake of vitamin B12
“Without a balcony, with a view of the inner courtyard and working from home at work, I try not only to go for enough walks in the winter, but also to create routines with vitamins. Whether vitamin A, E, K, D, C, B1, B2, B6 or B12 – they are all in my vitamin tablets, which I take every day in addition to magnesium,” says a BILD colleague
A strong immune system is clearly the focus of this colleague
The absolute all-round, worry-free package including cranberry extract. This supports the bladder mucous membrane in defending itself against bacteria