Disinformation on dietary supplements by German influencers on Instagram

A significant proportion of the German population regularly consumes dietary supplements (NEM), and the market for these products is growing steadily. Dietary supplements are subject to food law and not pharmaceutical law. There are no official limits for the dosages of vitamins and minerals in Germany-only recommendations from institutions such as the Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR) or the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Dietary supplements are strongly advertised on Instagram in particular. In Germany, Instagram is the most popular social network and many influencers use the platform to promote dietary supplements. In this paper, the ingredients of 105 dietary supplements promoted by German influencers on Instagram from 2021 to 2023 were analyzed. This analysis was based on various parameters, such as dosage form, daily therapy costs, overdose warnings, presence of dosage information, exceeding the recommended maximum daily amounts and tolerable upper intake levels (UL) for vitamins and minerals and information on adverse effects, drug interactions, and contraindications. About two-thirds of the intensively advertised dietary supplements exceeded the recommended maximum daily amounts of the Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR) for vitamins and minerals without the influencers pointing out the negative effects of an overdose. Dietary supplements were frequently advertised on Instagram with discount codes, promising supplement names and promises of effectiveness and were often presented as a panacea. In contrast, information on dosing, daily costs, adverse effects, contraindications, and risks of overdosing were insufficiently addressed by influencers. Overall, influencers on Instagram disinform rather than inform consumers on dietary supplements, opening the door for intoxications. Therefore, legal action is required to prevent disinformation by influencers on social media.