Data from Herbalife reveals that while consumers value supplements for preventive health, many lack confidence in making informed choices
Four out of five people in the Asia-Pacific region said they take health supplements regularly, according to Herbalife’s “APAC Responsible Supplementation Survey”. For the survey, which was released in August, answers were gathered from 9,000 respondents in 11 markets spanning North Asia and Southeast Asia, in addition to Australia.
Preventive health – taking actions to keep one well and avoid falling ill – was regarded as a top priority among 92 per cent of those surveyed. And supplements were cited as the second-most-common preventive health practice, following closely after healthy eating.
But despite this growing trend, many people expressed a lack of confidence in knowing how to make good supplement choices, especially among the older generations.
While a clear majority of survey respondents – 80 per cent – said they understood the importance of making responsible decisions about supplements, only 50 per cent felt confident about doing so. That feeling was particularly low among baby boomers, with just 42 per cent expressing confidence.
“The boomers, in general, are less schooled in the knowledge of health supplements,” says Alex Teo, Herbalife’s regional director of research and development and scientific affairs for Asia-Pacific. “So the tendency is for them to go with the recommendations from their peers instead of understanding the science behind supplementation.”
In contrast, younger consumers tend to verify claims online, according to Teo. “The Gen Zers, being a digitally savvy generation, will search for information online when they come across something that they don’t fully understand. They have the ability to differentiate good information from information that’s untrue,” he says. “And they have a higher tendency to look for information that is science-based.”
Knowledge gaps and misconceptions
Herbalife’s survey also showed that there is still a widespread lack of knowledge about the specifics of taking supplements. For example, 60 per cent of respondents were not aware of the recommended daily upper limit for calcium, and nearly three-quarters did not know the effects that overconsumption of the mineral could cause.
Teo cautions against overrelying on supplements, as well as misunderstanding how they are absorbed in the body. “If you are taking a lot of calcium but you are sitting inside your office from morning to night, and you think that will be absorbed, that is a big [misconception].”
He adds that it is crucial to have a sufficient level of vitamin D in the body to absorb calcium effectively, with sunlight being a major source.
There is also a concern that people may not follow the recommended dosage. “Some people might think: well, maybe if I take double of that, I might get there faster,” Teo says.
“A lot of vitamins are water-soluble, so if you take a lot of vitamin C, and even vitamin B, you just pass it out, you discharge it. And if we sell a product with herbs, we will put the information clearly on the label, along with a precautionary statement to inform people to talk to their physician first before taking the supplement.”
Even for healthy individuals, less is more. “Even with vitamins, one should not consume amounts that exceed the daily limit. Please stay with the dosage; there’s a reason for it,” Teo says.
Getting information from the right sources
However, the survey did reveal a positive point: people are largely not buying into any hype around supplements. Just 16 per cent of respondents followed recommendations from social media influencers when making health supplement decisions, and only 8 per cent were swayed by celebrity endorsements.
Instead, the majority, or 61 per cent, said they consult healthcare professionals for advice on supplements. Brand credibility also matters, with 95 per cent of respondents saying that trust in a supplement brand makes an impact on their purchasing decisions.
Teo notes that Herbalife’s approach as a supplement brand focuses on science-backed products, qualified sourcing and quality controls.
“At Herbalife, the products that we develop follow strict quality controls. The ingredients going into each product are science-backed, and we ensure that the ingredients included in our products are of an efficacious dosage,” he says. “We also work with global players to source the ingredients for our products, to ensure better quality control.”
Conducting clinical studies and adhering to the regulations in more than 90 markets are also part of Herbalife’s standards, according to Teo, who adds that the company ensures its distributors personally use the products and are educated in the science behind them.
Time pressure and low optimism
Despite having strong intentions, less than half (46 per cent) of the people surveyed said they were confident about achieving their health goals this year, with that number dropping to just 39 per cent for boomers. The obstacle most widely cited by respondents was a lack of time.
Teo says: “I take my health very seriously, and I have a regimen where if I want to lose a certain amount of weight, I will follow a strict routine. Health is a very personal thing.”
Taking supplements needs to be done with commitment and pragmatism to get results. Teo compares supplementation to buying an insurance policy, where many people do not review it over time to see if it still meets their needs.
Teo says good information about nutrition and health is readily available, but it is up to people to seek it out for themselves.
“When you lack the confidence to make good choices, it is important to take the first step to seek out the right sources of advice,” he notes. “My suggestion is to talk to somebody – the dieticians and the nutrition scientists – who are well-versed in nutrition science and can provide recommendations on how to structure your diet and lifestyle to achieve your ultimate health goals.”