There is currently a major marketing campaign by several supplement brands in Ireland to target women in particular. The irony of the marketing is that it claims to empower women, but anything that does not educate women with correct, science based information on her health, and enables her to make an informed decision is not empowering. It is marketing.

And when we have a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals – dietitians, physios, doctors with appropriate qualifications – this can border on predatory or exploitative. Supplements seem to promise a accessible fix for symptoms when there is poor access to services, especially preventative healthcare.

 What you should think about before taking a supplement: 

1. Can you afford it – comfortably?

2. Does the person recommending this supplement to you have a financial interest in the sale of the product?

3. What is the qualification of the person independingly recommending the product (again, without any financial interest in the sale)? The recognised qualification for nutrition advice in Ireland is INDI/CORU registration.

What a savvy consumer should know:  1) Supplements aren’t regulated like pharmaceuticals.  2) There is no equivalent of US-style “Stark Laws” in Ireland. The Stark Laws in US prohibit healthcare professionals from referring patients for products (including supplement, prescription drugs, devices) or services (private radiology, therapies, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, etc.) where they have a financial interest.