More and more Swedish companies are fighting in the growing market for dietary supplements and vitamins. A market that was worth more than SEK 3.7 billion in 2024, according to the Swedish Personal Care industry association.
Dietary supplements are often marketed with health claims, but these are rarely based on sound science. This can be anything from general statements to references to specific surveys about the company in question.
But according to Martin Bergö, Professor of Molecular Medicine and Vice Rector of Karolinska Institutet: Companies are careful about which studies they refer to.
– It’s called “cherry picking” and is the essence of this type of marketing. There are thousands of studies and it is almost always possible to find one that shows what the research is supposed to show. So what companies do is they select the studies that show a connection. But this type of study is usually not enough to draw specific conclusions about its actual effect on users, because these studies have not examined what is needed to say with certainty that it works, he says.
There are a number of players in the Swedish market. One of these is the company behind Manclear, a dietary supplement for middle-aged men. The company takes marketing a step further than some of its industry peers and directly references medical exams. According to the company, clinical studies show that the substances contained in the dietary supplement have the effect claimed in advertising.
Using a series of more or less well-known profiles that demonstrate the drug’s positive effects, the company markets a “unique formula” that is intended to stimulate both testosterone and growth hormone production while promoting things like performance, performance and sexual health. For 549 SEK the customer receives capsules with a shelf life of 30 days.
Martin Bergö is not impressed.
– The capsules contain zinc, vitamins, some amino acids and little else. But there is no evidence in the form of reliable clinical studies on Manclear that they would optimize the body’s production of testosterone and growth hormone and at the same time improve both performance and vitality, he says.
DN has several times sought out the company behind Manclear to ask questions about how it markets its products. Despite repeated reminders, the company has not returned.
The company refers to research for each ingredient. But instead of referring to meta-analyses or systematic reviews, which have greater scientific value, reference is made to individual, usually smaller studies.
For example, Manclear contains the amino acid L-arginine, which, according to the company, increases the production of testosterone and growth hormone. A study from 2003 is cited as a reference. But the meta-analyses and review studies that exist in this area – and which consistently show that L-arginine not affects testosterone levels – not mentioned at all. For growth hormone, a small acute effect is observed in some studies, but this is so short-lived that it should not be considered relevant.
To be able to say that If a particular supplement has a specific effect, you need to look at a larger group of people who are randomly assigned to receive either an ineffective placebo or the supplement, says Martin Bergö. You have to look at the dietary supplement as such, not the different ingredients individually, as these can cancel out or reinforce each other.
– Only then can one compare and say objectively what the effect is, he says.
Unless you suffer from a proven deficiency disease, Martin Bergö believes nutritional supplements and additional vitamins are a bad idea. Also for middle-aged men who feel that they are starting to lose their physical and sexual performance.
– It has to be based on data, and the data we have today says that if you are middle-aged and a little overweight and feel sluggish and perhaps have a reduced libido, the answer is to drink less alcohol, not smoke, start exercising and eat really good food with lots of fruits and vegetables. If you do that, you will feel better too. There are no large, well-conducted studies proving the benefits of supplementation, rather the opposite.
One reason for this is that the body is not designed to handle the high concentrations that supplements typically result in.
– All of these ingredients are concentrated chemicals, but our bodies are not designed to absorb such large amounts. Instead, evolution has led us to consume small amounts of nutrients every day. If we eat a varied diet, there is no risk of overdose, it is impossible. However, with dietary supplements you can reach values that increase the risk of side effects or interactions, especially if you combine several products or take medication, says Martin Bergö.
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