What’s the Scoop on Supplements?

We all know and love The Plug Drink and The Plug Pills as our favorite liver health supplement, but have you ever thought about the origin of supplements themselves? How did we get to the point of having practically entire aisles of stores dedicated to vitamins, protein powders, and pills? Many find themselves asking what these are even made of or if they're truly necessary. Well, today you’ll learn the answers to all of your questions!

According to Britannica, a supplement is “any vitamin, mineral, herbal product, or other ingestible preparation that is added to the diet to benefit health” (1). Supplements can come in many forms, such as pills, multi-vitamins, powders, and drinks. They are meant to complement a person’s daily diet if a person is in need of additional nutrition. For example, if a person has a vegan diet, they cannot consume foods containing vitamin B12; taking a vitamin supplement daily will help that person’s body perform essential functions such as red blood cell formation, cell metabolism, and DNA production (2). Even if a person doesn’t have any dietary restrictions, it is still difficult to consume the recommended daily amount of vitamins, minerals, etc. every day or every week. Sometimes it is a money issue and sometimes a person just doesn’t like foods that provide certain essential vitamins! So who do we have to thank for creating supplements?

Kasimierz Funk (also written as Casimir Funk) was a Polish-American biochemist who is credited with discovering vitamins (originally vitamines) (3) in the early 20th century, sparking the supplement train (4). Prior to this, foods were sterilized and processed to avoid what people thought was the real enemy – bacteria. But people still got sick with diseases such as beriberi (deficiency of thiamine aka vitamin B1), scurvy (deficiency of vitamin C), and pellagra (deficiency of niacin aka vitamin B3) (4, 5). Around this time was when scientists began to figure out the connections between certain compounds in foods and these diseases. Ultimately this miraculous discovery led to the creation and distribution of vitamin products such as Vitamine, Double Strength Yeast, Super Vitamins, and Yeast Vitamon Tablets (6). Even Kasimierz Funk created his own supplement, Oscodal, as an alternative to cod liver oil (7). Multivitamins began to appear during World War II and the vitamin industry propelled even further (6).

Supplements weren’t made only for you to feel good, but some were made to help you look good. Milk-based powders such as Plasmon were known as the original weightlifter’s best friend in the late 1890s (8). This then made way for soy-based protein powders that helped bodybuilders in the 1950s and 60s maintain their figure, which started the new trend of other athletic supplements entering the market such as arginine and creatine (8). 

In terms of regulations, the Food and Drug Administration actually classifies supplements as foods, not drugs (9). They are not tested for safety or efficiency until after they are released on the market, at which point the FDA can remove any unsafe products (9). Be sure to talk to your doctor about any health issues you have and what roles diet and supplements can play into your life. It’s also important to have regular blood work done to test for possible deficiencies and to stay informed about your overall health. Yet keep in mind that supplements are not a “one size fits all” situation. You may not need the one your friend uses, and you may not need one at all. Always talk to your doctor before taking any supplement!

The development and regulation of supplements have certainly come a long way since the days of Kasimierz Funk’s initial discovery of vitamins. With many people realizing that they should put their health first, supplements have become essential to them in order to fill in the gaps of their daily diets. With wellness topping many priority lists, the supplement and wellness industry doesn’t seem to be slowing down (neither is The Plug!), so it’ll be interesting to see how much more innovative supplements will become as more research is done. Stay in touch, PlugFAM, and you’ll be the first to know!

Bibliography

1. Gurley B. Dietary supplement [Internet]. Britannica. Updated 2025 Jan 28. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/science/dietary-supplement

2. Staff MC. Vitamin B-12 [Internet]. Mayo Clinic. 2024 June 28. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-b12/art-20363663 

3. Wilkins A. Casimir Funk: The scientist who gave us the word 'vitamin' [Internet]. NewScientist. 2024 Feb 23. Available from: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2418743-casimir-funk-the-scientist-who-gave-us-the-word-vitamin/ 

4. Piro A, Tagarelli G, Lagonia P, Tagarelli A, Quattrone A. Casimir Funk: his discovery of the vitamins and their deficiency disorders. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism [Internet]. 2010;57(2):85-8. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20805686/ 

5. Celebrating Kazimierz Funk’s 140th Birthday | The man who discovered vitamins [Internet]. Research in Poland. 2024 Feb 23. Available from: https://researchinpoland.org/news/celebrating-kazimierz-funks-140th-birthday-the-man-who-discovered-vitamins/ 

6. The History of Vitamins [Internet]. Supplement Factory. Updated 2024 Sept 19. Available from: https://supplementfactoryuk.com/blog/2018/05/the-history-of-vitamins/ 

7. Oscadol [Internet]. National Museum of American History. Available from: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1246549

8. Heffernan C. The Untold History of Workout Supplements [Internet]. BarBend. Updated 2024 Nov 25. Available from: https://barbend.com/history-of-supplements/

9. Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements [Internet]. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Updated 2024 Feb 21. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/questions-and-answers-dietary-supplements#:~:text=What%20is%20FDA's%20oversight%20responsibility,(e.g.%2C%20health%20claims).