Deakin University Professor Welma Stonehouse and University of Queensland Professor Lauren Ball say food can provide benefits vitamins cannot, and recommend foods as alternatives to some supplements.
Professor Stonehouse, a former president of the Nutrition Society of Australia, said her brother asked her opinion about a dietary powder he had bought online, which she thought was a waste of money. She said the same could be said of many products in Australia’s $3 billion dietary supplement industry.
“Food is the original supplement, providing nutrients along with fibre and other compounds that work together to support health in ways that cannot be replicated in a pill,” Professor Stonehouse said.
Professor Ball described multivitamins as “surplus to requirements”, noting the body eliminates excess amounts of these vitamins, typically through urine. Stonehouse listed core food groups, including nuts, eggs, oily fish, legumes and leafy greens, that provide many of the vitamins and minerals commonly found in multivitamins.
On menopause supplements, British doctor Xand van Tulleken called them the “single biggest rip-off in the global wellness industry”. The Menopause Society in the US stated in 2023 that there is insufficient scientific evidence to show over-the-counter supplements or herbal remedies perform better than a placebo, and the Royal Women’s Hospital in Victoria says no over-the-counter or herbal medicines have been shown to significantly reduce symptoms. Stonehouse recommends phytoestrogen-rich foods such as tofu, tempeh and soy milk instead.
For probiotics, both professors argue that fermented foods such as yoghurt with live cultures, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and tempeh provide live microorganisms alongside other nutrients. “In contrast, probiotic supplements generally provide selected bacterial strains in isolation,” Stonehouse said.
Fish oil products vary considerably in the amount of EPA and DHA they provide, Stonehouse said. She noted that EPA and DHA from food sources such as salmon, sardines and mackerel come packaged with vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, iodine and high-quality protein.
Both professors expressed concern about children’s vitamin gummies. “Their sweet taste, colourful appearance and candy-like format may encourage children to view supplements as treats rather than health products,” Professor Stonehouse said. Professor Ball recommended involving children in meal decisions and said moving from zero serves of vegetables to one a day has a direct benefit beyond what gummies provide.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Australian consumers spend billions on supplements that may provide negligible benefit compared with whole foods.
- Vulnerable groups, including menopausal women and parents of fussy eaters, are heavily targeted by supplement marketing.
- The experts provide clear, money-saving food swaps for the most popular supplement categories.
Background
Australia's dietary supplement industry is worth approximately $3 billion. The advice from Professor Stonehouse and Professor Ball, published in the Brisbane Times and The Age, challenges the premise of many of these products. The experts advocate that nutrients from food are more effective because they come packaged with fibre, healthy fats and other beneficial compounds.
Key Perspectives
Prof. Welma Stonehouse (Deakin University): Says multivitamins are surplus to requirements for most people and that food provides a complex nutritional package that cannot be replicated in a pill. She recommends specific food swaps for every major supplement category.
Prof. Lauren Ball (University of Queensland): Agrees multivitamins are surplus to requirements, with the body eliminating what it does not need. She advocates involving children in food decisions and making incremental dietary improvements.
Dr. Xand van Tulleken: Calls menopause supplements the biggest rip-off in the global wellness industry, citing a lack of evidence for their efficacy.
The Menopause Society and Royal Women's Hospital: Official bodies cited as stating there is insufficient evidence that over-the-counter menopause remedies perform better than a placebo.
What to Watch
- Whether the strong position taken by these respected academics prompts any regulatory or industry response.
- Consumer behaviour: if the advice gains traction, it could shift spending away from supplements and towards fresh whole foods.
- Future research or public health messaging that builds on or formally challenges the “food first” principle.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedNutrition experts recommend food swaps for some supplements.The Age - Latest News: “Here are some of the biggest-selling vitamins and supplements and the food swaps that deliver greater health benefits, usually at less cost.”
- Partly supportedProfessors Stonehouse and Ball say food can provide benefits vitamins cannot.The Age - Latest News: “Eating a balanced diet can benefit your health in ways that vitamins cannot. ... “Food is the original supplement, providing nutrients along with fibre and other compounds that work together to support health in ways that cannot be replicated in a pill,” Stonehouse says.”
- SupportedStonehouse thought her brother’s online dietary powder was a waste of money.The Age - Latest News: “I looked at the packet carefully and thought it was a waste of money, as it was unlikely to do much for either his liver or cholesterol,” says the former president of the Nutrition Society of Australia.”
- SupportedThe Australian dietary supplement industry is worth $3 billion.The Age - Latest News: “The same can be said for many of the products that proliferate in Australia’s $3 billion-dollar dietary supplement industry.”
- Partly supportedBall described multivitamins as “surplus to requirements”.The Age - Latest News: “But, with the exception of those with dietary restrictions, multivitamins are “surplus to requirements” says Professor Lauren Ball from the University of Queensland and a director of Dietitians Australia.”
- SupportedXand van Tulleken called menopause supplements the “single biggest rip-off in the global wellness industry”.The Age - Latest News: “British doctor Xand van Tulleken, author of Make Me Well, calls out menopause supplements as the “single biggest rip-off in the global wellness industry”.”
- SupportedThe Menopause Society said in 2023 that evidence was insufficient to show over-the-counter supplements or herbal remedies perform better than a placebo.The Age - Latest News: “The Menopause Society in the US stated in 2023 “there is insufficient scientific evidence to show that over-the-counter dietary supplements or herbal remedies perform any better than a placebo”.”
- SupportedStonehouse recommends phytoestrogen-rich foods such as tofu, tempeh and soy milk as an alternative to menopause supplements.The Age - Latest News: “Soy foods such as tofu, tempeh, soy milk and edamame are the richest dietary sources of phytoestrogens, she says.”
- SupportedStonehouse said probiotic supplements generally provide selected bacterial strains in isolation, unlike fermented foods that provide live microorganisms with other beneficial nutrients and compounds.The Age - Latest News: “Stonehouse and Ball argue that fermented foods provide live microorganisms within foods that contain other beneficial nutrients and compounds. “In contrast, probiotic supplements generally provide selected bacterial strains in isolation,” Professor Stonehouse says.”
- SupportedFish oil products vary considerably in the amount of EPA and DHA they provide.The Age - Latest News: “These products vary considerably in the amount of EPA and DHA they provide, with some containing relatively low amounts, Professor Stonehouse says.”
- SupportedStonehouse said EPA and DHA from foods such as salmon, sardines and mackerel come with vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, iodine and high-quality protein.The Age - Latest News: “The more important point is that EPA and DHA obtained from food sources such as fatty fish and seafood come packaged with many other important nutrients, including vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, iodine and high-quality protein,” Stonehouse says.”
- SupportedStonehouse said children’s gummies’ sweet, colourful, candy-like format may lead children to view supplements as treats rather than health products.The Age - Latest News: ““Their sweet taste, colourful appearance and candy-like format may encourage children to view supplements as treats rather than health products,” Professor Stonehouse says.”
