Gummy Vitamins: Nutritious, Delicious, or Both?

Authored by: Natalie Bushell

People rarely questioned the quality of their “skin, nail and hair health” until advertisements on social media and television told them they needed supplements and vitamins to "enhance their health.”  Public pronouncements of quick fixes with a tasty gummy vitamin lure in consumers. Not only will the gummy make your skin glow, but it is a delicious berry treat, and you only have to spend $14 to improve your health! These marketing tactics, along with carefully curated websites and cute packaging, have allowed brands like OLLY to thrive.  

OLLY is a brand of gummy vitamins and supplements that has dominated the wellness market since it launched in 2015. OLLY has strong relationships with major retailers, including Target, CVS, and Amazon. OLLY’s brand is geared to millennials and has over 30 products that seek to improve important, but poorly defined health issues - sleep, stress, good skin, and energy [1]. In 2017, OLLY had $80 million in retail sales and was growing rapidly. This led to OLLY being acquired in 2019 by a major international consumer products company, Unilever, the maker of Dove soap, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and Vaseline. Under Unilever, OLLY is expected to have approximately $500 million in sales in 2025. OLLY excels at developing marketing techniques that persuade consumers to buy more products, regardless of the health benefits. In addition, OLLY uses Rebel Wilson as a brand ambassador for their products. Utilizing Wilson as a spokesperson allows the brand to appeal to a greater audience of potential consumers, as she is trustworthy, relatable, and fun, which entices her fans to endorse the brand. Wilson's lighthearted, approachable energy complements the website style and packaging, making OLLY’s products seem reliable and effective. This strong focus on branding and consumer appeal leads to the question, “Do OLLY’s products provide legitimate health benefits or take advantage of the perception of wellness?” 

Marketing and selling consumer products is a huge business within the United States healthcare system [2]. Brands like OLLY market products as “healthy” while using advertising tactics to persuade consumers to buy products with questionable benefits. At what point will the FDA protect citizens from unscrupulous profiteers claiming health benefits? [3].  People utilize supplements for a quick “cure” for an iron or calcium deficiency, but is that the most efficient way for an individual to increase the body's absorption of the mineral? Supplements are marketed to help people become healthier, but many times the vitamins are unable to be absorbed by the body, and using the product does not improve your health, only the profitability of the company selling the supplement [4]. Just because someone chews a gummy vitamin filled with nutrients does not mean the body will efficiently absorb the nutrients the way the body would if eating vegetables packed with the same nutrients.

Consumers need to understand that labels can offer inaccurate information regarding the product’s nutritional profile [5]. The FDA does not routinely test consumer products before they hit the shelves, effectively allowing consumer product companies to make claims that are technically true, but not realized by most consumers [6]. It is very difficult for a tiny gummy supplement to pack so many nutrients that can actually be absorbed by the body. The nutrient might enter your body, but it may not be absorbed. Additionally, certain vitamins can lose potency over time when infused into the gelatin form. Gummy vitamins can be a fun way to add a small amount of nutrients into your diet, but they rarely benefit the body the same as obtaining the nutrient in its natural form. The most efficient way for an individual to meet their nutrient needs is by eating real, whole foods that contain the necessary nutrients. The gummy may add a modest amount of nutrients when consumed, but often much fewer nutrients than are implied by the marketing of the gummy product. 

The general population needs to be more aware and educated on the limited benefits of brands like OLLY that label gummy candy as nutritional supplements. The profiteer’s marketing tactics result in people spending thousands of dollars while obtaining minimal to no measurable health benefits. The FDA should step in and force consumer product companies to accurately label their products so that the average consumer clearly understands the expected health benefit of the product.

References:

1. CNBC.com, S. C., special to. (2017, October 13). How Method’s Eric Ryan is disrupting the vitamin market one gummy at a time. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/13/eric-ryans-newest-company-olly-is-reinventing-the-vitamin-market.html

2. QUINONES, R. L., WINSOR, R. D., PATINO, A., & HOFFMANN, P. (2013). The Regulation of Dietary Supplements Within the United States: Flawed Attempts at Mending a Defective Consumer Safety Mechanism. The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 47(2), 328–357. JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/23859853

3. Coates, Paul M et al. “The Evolution of Science and Regulation of Dietary Supplements: Past, Present, and Future.” The Journal of nutrition vol. 154,8 (2024): 2335-2345. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.06.017

4. Hathcock, J. N., Talbott, S. M., & Zeisel, S. H. (1999). Dietary Supplements: What is in the Public’s Best Interest? Science, 286(5448), 2269–2271. JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/2899721

5. Union. (2016). Food Labels Inform Consumer Choices—and Industry Pushes Back. Union of Concerned Scientists; JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/resrep17295

6. Ethan, D., Basch, C. H., Samuel, L., Quinn, C., & Dunne, S. (2015). An Examination of Product Packaging Marketing Strategies Used to Promote Pediatric Multivitamins. Journal of Community Health, 40(3), 564–568. JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/48716065