In November last year, an inter-ministerial committee of the Union government recommended that any dietary or nutritional supplements that claim to ‘cure diseases’ should be brought under the ambit of the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) and be classified as ‘drugs’.
The eight-member committee, headed by former health secretary Apurva Chandra, which was constituted in January last year, was supposed to decide whether nutraceuticals — which are currently regulated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) — should be scrutinised under CDSCO instead, and their pricing be decided by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).
The panel’s recommendation, as quoted in reports, read, “FSSAI may regulate only nutritional and health claims that are listed under FSS (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, while the claim to cure or mitigate any specific disease, disorder or condition including disease risk reduction shall be regulated by CDSCO.”
Interestingly though, this is not the first time that the government has been mulling over categorising nutraceuticals differently. Multiple discussions on this have been held since 2015. As recently as August 2024, the state banned 156 combination drugs — including those administered as multivitamins — while also reviewing approvals for 34 other multivitamin supplements.
The need for regulation also comes as, in 2024, India’s nutritional supplements market was said to be worth $30.37 billion, according to business consulting firm Grand View Research. It’s expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% between 2025-2030.
The Union ministry of food processing industries estimates that India’s share in the global nutraceuticals market is close to 2%. As per a Deloitte report, US, Japan, and Europe control over 90% of the global market.
With nutritional supplements having such a big market share in India, and in the absence of regulations, products that might not be up to the mark could be escaping scrutiny.
Dr Pooja Tripathi, a public health expert, feels the panel’s recommendations are a welcome step. She says, “Health and wellness are separate industries but the lines between them are being blurred because of no regulation and unqualified/uncertified people preaching to you the goodness of unsubstantiated supplements.”
“When I prescribe any medicine to a patient, I do that based on their medical history, and formulate a proper dosage and duration for the drug. Wellness experts are simply promoting supplements without any guidelines. This is a dangerous environment where consumers are misled,” adds Dr Tripathi.
But what is leading to this increased demand in the nutraceuticals market?
Shivam Puri, the managing director and CEO of Cipla Health, the consumer healthcare subsidiary of Cipla, says, “The ‘illness to wellness’ shift has contributed to a steady uptake for multivitamins post COVID, propelling a change in the consumption patterns from curative to preventive.”
And it’s not just tablets. Multivitamin gummies, powders, etc, are on the rise as well. Varun Khanna, co-founder of Fullife Healthcare and Fast&Up, a nutrition supplement brand, says, “Gummies, as a format, tend to be seen as a more niche, premium choice in India, and their widespread adoption may take another 5-10 years. On the other hand, formats like powders, effervescent tablets, and capsules resonate more with Indian consumers, proving to be a better fit for the market at present.”
Growth potential
Would the business of nutraceuticals be impacted though if they are brought under the ambit of the CDSCO?
Khanna doesn’t think so. He says, “The classification or governing authority does not directly impact sales. What matters most is consumer trust in product quality and safety.”
In fact, Khanna believes that under more scrutiny, subpar products will leave the market, which will allow “high-quality supplements to stand out.”
Puri agrees: “Factors such as high burden of lifestyle-induced chronic diseases, growing wave of health-consciousness, and increased awareness about the benefits of nutritional supplements will only boost further uptake.”
Interestingly, people across different demographics are actively choosing to consume nutraceuticals, says a Mintel Market Research report, estimating that close to 48% of working women and 33% of working men take supplements.
Ifs and buts
However, given the rate at which the market size of nutritional supplements is increasing, the question arises whether we even need these supplements.
Dr Manisha Arora, director of internal medicine at Delhi’s CK Birla Hospital(R), doesn’t think so. She says, “People should increase their intake of vitamins and nutrients via natural means like fruits and vegetables, instead of relying on supplements excessively. A healthy person does not need additional vitamin supplements.”
Dr Pankaj Soni, principal director of internal medicine, Fortis Escorts Hospital, New Delhi, agrees, and says, “Vitamin supplementations should always be prescribed by a trained medical professional.”
The experts add that people who might be vegan, pregnant, old, or have some health problems can go for supplements, but only with a doctor’s prescription to understand their needs better.
The doctors also emphasise this because excessive intake of certain vitamins or nutrients can impact your health. For instance, says Dr Soni, excessive amounts of vitamin A in the body can lead to hypervitaminosis A which can cause symptoms like mild headaches, nausea, hair loss, blurred vision, even birth defects, liver abnormalities, and central nervous system disorders.
On the other hand, if excessive vitamin D accumulates in the liver, he explains that it can cause bone calcification, kidney stones, and weakness.
Dr Soni adds, “Patients on anticoagulants/blood thinners or cholesterol-lowering medications should not take vitamin E supplements because mild vitamin E toxicity can cause nausea and digestive problems. Similarly, vitamin C is toxic at very high levels.”
Excess vitamin B6 in the body can lead to nerve damage and excess niacin intake can cause a burning sensation in the skin and damage your liver.
Dr Arora recommends, “Unless your doctor prescribes supplements, eat multi-coloured fruits, salads, and green vegetables because they are nutrient rich.”
Know your vitamins
- Increase intake of vitamins and nutrients via natural means like fruits & vegetables
- A healthy person does not need additional vitamin supplements
- Vitamin supplementations should always be prescribed by a trained medical professional
- Excessive vitamin A in body can lead to hypervitaminosis A which can cause mild headaches, nausea, hair loss, blurred vision, and even critical issues like birth defects, liver abnormalities, and central nervous system disorders
- Excessive vitamin D accumulates in liver; can cause bone calcification, kidney stones, and weakness
- Excess vitamin B6 can lead to nerve damage; excess niacin intake can cause burning sensation in skin and damage liver