Dietary supplement boom: TikTok fuels sales among GLP-1 users as FDA weighs stricter rules

A surge in supplement use among users of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is being fuelled by TikTok influencers, prompting doctors to raise alarms and US regulators to consider stricter oversight.

GLP-1 drugs have become among the biggest medical breakthroughs in years, with some 10 million Americans using them last year. JPMorgan predicts that the reach can rise to 25 million by 2030.

But side effects such as nausea, fatigue, and gastrointestinal distress have pushed many users towards dietary supplements, with nearly half of GLP-1 users starting new vitamins and supplements after beginning the drugs.

Sales of health supplements in the United States reached $74 billion in 2025, while TikTok Shop made over $1 billion from supplement sales in that year, representing 5.4% of all e-commerce supplement sales. Social media influencers like Allison Vecchio, a 42-year-old ER nurse with 25,000 followers, recommend health products such as fiber, collagen, and electrolytes worth $200-$300 monthly.

On the other hand, supplements in the United States do not need any approval from the US Food and Drug Administration before entering the market, which makes it hard to assess their scientific value.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Health Secretary, has recommended stringent regulations for supplements, while the FDA is increasing the oversight of the new dietary ingredients. There is an FDA proposed rule that bans the path allowing a company to claim a substance "generally recognized as safe" without informing the FDA – a regulation that has split the industry.