Fruity gummies packed with vitamins promise everything from glowing skin to stronger nails – even better sleep. But consumer advocates and nutrition experts warn that they are simply overpriced sweets in disguise and urge caution.

The Gold Bear – the world‑famous gummy treat from Germany – has seen its once‑unchallenged status tested in recent years as new German contenders such as ‘Bears with Benefits’ and ‘Ivy Bears’ have entered the market with their own spin on the bear recipe. These newcomers position themselves as wellness‑focused, vitamin‑infused alternatives, turning the familiar gummy bear into a lifestyle supplement as part of a broader trend to sell vitamins in gummy sweets.

“Trust the hype,” says Bears with Benefits on its website.

The Brussels-based dietitian Arthur De Fooz echoes this position and argues that these sweets are a poor deal, with consumers often paying more for flavouring and branding than for the actual vitamins themselves.

A sweet business

However, European consumers are increasingly willing to pay for nutritional supplements in gummy shapes that often cost about €0.60 per piece. The European and German gummy supplements market reached €2.70 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow by 12.51% through 2032.

Among influencers promoting such gummies is Georgina Rodríguez, the girlfriend of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who posted a photo of herself with vitamin gummy bears containing biotin and folic acid. The manufacturer promises that they “ensure beautiful, shiny and strong hair” and “help with rapid healthy hair growth”.

However, such claims are tightly regulated. Under the EU Health Claims Regulation, only specific wording is permitted. For instance, a vitamin like biotin can be said to help maintain normal hair or skin. Any claim suggesting that a supplement can prevent, treat or cure disease is strictly prohibited.

Many of those products particularly target children. There are “Smurf berry gums” as well as “kids’ multi-gummy worms”. Still, health experts stress that healthy children do not need supplements and that these products can do more harm than good.

The German Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) concluded that many children’s vitamin gummies are essentially confectionery: 100 grams can contain more than 50 grams of pure sugar. Dentists like cavity expert Miona Jovanovic, who practices in Vienna, are sounding the alarm.

“Stop buying gummy vitamins. They’re a cavity turbo, especially for children’s teeth,” she warns on Instagram.

Even if companies like Ivy Bears or Bears with Benefits stress that their products contain little or no sugar, critics say they are anything but harmless.

“The gummy bear shape is particularly appealing to children,” the Hessen consumer protection authority warned, adding that this increases the risk of confusion with sweets and therefore accidental overdose, as children may mistake them for regular sweets.

Wasting money on overdosing

Long-term overconsumption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A can have serious consequences. Because they are stored in the liver rather than excreted, they have been linked to serious health risks, including certain cancers. Excess intake may also cause carotenemia – a harmless condition that causes, as De Fooz puts it, “the skin colour of Donald Trump”.

Vitamin D is a special case. In countries with limited sunlight, supplements are recommended during darker months, ideally under medical supervision. However, overdosing can cause nausea, headaches and even kidney damage. A single gummy can easily exceed the commonly recommended 20 micrograms, warns De Fooz.

High-dose vitamin C supplements are often unnecessary. “One orange provides 100% of your daily vitamin C requirement,” De Fooz explains. Excess amounts are simply excreted: “It’s like peeing money. Expensive urine.”

However, he points out that there are cases in which it is advisable to take supplements.

Vegans often lack vitamin B12, which is found mainly in animal products and, when deficient, can lead to anaemia and neurological symptoms. Although dozens of gummy supplements are marketed specifically to them, De Fooz recommends a more effective and often cheaper alternative: taking a pill.

(bms, aw)