Highly saturated, barely regulated: the supplement market

The Big Story investigates the rapidly expanding and dangerously unregulated health supplement market in 2026, where fitness influencers on platforms like TikTok and Instagram are driving demand for experimental, poorly studied, and often mislabeled products. Host Maria Kastain speaks with Rohil Dhaliwal, a research associate at Mass General Brigham, who reveals how supplements like terkestrone, SARMs, and peptides—once confined to clinical trials—are now being sold online as 'research chemicals' to bypass FDA and Health Canada regulations. These products, often marketed with misleading claims of safety and efficacy, are being used by young men chasing idealized physiques in the 'looks maxing' culture, despite lacking scientific backing and posing serious health risks. The episode exposes the ethical and regulatory failures in both the supplement industry and social media platforms, where influencers profit from promoting unproven products while audiences remain unaware of the dangers. Dhaliwal emphasizes that many of these compounds have failed clinical trials, yet are still widely available due to legal loopholes and the low barrier to entry for online content creators. Key takeaways include: 1) Always research supplements before use—especially unfamiliar ones—using reliable sources; 2) Be skeptical of influencers promoting supplements with discount codes, as financial incentives compromise objectivity; 3) Products labeled 'for research purposes only' are often formulated for human consumption and should be treated as unapproved drugs; 4) The rise of 'looks maxing' and social media-driven body ideals fuels demand for risky shortcuts; 5) Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have a responsibility to vet health-related content and product promotions; 6) Many popular supplements have failed clinical trials but are still sold due to regulatory gaps; 7) Plant-based or peptide-based claims of safety are misleading—these compounds behave like pharmaceuticals in the body; 8) Consumers should seek advice from unaffiliated experts rather than influencers with financial stakes.