Pandemic bolsters vitamin D consumption, reveals CRN’s annual consumer survey

22 Oct 2021 --- Vitamin D use significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)’s 2021 Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements.

The survey of 3,089 US adults also reveals that four in five consumers take supplements – a new “high-water mark” in supplement use, according to the trade association.

“Supplement usage among US consumers has steadily increased in the more than 20 years CRN has conducted the survey,” says Brian Wommack, CRN’s senior vice president of communications.

He continues that with 80% of Americans now using supplements, these products are now mainstream and broadly accepted by the American public.

“Just as important, 79% of Americans believe the dietary supplement industry is trustworthy, a jump of 5 percentage points from 2020.”

However, Karallief’s CEO previously argued that the dietary supplement industry is facing consumer mistrust despite experiencing a significant period of recent growth. The survey was conducted online in English and included a national sample of 3,089 adults living in the US.

Pandemic spurs habit changes
CRN’s survey also reveals that half of supplement users changed their nutraceutical routine since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those who reported a change, 55% said they added a new supplement to their existing routine.

Notably, Hispanic Americans were most likely to report a change in their supplement routine, significantly more so than white and Asian American/Pacific Islander respondents.

This year’s survey includes oversamples of Black, Hispanic, and Asian American/Pacific Islander respondents to deliver deeper insights into these groups’ motivations, attitudes and purchasing habits around supplement use.

Vitamin D in spotlight
One notable change across US consumers over the last year has been the rise of vitamin D usage, jumping from 42% in 2020 to 52% in 2021. 

Various studies have drawn links between vitamin D deficiencies and worse COVID-19 impacts. Last winter, England announced it would offer free vitamin D supplements to the 2.5 million residents deemed vulnerable to COVID-19. 

Beyond potential pandemic-related benefits, a German study recently suggested that up to 30,000 cancer deaths and €254 million (US$307 million) in healthcare spending per year could possibly be avoided if those over the age of 50 in Germany were to take vitamin D supplements of 1,000 IU daily.

However, a consensus paper warned against taking large doses of vitamin D, and ANSES recently flagged that taking too much vitamin D is as bad as taking too little. 

Zinc and vitamin C see rise
Zinc and vitamin C have also been spotlighted for immunity, possibly explaining a leap in usage reported in CRN’s survey. Notably, consumption rose from 15% to 22% in zinc consumption and from 35% to 40% for vitamin C. 

In February, a controversial US study found that zinc and vitamin C did not help patients with COVID-19, which was met by backlash from CRN. 

The Samueli Foundation also recently reported “alarming” patterns in supplement usage following a pandemic-driven surge in consumption. 

Edited by Katherine Durrell