US dietary supplement use remains strong, CRN survey shows

22 Oct 2018 --- The use of dietary supplements among US adults increased 10 percent over the past decade, according to a consumer survey on dietary supplements commissioned by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. The survey found that 75 percent of US adults take dietary supplements, as opposed to just 65 percent in 2009, and 78 percent of those surveyed perceive the dietary supplement industry as being trustworthy.

The survey included a national sample of 2,004 adults aged 18 and older living in the US. Of those surveyed, 1,504 were considered supplement users.

“This year’s data provide further evidence that dietary supplements are mainstays in modern day health and wellness regimens,” says Brian Wommack, Senior Vice President Communications at CRN. 

“Three-quarters of Americans take dietary supplements, and the steady increase in use observed over recent years speaks to society’s shift toward a more holistic, personalized approach to healthcare. Not only does the 2018 survey reaffirm positive data we’ve seen before, but the results also paint a clearer picture of a changing industry guided by the needs and wants of American consumers today.”

Consumer confidence in products remains strong 
Eighty-seven percent of the US adults surveyed indicated they have overall confidence in the safety, quality and effectiveness of dietary supplements, consistent with last year’s data and up from 84 percent in 2009. 

Additionally, the 2018 survey found that 78 percent of Americans perceive the dietary supplement industry as being trustworthy. When it first appeared on CRN’s Consumer Survey in 2016, the question “To what extent do you perceive the dietary supplement industry as being trustworthy” yielded a response of 73 percent, CRN reports.

The 2018 survey found that supplement use is diversifying across categories. While vitamin/mineral supplements remain the most popular category among supplement users (98 percent), the overall use of herbals/botanicals has significantly increased in the past five years. 

In 2018, 41 percent of supplement users reported they had taken herbals/botanicals in the past twelve months – up 13 percentage points from 2013. Within that category, turmeric proved to be a rising star. 

“Turmeric wasn’t on the survey five years ago,” notes Mr. Wommack. “Now, it’s the second most popular supplement in the herbal/botanical category. This year’s survey results show similar upticks with other categories and products – not only in the greater population, but especially among different generations.”

According to the 2018 survey, 78 percent of US adults aged 55+ take dietary supplements, followed by those aged 35-54 (77 percent) and 18-34 (69 percent). 

Supplement users aged 18-34
Data show that 83 percent of supplement users aged 18-34 take a multivitamin, up 8 percentage points from last year. Additionally, 20 percent take fiber supplements up 2 percentage points from 2017 and 11 points from 2013. 
When it comes to reasons for taking dietary supplements, 37 percent of 18-34 year olds cite energy, versus 33 percent of adults aged 35-54 and just 16 percent of adults aged 55+.

US adult supplement users aged 35-54
Seventy-seven percent of US adults aged 35–54 take dietary supplements, up 11 percentage points from five years ago. Forty-two percent take herbals/botanical supplements, up from 37 percent in 2017. Additionally, 31 percent of supplement users in this age group cite immune health as the top reason for taking dietary supplements, compared to 25 percent of US adults aged 18-34 and 21 percent of US adults aged 55+.

US adult supplement users aged 55+
Forty-six percent of supplement users aged 55+ take vitamin D, versus 34 percent of supplement users aged 35-54 and 31 percent of supplement users aged 18-34. Survey data show that 24 percent of these supplement users take magnesium, compared to 17 percent last year. Additionally, healthy aging (28 percent), heart health (29 percent) and bone health (31 percent) are among the top reasons Americans in this age group take dietary supplements.