More than half of U.S. adults use dietary supplements

During 2017 to 2018, 57.6 percent of U.S. adults used any dietary supplement in the previous 30 days, according to a February data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.

Suruchi Mishra, Ph.D., from the National Centers for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues describe recent prevalence estimates for dietary supplement use and examined trends in use from 2007 to 2008 through 2017 to 2018.

The researchers found that 57.6 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older used any dietary supplement in the previous 30 days, with use higher among women than men (63.8 versus 50.8 percent). There was an increase seen in dietary supplement use with age, overall and in both sexes, with the highest use for women aged 60 years and older (80.2 percent). With age, there was an increase noted in the use of two, three, and four or more dietary supplements, while the percentage not using any supplements decreased. For all age groups, the most common types of dietary supplements were multivitamin-mineral supplements, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acid supplements. The prevalence of dietary supplement use increased in all age groups from 2007 to 2008 through 2017 to 2018.

“A high level of dietary supplement use can contribute substantially to nutrient intake in the United States, potentially mitigating nutrient shortfalls as well as increasing the risk of excessive intake, especially with high concurrent use of more than one product,” the authors write.