Although vitamin D has dropped slightly in the rankings since last year (down 0.4 percentage points), it remains the most popular supplement, purchased by two-thirds (66%) of respondents. As previously reported, the survey revealed that among consumers who said they had changed their supplementation habits after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (620 consumers), 91 of them said they had increased their supplement use during the pandemic. Forty-six of the supplement users reported adding new dietary supplements to their existing supplement routines, 25 said they took the same supplements more regularly and 22 said they increased supplement doses. In addition, 11 reported changing their supplement routines specifically because of the pandemic.
Overall, supplement users who were most likely to have changed their supplement routines during the pandemic were men (47%), supplement users aged 18-34 (65%), supplement users with children in their household (63%) and seasonal supplement users (66%). Probiotics, elderberry and cannabidiol (CBD) did not make the top 10 list, but all three also experienced increases during the pandemic, with supplement users reporting increases in use of 10%, 9% and 8%, respectively. Probiotics were especially popular among users aged 35 and older, while elderberry was the most popular among women. As expected, supplement users reported an increase in e-commerce purchases during the pandemic, with 38% of supplement users reporting that they purchased supplements online.
Those most likely to buy online were men (45%), young adults aged 18-34 (51%) and parents of children under 18 (51%). These groups are also more likely to stockpile supplements. The main reasons supplement users increased their use during the pandemic were to support general immune health (57%), to support general health and well-being (53%) and to help reduce the risk of serious illness (42%). Notably, 83% said they believed that dietary supplements played an important role in supporting their health and well-being during the pandemic, and 98% indicated that they were likely to continue with their current supplement routine in the future.
CRN’s COVID-19 survey focused specifically on consumers who were already supplement users, looking at changes in their supplementation routines during the pandemic. Dietary supplement use was skewed towards female consumers (77%), those over 55 (81%), and those with higher household incomes and college degrees. Druke commented on some of the most popular products. He added that vitamin D use skews more towards female consumers, while zinc use skews more towards men.
The survey asked which mental health and sleep support supplements consumers take, and 13 percent of global supplement users said they take supplements for mental health, and 14 percent of global supplement users take supplements for sleep health. For mental and sleep health, the top nutrients were melatonin, magnesium and CBD. Supplements for mental and sleep health were also more popular among younger users compared to older users. Consumers trust supplements and are loyal to brands Whether or not they use dietary supplements, the majority of US adults (84%) favour supplements.
(84%) respondents said they trust the safety and quality of dietary supplements. This figure is even higher among those who actually use supplements, with approximately 90 percent of supplement users reporting confidence in the safety and quality of dietary supplements. Adults are particularly confident in the quality and safety of vitamin and mineral supplements (85 e confidence), while these percentages were lower for herbs and botanicals (59 confidence), specialty supplements (63 confidence), sports nutrition (52 confidence) and weight management (43 confidence). Men, higher income consumers, parents and those with a university degree tend to be more confident in the safety and quality of supplements.
When asked about their feelings about the dietary supplement industry, 74 e of all adults considered the industry to be trustworthy, with higher figures for supplement users (at 83%) compared to non-users (at 51%). Those taking supplements were most motivated by a desire to maintain their health. Other reasons included living longer, managing a health problem or being told to do so by a health professional. Among adults who do not take dietary supplements, the main reason cited is that they do not feel the need to take them, followed by the price of supplements.
Older adults are more likely to say they do not feel the need to take dietary supplements. According to the survey, most supplement purchases were made in mass retail channels, especially Walmart, Target and pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid. Consumers under 55 were more likely to buy supplements at “less common outlets, such as health food shops, supermarkets and independent pharmacies, Druke said. There was also a slight increase in purchases made at grocery stores and clubs, with 22 per cent of users indicating they had shopped there.
Using this definition, information on dietary supplement use was obtained during the in-home interview. Among US supplement users, adult women, adults aged 35, adults with higher household incomes and adults with a college degree were most likely to report taking supplements. Although the skin naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, concerns about ultraviolet (UV) rays and regional limitations to sunlight have led many consumers to take vitamin D supplements. However, many of the issues related to dietary supplements were of least interest during June, July and August, which are the warm months in the northern hemisphere.
In addition, results from CRN’s COVID-19 survey reveal that two in five (43%) supplement users have changed their supplement routine since the start of the pandemic, including 91 per cent of this subset who report increasing their intake in some way. Vitamins and minerals are by far the most commonly used type of supplement (98%), followed by speciality supplements (46%), herbs and botanicals (44%), sports nutrition (30%) and weight management (19%). The fifth most common type of dietary supplement is botanicals for those aged 20-39 (5.1%), calcium for those aged 40-59 (7.7%) and vitamin B12 for those aged 60+ (12.4%). The survey indicates that the majority of men and women aged 18 years take dietary supplements, which is in line with the results of previous surveys.
The knowledge gained about interest in different dietary supplements can serve as a basis for future studies. After immune support, users report taking supplements to fill nutrient gaps in their diet (25%); to support heart health (23%); and for hair, skin and nails (22%). Unlike regulated medicines, advertising of dietary supplements is less restricted, and the internet is an attractive target for marketing campaigns. The use of multivitamins and fish oil supplements declined slightly, although they remained the most popular supplements taken by 60.2 per cent and 65.6 per cent, respectively, of consumers in the survey.
The most popular dietary supplements in each country were identified and the ten most common were listed. A high level of dietary supplement use can contribute substantially to nutrient intake in the United States, potentially mitigating nutrient deficiencies as well as increasing the risk of excessive intake, especially with high concurrent use of more than one product.
