Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics
Open Access

Dietary supplements are used by half to two-thirds of all adults in the United States, and data suggests that this is part of a larger effort to live a better lifestyle. Dietary supplement consumers are more educated and have greater incomes on average than nonusers, which may contribute to their health consciousness. Dietary supplement use is likewise more common in women than in males, and in men and women, the prevalence of use rises with age. Users of nutritional supplements are much more likely than nonusers to have slightly better eating habits, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and avoid tobacco products, according to numerous studies. While supplement users have better diets than nonusers, the changes are minor, their diets contain significant nutrient deficiencies, and supplement use has been found to enhance nutrient intake adequacy. Overall, the research demonstrates that dietary supplement consumers are looking for wellness and are consciously adopting a variety of lifestyle choices that they believe would help them live a healthier life [1].

According to numerous surveys, half to three-quarters of American adults use dietary supplements, primarily vitamins and minerals, but also omega-3 fatty acids, other bioactive like lutein, and other food components like fibre. These surveys, taken together, give useful information about dietary supplement users' demographics, as well as their health and lifestyle preferences. However, in many published publications, health and lifestyle behaviours are mentioned in passing but not highlighted, leading to a lack of understanding within the nutrition, public health, and medical communities [2].

Numerous studies have shown that people who take nutritional supplements are more likely than nonusers to embrace a variety of healthy practises. Better food habits, regular exercise, a healthy body weight, and the avoidance of tobacco products are all examples of these [3]. The differences between supplement users and nonusers reported in numerous researches are not large, but they are constant, indicating that supplement users are putting in more effort to achieve health and wellness. Dietary supplement users have different demographic features than nonusers. Adult supplement use, for example, has been shown to rise with age, income, and education, with women being more likely to use supplements than males in each age group [4].

Many studies show that dietary supplement use is more common in older persons than in younger ones, and that use is higher in women than in males in each age group. Women may be more health conscious than men, according to diet and health surveys; however, the increased use of supplemental calcium and vitamin D among women could be partially attributed to women's increased use of supplemental calcium and vitamin D for the purpose of maintaining bone health throughout their lives and preventing the onset of osteoporosis as they age. Men's use of dietary supplements rises from 36 percent to 66 percent as they become older, while women's use rises from 43 percent to 75 percent as they get older. Women's consumption is 7 to 14 percent higher than men's in each age group (on average, 10 percent higher) [5].

Many users of dietary supplements take more than one product, but taking only one remains the most common finding. In NHANES 1999–2000, 47% of supplement users took only one supplement, 23% took two, 13% took three, and 17% took four or more. In NHANES 2003–2006, more than half of supplement users reported taking only one, but 10% took more than 5 [6].

Most users of dietary supplements take a multivitamin (with or without minerals), whether or not they also take other products. In NHANES 1999–2000, among supplement users, 67% took a multivitamin. In NHANES 2003–2006, 74% of supplement users took a multivitamin. The term “multivitamin” is not clearly defined, for purposes of scientific study, and surveys have applied various definitions [7]. In the NHANES surveys, a “multivitamin” has generally been defined as a product containing three or more vitamins, with or without minerals, but this can vary from one NHANES study to another. The term “multivitamin” in commercial use typically denotes a product containing all or most of the vitamins, whereas a product containing numerous minerals in addition to the vitamins is typically labeled as a “multivitamin/multimineral” [8].

Dietary supplement use is prevalent among U.S. adults and is often associated with the adoption of other healthy habits that are generally encouraged as part of a healthier lifestyle. These healthy habits include efforts to consume a better diet, and supplement users tend to have somewhat higher intakes of nutrients from foods than nonusers of supplements [9]. Even so, the dietary intakes of supplement users often fall short of requirements or recommendations, and their supplements make an important contribution toward nutrient intakes. Other healthy habits adopted by supplement users include efforts to participate in physical exercise, avoidance of obesity, and avoidance of smoking. It is important to recognize these characteristics of dietary supplement users and give supplement users appropriate credit for attempting to improve their overall wellness profile. The evidence indicates that users of dietary supplements tend to incorporate these products into their lifestyles as part of a broader focus on healthy living [10].

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