DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

Based on studies 97 percent of respondents who say they take regular dietary supplements reported using supplements that fall into the category of vitamins and minerals. Of these people, the most popular types of vitamins and minerals taken include multivitamins (75 percent), vitamin D (30 percent), calcium (24 percent), vitamin C (24 percent) and vitamin B/B complex (21 percent).

Approximately 43 percent of people who responded to the survey report using what are classified as “specialty supplements.” The largest category of these specialty supplements was omega-3/fatty acids (19 percent), which include popular fish oil supplements. These supplements are generally used to lower blood pressure and treat rheumatoid arthritis, among other benefits. Respondents also reported taking supplements including fiber (12 percent), probiotics (10 percent), glucosamine/chrondroitin (10 percent) and CoQ10 (7 percent).

Out of the people who reported using herbals and botanicals (26 percent of respondents), the largest percent say they drink green tea on a regular basis (10 percent). Other natural ingredients that were common for people who use herbal and botanical products were garlic (7 percent), cranberry (6 percent), Echinacea (5 percent) and ginseng (5 percent).

People taking supplements for the purposes of sports nutrition or weight management accounted for about 19 percent of respondents in the survey. Within this category, the most common type of supplement was a protein supplement (10 percent), trailed by energy drinks and gels (7 percent), garcinia cambogia (4 percent), green coffee (3 percent) and hydration drinks and gels (3 percent).