Approximately 68 percent of American adults say they are taking dietary supplements, up just slightly from 66 percent last year, according to a new online survey conducted by Ipsos-Public Affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRNusa.org). In addition, 52 percent of Americans identified themselves as “regular” users of dietary supplements in the online survey, up from 46 percent in 2006; however, only 31 percent of respondents in a companion telephone survey from Ipsos identified themselves as “regular” users.
In additional news, nine out of 10 consumers can cite a nutrient/food and related health benefit, such as calcium for bone health, according to a new national survey commissioned by the International Food Information Council (IFIC.org). Consumers also believe food and nutrition play a great role in maintaining or improving health (75 percent), and that certain foods have health benefits that go beyond basic nutrition and may reduce the risk of some disease (85 percent). This is particularly important, as 53 percent of consumers cited heart health as their top health concern; weight (33 percent), cancer (24 percent) and diabetes (17) percent are still on their minds as well.
The top five “diet and health relationships” cited by consumers were: calcium, for promotion of bone health (89 percent); fiber, for maintaining a healthy digestive system (86 percent); vitamin D, for promotion of bone health (81 percent); omega-3 fatty acids, for reduced risk of heart disease (76 percent); and fiber, for reduced risk of heart disease (74 percent).
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