Supplement users make healthier lifestyle choices: CRN Survey

12-Jun-2013 - Last updated on 13-Jun-2013 at 18:28 GMT

Users of dietary supplements seem to make healthier lifestyle choices compared to non-users, including exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and trying to eat a balanced diet, says a new survey from the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).

Data from the 2012 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements also revealed that 68% of US adults take dietary supplements, a result consistent with results from previous years. The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs and funded by CRN.

“It’s clear that supplement users, for the most part, are not just popping pills in lieu of putting in the hard work it takes to be healthy, but instead are very health conscious and view their supplement use as one of the things they do to promote good health,” said Judy Blatman, senior vice president, communications, CRN.

“There is no magic bullet for good health, and supplement users seem to understand the importance of combining, rather than isolating, healthy practices. It’s the total lifestyle that’s going to help you feel good and stay fit, and taking supplements are one piece of that lifestyle.”

Drilling down into the data

The survey, which included a national sample of 2,006 adults aged 18 and older from Ipsos’ US on-line panel, revealed that 77% of all adults believe that taking supplements is a smart choice for a healthy lifestyle, with 53% of supplement users saying they took dietary supplements for overall health and wellness, and 35% saying it was to fill in nutrient gaps in their diet.

The data also revealed that, as in previous years, multivitamins remain the most popular dietary supplement among supplement users, with 76% of users taking a multivitamin.

“A daily multivitamin is beneficial for almost everyone, at any stage in life, playing an important role in filling nutrient gaps, and serving as an affordable and convenient insurance policy for getting valuable nutrients,” said Duffy MacKay, N.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN.

Other popular supplements included vitamins D and C, omega-3/fish oil, fiber, glucosamine and/or chondroitin, probiotics, green tea, cranberry, garlic, and Echinacea.