Use of Dietary Supplements

Introduction

Use of dietary supplements in the United States appears

to be growing, including the use of herbal medicines. Some

of the reasons people give for taking supplements include: to

improve nutrition, to make up for nutrients missing in the

food supply, to decrease susceptibility to or severity of

disease, or to increase energy or improve performance.

Another factor that may contribute to the increased interest

in using dietary supplements is scientific evidence linking

diets high in certain nutrients with a reduced risk of certain

diseases. Herbs and botanical supplements may be taken as

alternatives to conventional medical therapies.

The supplement questions

Survey participants in the Third National Health and

Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), conducted

between 1988 and 1994, were asked about their use of

vitamin and mineral supplements. Participants were not

asked specifically about their use of ‘‘other dietary

supplements,’’ however, many of them voluntarily reported

taking these types of supplements. ‘‘Other dietary

supplements’’ include products such as herbs and botanical

supplements, sports drinks, amino acids, fish oils,

metabolites, and biologic extracts.

Use of dietary supplements

+ Approximately 40 percent of the population 2 months of

age and older were taking a vitamin, mineral, or other

type of dietary supplement during the month prior to

being interviewed in the NHANES III survey (data not

shown). Females were more likely to take supplements

than males (44 percent of females versus 35 percent of

males) (figure 1).

Figure 1. Prevalence of supplement use by sex and

race-ethnicity, NHANES III, 1988–94

55 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

0 

Male Female 

All race-ethnicities Non-Hispanic white 

Non-Hispanic black Mexican American 

+ In general, non-Hispanic white persons were more likely

to take supplements than non-Hispanic black and Mexican

American persons (figure 1). Among men, 37 percent of

non-Hispanic whites took supplements compared with

26 percent for both non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican

Americans. Among women, 48 percent of non-Hispanic

whites took supplements versus 33 percent of nonHispanic blacks and 32 percent of Mexican Americans.

+ Supplement users were more likely to be young children

between 1 and 5 years of age, or middle-aged and older

adults (figures 2 and 3). Between 42 and 51 percent of

toddler and preschool-aged boys and girls were taking

supplements. Supplement use declined among gradeschool-aged boys and girls and adolescents, but increased

when people reached their 20s and continued to increase

throughout adulthood. Supplement use ranged from

30 percent for males in their 20s to 42 percent for males

80 years of age and older, and ranged from 42 percent for

females in their 20s to 55 percent for females 80 years of

age and older.

Percent 
Figure 2. Prevalence of supplement use among males, Figure 4. Number of supplements taken by supplement

NHANES III, 1988–94 users by age group, NHANES III, 1988–94

Less than 1-2 3-5 

100 1 year 

65 

30-39 40-49 50-59 

60-69 70-79 80 years 

and over 

6-11 12-19 20-29 

60 80 

55 

50 60 

45 

40 40 

35 

30 20 

25 

20 0 

1 supplement 

2 supplements 

3 or more supplements 

0 Total	 2 months- 12-19 20-39 40 years 

11 years years years and over 

Age 

Figure 3. Prevalence of supplement use among females,

Single nutrient 

vitamin 

Multiple vitamin 

Single nutrient 

mineral 

Multiple mineral 

Vitamin/mineral 

combination 

Other dietary supplements 

Unknown types 

NHANES III, 1988–94 Figure 5. Types of supplements taken by supplement

Less than 1-2 3-5 users by age group, NHANES III, 1988–94

1 year 

6-11 12-19 20-29 

100 

30-39 40-49 50-59 

0 

20 

25 

30 

35 

40 

45 

50 

55 

60 and over 

65 

60-69 70-79 80 years 80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

2 months- 12-19 20-39 40 years 

11 years years years and over 

Number and types of dietary supplements used Age 

+ For people who reported taking supplements, most took

only one supplement a day. However, the number taking

two or more supplements per day increased across the age

groups shown. A little less than 10 percent of children Some survey participants also reported their use of

were taking two or more supplements, but 33 percent of ‘‘other dietary supplements.’’ Although people were not

young adults and 44 percent of middle-aged and elderly asked about these types of supplements, the NHANES data

adults took two or more supplements per day (figure 4). do provide an indication of the types of herbal and other

+ Among supplement users, the most common types of alternative supplements that people used. The type of

supplements that children took were multiple vitamins or supplements reported covered the whole spectrum of ‘‘other

a combination multiple vitamin and mineral. In addition dietary supplements’’ including such things as herbal and

to these supplements, single nutrient vitamins were

botanical supplements like echinacea, garlic, ginseng, gingko

popular among adolescents and all adults, and single biloba, and St. John’s Wort; fish oils; amino acids; and

nutrient minerals were also popular among middle-aged energy-enhancing and body-building supplements.

and elderly adults (figure 5). The most frequently used

single nutrient vitamins were vitamins C and E, and the For further information, visit our Web site at:

most frequently used single nutrient minerals were http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm

calcium and iron.

Percent Percent 

Percent Percent 

02-0423