CRN: 68% of U.S. Adults Use Supplements

WASHINGTON—The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)’s latest survey results revealed 68 percent of U.S. adults reported taking dietary supplements, and 83 percent expressed overall confidence in their supplements’ safety, quality and effectiveness.

In addition, more than 50 percent of U.S. adults reported regular use of dietary supplements, according to CRN’s 2014 Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements, and the "vitamins and minerals" category of supplements remains the most popular across all generations of supplement users.

“The survey is just another indicator of the important role dietary supplements play for men and women of all ages who are trying to achieve a lifestyle of wellness," said Judy Blatman, senior vice president, communications, CRN. “Although our industry received its fair share of bad publicity this year, we believe that confidence remains high because people realize there is a legitimate and responsible majority of companies in our industry whose top priority is to ensure product quality so that consumers can not only maintain good health, but also maintain brand loyalty. Smart consumers pay attention to finding the right companies and products for them."

Throughout 2015, CRN will continue to release segments of data from the survey through a series of infographics and other online components, providing insight into the dietary supplement consumer. In addition, the survey data reveals important trends to watch, such as the fact that the gap between male and female dietary supplement users is starting to close, and product advertising remains one of the least important purchasing factors for supplement users.

The 2014 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements was conducted August 25 to 29, 2014, by Ipsos Public Affairs, and it was funded by CRN. The survey was conducted online and included a national sample of 2,010 adults ages 18 years and older from Ipsos’ U.S. online panel. The survey has been conducted annually since 2000. Weighting was employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the U.S. adult population according to Census data, and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.2 percentage points.

Last year, CRN reported 85 percent of U.S. adults are confident in the effectiveness, safety and quality of dietary supplements.