WASHINGTON, D.C., April 13, 2011—In response to a new government report on dietary supplement usage among U.S. adults from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Statistics, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement industry, issued the following statement.
Statement by Steve Mister, President & CEO, CRN:
“We’re encouraged to see the government confirm what we’ve seen about dietary supplement usage—that it’s growing. Sales are up for this category1, and our own consumer research has demonstrated steady usage by approximately two-thirds of U.S. adults—for the past seven years. More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year to improve their overall health, fill in nutrient gaps, and because their doctors recommend them2.
Some of the trends identified by the government are consistent with our own consumer research, including the fact that multivitamins are the most popular dietary supplement. As strong research continues to build for vitamin D, we too have seen an increase in usage of that supplement. Additionally, our statistics show that the percentage of consumers who take a variety of supplements regularly continues to rise.
Our research also shows that consumers who take dietary supplements are more likely to engage in other healthy habits such as trying to eat a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and seeing a doctor regularly3.
We agree with the authors of the report that it’s a good idea for consumers to be aware of nutrient intake—from all sources, including foods, functional/fortified foods, and dietary supplements. Dietary supplements provide an easy way to keep track of nutrient intake, as that information is listed on the label.
Consumers must also keep in mind that dietary supplements are not a replacement for food, but instead are supplements to a healthy diet. When used responsibly, supplements are part of a good nutrition program.”