More than half of adult Americans take dietary supplement(s). Regan L. Bailey, from the National Cancer Institute (Maryland, USA), and colleagues analyzed the motivations of US adults for their use of dietary supplements. The team examined data collected from 11,956 men and women, ages 20 years and older, enrolled in the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The most commonly reported reasons for using supplements were to “improve” (45%) or “maintain” (33%) overall health. Women used calcium products for “bone health” (36%), whereas men were more likely to report supplement use for “heart health or to lower cholesterol” (18%). Older adults (≥60 years) were more likely than younger individuals to report motivations related to site-specific reasons like heart, bone and joint, and eye health. Writing that: “Supplement users reported motivations related to overall health more commonly than for supplementing nutrients from food intakes,” the study authors conclude that: “ Use of supplements was related to more favorable health and lifestyle choices.”
