HealthNotes

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has released additional results from its 2014 survey of the dietary supplement market. Here are some of the highlights from the latest round of data:

• While overall demand for supplements is strong—68% of US adults take dietary supplements—demand is particularly strong among those 55 and older, 74% of whom take supplements.
• Demand is consistent across all major regions of the US (including the West, Midwest, South, and Northeast).
• 54% of consumers take supplements for overall health and wellness. Other reasons for supplement use include filling nutritional gaps in the diet (29%); supporting bone and immune health (25%), healthy aging (24%), and energy and heart health (22%); and helping reduce the risk of serious illness (17%).
• The majority of consumers who take supplements tend to have other healthy habits as well: 86% of these consumers try to eat a balanced diet, 78% don’t smoke, 75% visit their doctor routinely, and 67% exercise regularly.

Source: Council for Responsible Nutrition