Consumer News: Nearly eight in 10 Americans take supplements, Pew survey finds

Vitamins and minerals lead the list, while older adults are the most likely to use supplements

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Nearly eight in 10 U.S. adults say they currently take at least one supplement for their health, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

• Vitamins and minerals are the most common, and supplement use is especially widespread among older adults.

• Most people who take supplements consider them important to their health, though the survey did not test whether the products improve health.

Supplements have become a routine part of health care for many Americans. In a Pew Research Center survey, 78% of U.S. adults said they currently take at least one supplement for their health.

Vitamins and minerals were the clear favorites: 67% of adults said they take them. Protein supplements came next at 31%, followed by omega oils at 25% and herbal supplements at 19%. Another 35% reported taking a supplement outside those four categories, such as melatonin or probiotics. Respondents could report taking more than one type.

Supplement use rose with age. Among adults 65 and older, 85% said they take at least one, compared with 67% of adults under 30. The gap was particularly large for vitamins and minerals: 81% of older adults take them, versus 48% of the youngest adults surveyed.

Protein supplements followed the opposite pattern. They were used by 37% of adults ages 18 to 29 and 35% of those ages 30 to 49, compared with 23% of adults 65 and older. Women were also somewhat more likely than men to report taking any supplement, 82% versus 74%.

Many users see supplements as important

Pew also asked people who take each type of supplement how important they consider it to their health. Among vitamin and mineral users, 62% said those products were extremely or very important, while another 33% called them somewhat important. Among omega oil users, 63% rated the products extremely or very important. The corresponding figures were 51% for herbal supplement users and 44% for protein supplement users.

Those answers describe peoples views, not the medical benefits of the products. The National Institutes of Health says some supplements can help people get nutrients they need, but supplements cannot replace a varied diet. Their benefits differ by product and by a persons health needs.

There are safety considerations, too. Unlike medications, dietary supplements do not receive FDA approval for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. Some can interact with prescription drugs. NIH advises consumers to tell their health care providers about every supplement they take, including the dose.

Pew surveyed 3,554 U.S. adults July 612, 2026. It defined supplements broadly to include products such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, protein powders, melatonin and probiotics, while excluding prescription and over-the-counter drugs.