A new national survey showed several knowledge gaps among Americans who rely on a multivitamin to address specific health concerns, including immunity, energy, weight management, sleep and stress. 
 
The online survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, ages 35 and older, was conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Persona Nutrition, a Nestlé Health Science company that creates science-backed, uniquely personalized vitamin programs,.
 
A majority of Americans rely on vitamins and supplements to support their health, but only a few consult the expertise of nutritionists or registered dietitians for guidance. In fact, 70% of Americans reported taking vitamins and supplements, but only 7% said they consulted a nutritionist or registered dietitian for guidance.
 
Almost half (47%) said it is more important to take a daily multivitamin now than it was last year, with 53% taking or considering multivitamins to support their immunity. Americans rely on a multivitamin for specific health challenges, specifically:
 

• 44% to have more energy
• 26% to maintain a healthy weight
• 24% to support a good night’s sleep
• 24% to maintain a healthy stress level
• 12% to maintain hormone levels

 
While Americans are paying more attention, or are interested in multivitamins, that does not mean this age group has complete understanding of how multivitamins work. For example, 94% of Americans ages 35-54 were more likely to misidentify at least one myth or fact around multivitamins.
 
Americans also lack an awareness of potential side effects of mixing prescription medications and vitamins and supplements. The survey showed 67% don’t realize that vitamins and prescription medications can interfere with one another; potentially with unwanted side effects
 
“We know multivitamins have a place in a person’s daily nutrition program, but for those who have specific health concerns, like sleep, energy, immunity and stress, a multivitamin alone can miss the mark,” said Tamara Bernadot, chief nutrition officer and co-founder of Persona Nutrition. “No two people are the same and daily nutrition should embrace these differences while considering a person’s intake of colorful fruits and vegetables, dietary preferences, sleep patterns, fitness levels, stress, among a host of other factors. Persona is so much more than a multivitamin. We feature daily nutrition coaching from our on-staff nutritionists, a robust database to scan for potential drug-nutrient side effects and complement our high-quality multivitamin with nutritional supplements that are curated to support specific health issues and diets.”