Dietary supplement usage in the U.S. has returned to pre-pandemic rates, with 75% of U.S. consumers reporting that they took supplements in 2022, compared to 80% in 2021. Many other notable changes in usage patterns were included in the latest results from the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)’s annual Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements.

“This year’s data shows a remarkable picture of continuity and paints the landscape of a vibrant, mainstream industry,” said Brian Wommack, CRN’s senior vice president of communications, who debuted topline findings at the trade association’s Now, New, Next event in Phoenix, AZ. “While overall usage is down slightly from its pandemic peak, reported usage of immunity-boosting supplements, including vitamin D, vitamin C, and zinc, is steady from last year.”

The survey was conducted online Aug. 9-12, 2022, among 3,133 U.S. adults age 18+, including 2,342 adults who report consuming dietary supplements seasonally, occasionally, or regularly.

Of all supplement users, 46% were male while 53% were female, and supplement purchases were distributed fairly evenly across age groups. The user population was 77% white, 15% Hispanic, 12% Black, and 6% Asian. According to the survey, supplement use saw the strongest decline among those with lower incomes, as well as white and Hispanic Americans. Supplement use indexed high among women, older adults, and individuals with a higher education level and household income.

Purchase Patterns

Shoppers have migrated back to brick-and-mortar retailers in substantial numbers over the past year. Product labels (62%) were the most-cited reason for purchasing a dietary supplement, including seals for quality, organic, non-GMO, and natural.

Price was the second-most common purchase factor at 51%. Just under half (45%) of adults said that a recommendation from a doctor was the number-one motivator, followed by specific ingredients (31%) and brand names (29%).

Wommack specifically noted a rise in the attention people are paying to brands. “People are picking up bottles, reading labels, and really focusing on the specific brands or ingredients,” he said. “By and large, consumers are looking for these branded ingredients. Most people have a higher confidence and see more value in them, and are also taking into consideration what a product brand means in terms of the quality of its ingredients.”

Men (61% vs. 50% total) were more likely to say that branded ingredients worked better than generic versions. Younger adults between the ages of 18 and 54 (66%) were more likely to be willing to pay a higher price for branded ingredients than those over the age of 55 (55%). People with higher incomes are more likely to view branded ingredients as more efficacious, according to the survey. 

Mindsets and Motivators

When it came to health needs, 45% of respondents said they would consider using dietary supplements upon the recommendation of a doctor. About one third (32%) of respondents said that if they experienced a change in health status then they would consider using dietary supplements. Twenty-three percent of adults said they’d consider purchasing supplements if the cost was covered by insurance, compared to 18% who said the same last year.

On a broad level, the COVID-19 pandemic is not as influential a purchase driver as it was last year. Two-thirds of supplement users said they’ve added new supplements or increased their dose this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is slightly fewer respondents than last year.

When asked about their top motivator for taking dietary supplements, the most common responses were “maintaining my health” and “live healthier/adopt healthier habits.” According to Wommack, supplement users reported that they exercised, ate a balanced diet, visited their doctor regularly, and regularly got a good night’s sleep significantly more than non-users.

A large majority (77%) of Americans surveyed said they found the dietary supplements industry trustworthy. Among supplement users, that number is 84%. While unsurprising, supplement users were much more likely than non-users to report being confident in the safety and quality (96% vs. 61%) as well as the effectiveness (93% vs. 53%) of supplements overall.

Specialty Supplements on the Rise

The multivitamin/mineral supplement still remains at the top of the charts, with 70% of users taking them over the past 12 months. But specialty supplements, defined as condition-specific or containing specialty ingredients, are rising in popularity.

More than half (52%) of users reported taking a specialty supplement, most of which were omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, melatonin, and fiber. Herbs were the second most popular supplement type used (42%), while sports nutrition supplements were used by 39% of respondents, up five points from 2021.

“Overall, our survey findings were pretty consistent with those of the prior year,” Wommack said. “We saw a lot of turmoil in the marketplace, but now we’re seeing a pretty solid rebound back to behaviors observed prior to the pandemic. Through the pandemic and its uncertain times to today, usage reasons held consistent. I think that the broader socioeconomic factors at play are probably influencing declines in usage that we see, with people experiencing competing spending priorities as a result of inflation.”