Vitamin D use increased 3.7 X, Omega-3 increased 9 X (US 1999-2012) – JAMA Oct 2016

Trends in Dietary Supplement Use Among US Adults From 1999-2012

JAMA. 2016;316(14):1464-1474. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.14403
Elizabeth D. Kantor, PhD1; Colin D. Rehm, PhD2; Mengmeng Du, ScD1,3; et al Emily White, PhD3,4; Edward L. Giovannucci, MD, ScD5,6

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As you get older you take more Vitamin D

2 X more women than men take Vitamin D

2 X more whites than blacks take Vitamin D

Guess: 3/4 of US senior white women consumed vitamin D in 2012

Objective To report trends in dietary supplement use among US adults.

Design, Setting, and Participants Serial cross-sectional study using nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected between 1999 and 2012. Participants include noninstitutionalized adults residing in the United States, surveyed over 7 continuous 2-year cycles (sample size per cycle, 4863 to 6213).

Exposures Calendar time, as represented by NHANES cycle.

Main Outcomes and Measures In an in-home interview, participants were queried on use of supplements in the preceding 30 days to estimate the prevalence of use within each NHANES cycle, and trends were evaluated across cycles. Outcomes included use of any supplements; use of multivitamins/multiminerals (MVMM; defined as a product containing =10 vitamins and/or minerals); and use of individual vitamins, minerals, and nonvitamin, nonmineral supplements. Data were analyzed overall and by population subgroup (including age, sex, race/ethnicity, and educational status), and were weighted to be nationally representative.

Results A total of 37,958 adults were included in the study (weighted mean age, 46.4 years; women, 52.0% ), with an overall response rate of 74%. Overall, the use of supplements remained stable between 1999 and 2012, with 52% of US adults reporting use of any supplements in 2011-2012 (P for trend = .19). This trend varied by population subgroup. Use of MVMM decreased, with 37% reporting use of MVMM in 1999-2000 and 31% reporting use in 2011-2012 (difference, -5.7% [95% CI, -8.6% to -2.7%], P for trend < .001).
Vitamin D supplementation from sources other than MVMM increased from 5.1% to 19% (difference, 14% [95% CI, 12% to 17%], P for trend < .001) and use of fish oil supplements increased from 1.3% to 12% (difference, 11% [95% CI, 9.1% to 12%], P for trend < .001) over the study period, whereas use of a number of other supplements decreased.

Conclusions and Relevance Among adults in the United States, overall use of dietary supplements remained stable from 1999-2012, use of MVMM decreased, and trends in use of individual supplements varied and were heterogeneous by population subgroups.

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Also reviewed by:

• Supplement Trends: Multivitamin Use Down, Probiotics & Vitamin D Up Live Science
  "All participants were asked whether they had taken any prescription or over-the-counter dietary supplements — vitamins, minerals, herbs or other supplements — within the last 30 days. Because interviewers met with each participant in their homes, they would also ask to see the supplement bottles, making the data more reliable than studies that rely primarily on a person's memory, the researchers said."
  . . "there was also a sevenfold increase in adults taking omega-3 fatty acids "
  . ."it does not provide information on the frequency or dose taken, and it might not reflect current patterns in 2016"
• Americans taking more vitamin D, omega-3s
  "Among American adults, 52% had taken a dietary supplements in the past 30 days, according to data from 2011-12 surveys. That's about the same as it has been since 1999-2000. "
  "Lycopene use also increased among men almost ninefold. Some research, particularly done in the lab and in animals, shows promise for reducing the risk of prostate cancer, but human studies have shown inconsistent results."
• Mercola Jan 2018