The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) recently released a survey that indicated, among other statistics, that approximately 68 percent of all adults in the United States report taking dietary supplements on a regular basis.

As part of the survey, CRN asked respondents what type of supplements they take. Responses were divided into four popular categories. Here are the top four categories of supplements used in the United States, according to information gained from the CRN survey:

1. Vitamins and Minerals
A whopping 97 percent of respondents who say they take regular dietary supplements reported using supplements that fall into the category of vitamins and minerals. Of these people, the most popular types of vitamins and minerals taken include multivitamins (75 percent), vitamin D (30 percent), calcium (24 percent), vitamin C (24 percent) and vitamin B/B complex (21 percent).

2. Specialty Supplements
Approximately 43 percent of people who responded to the survey report using what are classified as “specialty supplements.” The largest category of these specialty supplements was omega-3/fatty acids (19 percent), which include popular fish oil supplements. These supplements are generally used to lower blood pressure and treat rheumatoid arthritis, among other benefits. Respondents also reported taking supplements including fiber (12 percent), probiotics (10 percent), glucosamine/chrondroitin (10 percent) and CoQ10 (7 percent).

3. Herbals and Botanicals
Out of the people who reported using herbals and botanicals (26 percent of respondents), the largest percent say they drink green tea on a regular basis (10 percent). Other natural ingredients that were common for people who use herbal and botanical products were garlic (7 percent), cranberry (6 percent), Echinacea (5 percent) and ginseng (5 percent).

4. Sports Nutrition and Weight Management
People taking supplements for the purposes of sports nutrition or weight management accounted for about 19 percent of respondents in the survey. Within this category, the most common type of supplement was a protein supplement (10 percent), trailed by energy drinks and gels (7 percent), garcinia cambogia (4 percent), green coffee (3 percent) and hydration drinks and gels (3 percent).

To view the full results of this survey and to learn more about why people are taking supplements in higher numbers than ever before and what groups of people are most likely to take supplements, you can view the survey results here.

If you have any questions about nutritional supplement marketing and how to tap into their growing popularity, we encourage you to reach out to us at Nutritional Products International today.