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Dietary Supplement Use: United States, August 2021-August 2023
NCHS Data Brief
|May 29, 2026
Summary
Dietary supplement use increased in US adults and youth from 2013-2023. In 2021-2023, over 60% of adults and 35% of youth used supplements, with increased use of multiple supplements across both groups.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health Surveillance
Background:
- Dietary supplement consumption is prevalent in the United States.
- Understanding trends in supplement use among different age demographics is crucial for public health.
- Previous data on supplement use patterns, particularly among youth, requires regular updates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the prevalence of dietary supplement use in the past 30 days among US youth (0-19 years) and adults (20+ years).
- To determine the number of dietary supplements used by these age groups.
- To analyze trends in dietary supplement use from 2013-2014 through 2021-2023.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dietary supplement use questionnaire.
- Employed complex survey design analyses, accounting for nonresponse and selection probabilities.
- Applied linear regression and t-tests for group comparisons and orthogonal polynomial regression for trend analysis over time.
Main Results:
- During August 2021-August 2023, 35.7% of youth and 60.2% of adults reported using dietary supplements in the past 30 days.
- Use of two or more dietary supplements increased in both youth (11.3%) and adults (38.7%).
- Significant increasing trends in any supplement use were observed among adults, and in the use of multiple supplements among both youth and adults from 2013-2014 to 2021-2023.
Conclusions:
- Dietary supplement consumption remains high and shows increasing trends in the US population.
- Both youth and adults are increasingly using multiple dietary supplements.
- Continued monitoring of supplement use patterns is essential for public health initiatives and consumer guidance.
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