The Top Supplements of 2009

One of my favorite consumer websites is from ConsumerLab.com; they perform independent testing of the common supplements, herbs and vitamins that most of us use. Consider it the Consumer Reports of supplements. They charge to use the site but they have a free weekly newsletter, which this week had the following survey results of the most common supplements of 2009:

Fish oil/omega-3 supplements were used by 74.0% of respondents (up from 71.6% in 2008), followed in popularity by multivitamins, which were used by 72% (down from 73.8% in the prior year).  Among the heaviest supplement users (10 or more per day), 87% used fish oil.  The percentage of people using fish oil/omega-3 remained steady among those aged 35 through 74, dropping slightly among older people.
CoQ10 became third most popular supplement with 55% using it, up from 50.9% last year.  Calcium use fell from 55.3% to 51.2%, making it the fourth most popular supplement.
Vitamin D was used by 47.9% of respondents, up from 36.9% in 2008 – a 30% increase, making it the fifth most popular supplement.  Vitamin D use was seen to increase dramatically with increasing age.  The next most popular supplements were B vitaminsvitamin C, herbs/extracts, minerals, and glucosamine/chondroitin.
Probiotics were used by 30.4% of respondents, up from 25% last year,making it the eleventh most popular category.  One-third of women in the survey used a probiotic supplement.  Next most popular were  vitamin E,flaxseed/other oils, and amino acids.
Resveratrol was used by 19.4% of respondents, up from only 11.7% last year – a 66% increase, making it the fifteenth most popular supplement. Men polled were 50% more likely than women to use resveratrol.

I found it very interesting that vitamin D sales had jumped a lot, which was consistent with my recent report of its trendiness. And I also agree that the high use of omega-3 is justified.


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