of U.S. adults used a dietary supplement in the prior 30 days.
This nationally representative estimate covers adults age 20 and older during the 2017-2018 survey cycle.
Source: NCHS, 2021Reference Desk
U.S. dietary supplement statistics.
A practical, sourced snapshot of who uses dietary supplements in the United States, how usage changes by age, and the product types people report taking.
Last updated September 1, 2026. Latest national estimates on this page cover 2017-2018.
Explore the data
What this page measures
Usage, not a promise.
These figures describe reported use, not product effectiveness. They come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative survey of the U.S. noninstitutionalized population.
Dietary supplements can add nutrients to a routine, but they can also contribute to excessive intake or interact with medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's dietary supplement guidance is a useful starting point for understanding how supplements are regulated.
Key statistics
Ten citable findings from the national data.
women reported use more often than men.
The reported 30-day use rate was 63.8% for women and 50.8% for men.
Source: NCHS, 2021of adults age 20-39 reported use, depending on sex.
The rate was 35.9% among men age 20-39 and 49.0% among women in the same age range.
Source: NCHS, 2021of adults age 60 and older reported use, depending on sex.
The rate rose to 67.3% among men age 60 and older and 80.2% among women age 60 and older.
Source: NCHS, 2021of adults reported taking no dietary supplements in the prior 30 days.
The same survey found that 22.5% used one product, while the remaining adults used two or more.
Source: NCHS, 2021of adults reported taking four or more dietary supplements.
Among adults age 60 and older, the share reporting four or more products was 24.9%.
Source: NCHS, 2021used multivitamin-mineral products across adult age groups.
Use ranged from 24.0% among adults age 20-39 to 39.4% among adults age 60 and older.
Source: NCHS, 2021used vitamin D across adult age groups.
Reported vitamin D use increased from 6.7% among adults age 20-39 to 36.9% among adults age 60 and older.
Source: NCHS, 2021used omega-3 fatty acid products across adult age groups.
Reported omega-3 use increased from 5.4% among adults age 20-39 to 21.8% among adults age 60 and older.
Source: NCHS, 2021was the age-adjusted rise in adult supplement use over a decade.
The age-adjusted rate increased between the 2007-2008 and 2017-2018 survey cycles.
Source: NCHS, 2021Methodology and sources
How to read these figures.
The primary source is National Center for Health Statistics, Dietary Supplement Use Among Adults: United States, 2017-2018, Data Brief No. 399 (February 2021). Its estimates are based on 30-day self-reported use collected in the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This page preserves the source's age bands and wording where they affect interpretation.
- National Center for Health Statistics: Dietary Supplement Use Among Adults, United States, 2017-2018
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Dietary Supplements
The national survey data are the latest published adult estimates located for this page as of September 1, 2026. This page will be refreshed when a newer comparable national release becomes available.
Cite this page
Exotic Gorilla. U.S. Dietary Supplement Use Statistics. Updated September 1, 2026. Reference this source page.