Washington D.C.—The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) shared findings from its annual survey of U.S. adults, conducted by Ipsos. CRN's analysis of the data reveals that people use supplements to fill nutrition gaps, as well as to support their more active and healthy lifestyles and their aspiration for optimal wellness. Immunity is still among the top reasons people supplement, though it has declined slightly as a reason users give for taking supplements.
Key findings from the 2023 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements:
- 74% of U.S. adults take dietary supplements
- 55% qualifying as “regular users”
- 92% of users agree that dietary supplements are essential to maintaining their health
- 74% of Americans, including those who do not use supplements, say they trust the dietary supplement industry
- 83% of dietary supplement users affirming their trust in the industry, consistent with recent years.
CRN said the 2023 data provides insights into a changing post-pandemic mindset of consumers. It also spotlights potential growth opportunities in several product categories and reveals some areas of weaknesses. The survey also reveals changes in consumer views around trust and efficacy and spending habits, and delivers data that companies can use when strategizing about Q1 marketing budgets and long-range planning through 2024, according to CRN.
2023 Supplement category highlight:
Active nutrition & Weight management
Supplement users’ confidence in sports nutrition supplements and weight management supplements has increased. Among supplement users, confidence in the perceived safety and quality of sports nutrition supplements went up by five percentage points to 66% from last year, and by four percentage points in the weight management category, to 56% from 2022.
“Dietary supplements have become a non-negotiable component of so many Americans’ health habits—and this year’s survey data illustrates a consumer who recognizes that dietary supplements are vital to living the life they want to live,” said CRN President and CEO Steve Mister. “Today's dietary supplement consumer is confident in their decision to take supplements and reports that using supplements empowers them to take charge of their health and wellness—whether their supplementation habits include supporting their weekly basketball pickup game with products for energy, hydration, or joint health, addressing their need for better sleep with melatonin, or maybe taking a daily probiotic to help make sure their mornings run according to their schedule instead of being dictated by irritable bowel syndrome.”
About CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements
The survey has been conducted annually since 2000. In 2023, it was conducted online between August 9-14, among a nationally representative sample of 3,192 U.S. adults age 18+, including 2,328 adults who reported consuming dietary supplements seasonally, occasionally, or regularly.cThe survey is available for purchase at www.crnusa.org/2023survey.
