“As consumers continue to confront the devastating public health effects of COVID-19, Americans are focused more than ever on their overall health and well-being,” said Brian Wommack, SVP, Communications, CRN, in the press release. “As evidenced in the survey, dietary supplements continue to play a critical role in the lives of most Americans, and even more so in light of the ongoing health crisis. More than three quarters of Americans report taking dietary supplements and the overwhelming majority of supplement users, 83 percent, believe these products play an important role in helping to support health and wellness during COVID-19.”
Of the portion of supplement users who changed their habits, 91% report increasing their supplement intake, a press release says. 46% added new supplements to their existing routines, 25% took the same supplements more regularly, and 22% increased dosages.
The reasons for altering consumption included:
- Overall immune support (57%)
- Health/wellness benefits (53%)
- Reducing the risk of serious illness (42%)
- Gaining control over health (34%)
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Another, less-encouraging finding: 38% of those surveyed have heard or read that there are dietary supplements that can possibly prevent or treat COVID-19. “CRN would like to remind the dietary supplement industry and consumers that supplements may not claim to prevent, treat, or cure COVID-19,” said Luke Huber, ND, MBA, VP, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, CRN. “CRN believes supplementation is an important component in maintaining a healthy lifestyle which also includes a proper diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep.”“CRN and Ipsos’ recent survey demonstrates that in light of the pandemic, most supplement users believe it is important that they continue incorporating dietary supplements into their lifestyle (88 percent), with many supplement users actually increasing their intake of dietary supplements,” said Chris Jackson, SVP, Public Affairs, Ipsos. “The data not only show increases in supplement intake throughout the pandemic, but point to sustained usage in the future as nearly all supplement users who changed their regimen (98 percent) indicate that they are likely to continue with their current dietary supplement routine moving forward. This data point, paired with supplement users’ sustained engagement in healthy lifestyle habits, suggests lasting changes as consumers continue to confront this public health crisis.”
For information on purchasing the survey, contact Holly Vogtman athvogtman@crnusa.org.
