science
U.S. Adults' Supplement Use Shows Modest Drop in Multivitamins but Rise in Vitamin D and Curcumin, 1999-2023
A study of more than 63,000 adults found multivitamin use declined while vitamin D and curcumin rose sharply. Older adults showed the largest increase in overall supplement use.
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U.S. adults found that supplement use patterns changed between 1999 and 2023, with multivitamin and multimineral products declining modestly while single-nutrient and non-vitamin supplements gained ground. The analysis, published in JAMA Network Open in 2026, tracked trends through recent years and identified the five most commonly used supplements as multivitamins or multiminerals, vitamin D, vitamin C, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Chun Sing Jason Lam, a postdoctoral research fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and one of the study authors, said the results point to a move away from broad formulations. "Broadly, the study results suggest that Americans are moving away from a 'one-size-fits-all' multivitamin [and] multimineral approach and toward supplements marketed for specific goals, such as immune support, inflammation, gut health, skin, joints and healthy aging," he said.
U.S. Adults in 1999–2000 to 29 percent in recent years. Curcumin use increased eightfold over the same period. Among adults aged 65 and over, supplement use rose from around 62 percent to 78 percent, the largest increase recorded among demographic subgroups examined.
Lam said the study did not examine dose, frequency, blood vitamin D levels, deficiency status, dietary intake, sun exposure, or whether supplementation was recommended by a clinician. Hedva Barenholtz Levy, a geriatric pharmacy specialist and author of Maybe It’s Your Medications, said many older adults are influenced by trends and marketing.
"Americans are increasingly interested in staying healthy as they age, and I am seeing much greater use of supplements, as reflected in [this study]," she said.
The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements advises consumers to tell their doctor about any supplements they are taking. Supplements are not regulated as strictly as prescription drugs. Reference: Lam CS, O’Connell K, Monroy-Iglesias MJ, et al.
