Most adults and 1/3 of children take dietary supplements

Most U.S. adults and a third of children use dietary supplements, according to a new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which focused on supplement use from 2017 to March 2020. 

Researchers found that nearly 59% of adults, and 35% of children and adolescents had used at least one dietary supplement in the past 30 days. 

Experts say the use of dietary supplements is probably higher now, as it grew during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were trying to boost immunity. 

However, the market for supplements has been growing worldwide for at least a decade. 

According to one market research and consulting company, in the U.S. alone, it was an estimated $20.5 billion market in 2021. 

The new research did find some demographic consistencies, in which women used dietary supplements more than men. It also revealed that the more education or money someone had, the more likely they were to use a supplement.