Top supplements Americans use are shifting from multivitamins to targeted health fixes

by Sanjukta Mondal, Medical Xpress

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Dietary supplements are an excellent way to fill gaps in our nutritional requirements. From vitamins and macronutrients to gut-health probiotics, dietary supplements have helped people address deficiencies. In recent years, however, the goal of consuming supplements has gone from addressing what's lacking to improving or maintaining overall health.

A recent study investigated supplement consumption trends among U.S. citizens over the last 25 years. More adults in the U.S. are taking dietary supplements than in previous decades, but the way they use them has changed significantly.

According to findings published in JAMA Network Open, supplement use has become increasingly common over the past two decades. Between 1999 and 2023, the share of adults taking at least one supplement rose by 9%. It isn't just the number of people using supplements that has changed, but also how they're taking them. People are shifting away from a one-size-fits-all multivitamin to a more personalized approach to health, choosing targeted supplements tailored to specific health needs.

A few among the plethora of supplements stand out. Vitamin D use exploded from roughly 5% of adults in 1999 to 29%, and omega-3 supplements, commonly taken as fish oil, saw a similar surge from about 2% to 14% over the same 25-year period.

Tracking trends across US

Food is the primary source of energy and nutrition. A balanced diet is meant to contain most of the macro- and micronutrients, such as minerals, vitamins, amino acids and gut-friendly bacteria.

Dietary supplements are usually recommended by a doctor when there are deficiencies in certain categories, to recover from an ailment or to prepare the body for changes such as pregnancy. The focus has, however, shifted toward optimizing health with the help of supplements.

The dietary supplements market was valued at nearly $200 billion in 2024 and is projected to double by 2033. A similar trend is also observed globally. With more than 100,000 dietary supplement products on the market, tracking how usage patterns shift over time is essential for shaping clinical guidance and public health messaging.

The stakes are even higher, given that supplements don't have to undergo the routine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) premarket approval for safety and efficacy that most pharmaceutical drugs require. Also, only 1 in 4 products is used under the guidance of a health care professional.

To track long-term habits, researchers turned to a massive data set: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), spanning more than two decades.

They looked at 63,442 adults, ages 20 and older, surveyed between 1999 and August 2023. During interviews, participants were asked one question: whether they had taken any dietary supplements in the past 30 days. Every product mentioned was then cross-checked against a national database.

They categorized the supplements into vitamins, minerals, multivitamins—containing 10 or more vitamins or minerals—and nonvitamin products like herbs or fish oil.

Supplement use rose from 51% in 1999 to 60% in 2023. The number of adults taking four or more supplements nearly doubled, rising from about 9% to 15%. Over the study period, use stayed largely flat for years before increasing after 2009–2010. There was a surge in immune health products such as zinc and elderberry, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Probiotics for gut health also increased, along with collagen and hyaluronic acid for skin and joint health. The largest increase in supplement use was among adults 65 and older. By 2023, nearly 78% reported taking at least one supplement.

The researchers note that the U.S. supplement market has become highly diversified and market-driven. They emphasize the need to keep a close eye on how these new products are being used and brought to market.

At the same time, there's an ongoing need to study whether these supplements actually work, whether they're safe and how their effects might differ across different groups of people, questions that matter directly for public health.

Written for you by our author Sanjukta Mondal, edited by Sadie Harley, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.

Publication details

Chun Sing Lam et al, Emerging Patterns in Dietary Supplement Use Among US Adults, 1999-2023, JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.19291

Journal information: JAMA Network Open

Key medical concepts

Dietary SupplementsFatty Acids, Omega-3Vitamin DProbioticsZinc

Clinical categories

Healthy livingPreventive medicineNutrition & Healthy eating Who's behind this story?

Sanjukta Mondal

Master's in Chemistry. Freelance science journalist and communicator. Published in Chemistry World, BioSpace, and The Hindu. Full profile →

Sadie Harley

BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →

Robert Egan

Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →

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