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Collagen and Magnesium Rise in Popularity, as Fish Oil and Curcumin Dip in Latest ConsumerLab Survey of Supplement Users
White Plains, New York, February 29, 2020 — A recent survey of 9,782 people who use dietary supplements shows that collagen (+ 4.1 percentage points), magnesium (+ 2.3 pts) and CBD (+ 2.6 pts) experienced the greatest absolute growth in popularity over the past year, while the greatest declines were with curcumin and turmeric (- 9.9 pts), cinnamon (- 9.0 pts), CoQ10 (- 4.4 pts), coconut oil (- 4.3 pts), and fish oil (- 3.9 pts). The results are based on responses to the most recent ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin and Supplement Users. The Survey is conducted each November among readers of ConsumerLab.com's semiweekly newsletter.
Despite a slight decrease, vitamin D (- 0.4 pts) remained the most popular supplement, purchased by 66% of respondents. With its continued rise in popularity, magnesium secured its place as the second most popular supplement, used by 53.5% of respondents, surpassing fish oil. CoQ10 remained in fourth place this year, followed by multivitamins (- 1.3 pts), probiotics (- 2.7 pts), curcumin and turmeric (- 9.9 pts), vitamin C (- 1.0 pt), B-complexes (- 1.1 pts) and vitamin B12 (+ 2.2 pts). Among the top 50 supplements, 30 declined in popularity while only 19 showed an increase. The survey assessed the popularity of 169 types of supplements and analyzed popularity by respondent age, gender, and frequency of supplement use.
Although CBD (including hemp extracts) rose to be the 31st most popular product, used by 14.5% of respondents, its growth slowed from earlier years. At the end of 2017, only 5.6% of respondents reported using CBD. This rose to 11.9% by the end of 2018, making CBD the 40th most popular supplement, up from 84th the prior year. Although CBD is widely available online and in smaller stores, it is not legal to market CBD as a dietary supplement according to the FDA, and it is not available from traditional mass market stores or major pharmacies and vitamin chains other than in topical form. (A special release about respondents uses and perceived benefits of CBD will be released in early March).
The ConsumerLab.com Survey was first conducted in 2002. Respondents are active users of supplements, with over 82% taking at least four different supplements daily, and rely on ConsumerLab's extensive product reviews and information when choosing and using supplements and health foods. Respondents also identified and rated the supplement brands and merchants they used (see the release on Top Rated Supplement Brands and Merchants).
"We began the annual survey to guide our testing toward supplement categories and brands of greatest interest to ConsumerLab.com readers," noted Dr. Cooperman. "It has evolved into an important indicator of change in the market for dietary supplements and health foods."
An extensive 180+ page report based on the survey is available as the Dietary Supplement Consumer Trends and Preferences Report - 2020. To purchase the report, contact Lisa Sabin at lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com.
Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to continually updated reviews of nearly every popular type of dietary supplement and health food, answers to reader questions, and product recalls and warnings. ConsumerLab also provides independent product testing through its voluntary Quality Certification Program. The company is privately held and based in New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
Copyright 2020 ConsumerLab.com, LLC. All rights reserved. It is unlawful to copy, excerpt, or distribute this content, nor use it for any promotional or commercial purpose, without express prior written permission from ConsumerLab.com, LLC.
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Despite a slight decrease, vitamin D (- 0.4 pts) remained the most popular supplement, purchased by 66% of respondents. With its continued rise in popularity, magnesium secured its place as the second most popular supplement, used by 53.5% of respondents, surpassing fish oil. CoQ10 remained in fourth place this year, followed by multivitamins (- 1.3 pts), probiotics (- 2.7 pts), curcumin and turmeric (- 9.9 pts), vitamin C (- 1.0 pt), B-complexes (- 1.1 pts) and vitamin B12 (+ 2.2 pts). Among the top 50 supplements, 30 declined in popularity while only 19 showed an increase. The survey assessed the popularity of 169 types of supplements and analyzed popularity by respondent age, gender, and frequency of supplement use.
Although CBD (including hemp extracts) rose to be the 31st most popular product, used by 14.5% of respondents, its growth slowed from earlier years. At the end of 2017, only 5.6% of respondents reported using CBD. This rose to 11.9% by the end of 2018, making CBD the 40th most popular supplement, up from 84th the prior year. Although CBD is widely available online and in smaller stores, it is not legal to market CBD as a dietary supplement according to the FDA, and it is not available from traditional mass market stores or major pharmacies and vitamin chains other than in topical form. (A special release about respondents uses and perceived benefits of CBD will be released in early March).
The ConsumerLab.com Survey was first conducted in 2002. Respondents are active users of supplements, with over 82% taking at least four different supplements daily, and rely on ConsumerLab's extensive product reviews and information when choosing and using supplements and health foods. Respondents also identified and rated the supplement brands and merchants they used (see the release on Top Rated Supplement Brands and Merchants).
"We began the annual survey to guide our testing toward supplement categories and brands of greatest interest to ConsumerLab.com readers," noted Dr. Cooperman. "It has evolved into an important indicator of change in the market for dietary supplements and health foods."
An extensive 180+ page report based on the survey is available as the Dietary Supplement Consumer Trends and Preferences Report - 2020. To purchase the report, contact Lisa Sabin at lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com.
Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to continually updated reviews of nearly every popular type of dietary supplement and health food, answers to reader questions, and product recalls and warnings. ConsumerLab also provides independent product testing through its voluntary Quality Certification Program. The company is privately held and based in New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
Copyright 2020 ConsumerLab.com, LLC. All rights reserved. It is unlawful to copy, excerpt, or distribute this content, nor use it for any promotional or commercial purpose, without express prior written permission from ConsumerLab.com, LLC.
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