Fish oil becomes most popular dietary supplement in ConsumerLab.com survey; Vitamin D and resveratrol use surge

WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK — FEBRUARY 1, 2010 — Among people who use multiple dietary supplements, fish oil/omega-3 supplements now top multivitamins in popularity, according to a recent survey by ConsumerLab.com. The survey also shows that vitamin D use jumped 30% since last year and resveratrol use surged by 66%. The ConsumerLab.com survey is based on 6,012 responses collected in November from a sampling of subscribers to the ConsumerLab.com free e-newsletter. Most respondents use multiple supplements.

"We conduct the annual survey to help direct our product testing toward categories and brands of greatest interest to our subscribers; but the survey also yields insight into the nutrition marketplace," said Tod Cooperman, MD, President of ConsumerLab.com. Among the survey's key findings:

• Fish oil/omega-3 supplements were used by 74.0% of respondents (up from 71.6% in 2008), followed in popularity by multivitamins, which were used by 72% (down from 73.8% in the prior year).Among the heaviest supplement users (10 or more per day), 87% used fish oil. The percentage of people using fish oil/omega-3 remained steady among those aged 35 through 74, dropping slightly among older people.
• CoQ10 became third most popular supplement with 55% using it, up from 50.9% last year. Calcium use fell from 55.3% to 51.2%.
• Vitamin D was used by 47.9% of respondents, up from 36.9% in 2008 — a 30% increase, making it the fifth most popular supplement. Vitamin D use was seen to increase dramatically with increasing age.
• Probiotics were used by 30.4% of respondents, up from 25% last year. One-third of women in the survey used a probiotic.
• Resveratrol was used by 19.4% of respondents, up from only 11.7% last year — a 66% increase. Men polled were 50% more likely than women to use resveratrol.
• Among the places where supplements were purchased, online stores were the most popular, used by 44.1% of respondents. This high percentage was due to use of dedicated online retailers as well as the online extensions of merchants traditionally in other retail channels. The next most common place to purchase a supplement was a health food store (33.5%), followed by a vitamin store (27.2%), mail order catalogue (26.9%), pharmacy (25.4%), and warehouse club (24.8%). The next most popular places were supermarkets, mass merchants, direct distributors, and health care practitioners.

Respondents also gave ratings for 1,481 brands and 1,182 merchants that they used. Fifty-seven brands and 27 merchants each received at least one hundred consumer ratings. Those receiving the highest rating on overall consumer satisfaction within their specific market segment are listed at https://www.consumerlab.com/news/Supplement_Users_Survey_Ratings/2_1_2010/.

The comprehensive, 104-page ConsumerLab.com 2010 Survey of Vitamin and Supplement Users Report analyzes and compares consumers' satisfaction with popular brands of supplements and supplement merchants. The report also examines the use of 26 specific types of supplements and nutritional products. Results are analyzed by respondent age, gender, and level of supplement use. The report is available for purchase. Custom analyses are also available.

For more information or to purchase the report, go to https://www.consumerlab.com/reports/clsurveybrochure2010.pdf or contact Lisa Sabin, Vice President for Business Development, at lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com.

ConsumerLab.com also provides over 60 Product Review reports based on laboratory testing of supplement and nutritional products. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com's category-specific test reports is available online.

ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately held has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.



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