Forty Percent Of Americans Take Vitamins

About 40% of Americans popped a vitamin or mineral within the past month, researchers report.

The most common vitamins taken include vitamin C, B12, B6, niacin, thiamin, B2, E, A, D and folic acid.

While most vitamin and mineral products are harmless, even safe products can have side effects or be considered unsafe if taken with other products or in excessive amounts, according to a report published in the March edition of the Archives of Family Medicine.

The authors, led by Lina Balluz of the Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, noted that at least 300 non-vitamin and non-mineral products were also reportedly taken -- some of which do have proven toxic effects.

"I am surprised at the number of people who are willing to pop so many pills and not think anything about it," said Holly Noble, a registered dietician in the University of Michigan Health System.

"It"s wise to seek the counsel of a doctor or dietician" before taking any supplement, she advised.

In order to determine how common vitamin and mineral supplementation is in the United States, the researchers looked at the national use of these supplements as reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. More than 11,000 respondents reported taking at least one vitamin or mineral supplement within the previous 30 days, a number judged to be equivalent to 40% of the US population.

Most common were vitamin-mineral combinations, followed by vitamin-single nutrient combinations and vitamin-multiple nutrient combinations.

The highest use of any type of supplement was among non-Hispanic whites (42.6%). More women (57%) than men (43%) took supplements.

In the past few years, folic acid supplements have been encouraged among women of childbearing age to reduce the likelihood of their bearing children with neural tube defects. This study found that women were more likely to take these supplements than men, especially in the childbearing age group of women (20 to 49).

The authors recommend that dietary supplements have labels that clearly indicate ingredients. They also advise that people planning to take supplements check with their doctor, and health professionals ask every patient about supplement use.

"This isn"t a taboo subject," said Noble. She said it is important to be counseled about the use of vitamins and minerals, and to remember that these supplements are "not a solution to a poor diet." There are many nutrients found in fresh foods that are still not available in supplement form, she added.

The researchers note that Americans spend up to $1.7 billion each year on vitamins and minerals.

SOURCE:

• Reuters Health, March 14, 2000
• Archives of Family Medicine, March 2000; 9:258-262