Why was this study done?

The number of people who use non-vitamin, non-mineral supplements is unknown. This study was an attempt to better understand herbal and other non-vitamin supplement use.

What did the study find?

The study found that around 32.7% of adult health plan members used at least one supplement that was not a vitamin. The most frequently used herbs were Echinacea (14.7%) and Gingko biloba (10.9%). Use was highest among females, 45 to 64 years of age, whites, and college graduates.



Nonvitamin, nonmineral supplement use over a 12-month period by adult members of a large health maintenance organization.
Authors: Schaffer DM, Gordon NP, Jensen CD, Avins AL. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003 Nov;103(11):1500-5.
PubMed Citation PMID: 14576716