Probiotics Are Becoming More In Vogue
Fewer people are taking fish oil, vitamin C and calcium supplements, according to a recent survey of dietary supplement users.
The survey, conducted by Consumerlab.com, also showed that the number of people using probiotics has increased.
“The changes in supplement use seem to reflect research findings that made headlines this past year, as well as a shift in promotional emphasis for some of these supplements,” Dr. Tod Cooperman, M.D., the president of ConsumerLab.com, said in a statement.
“In the past, probiotics were marketed mainly to women and for irritable bowel syndrome, but are now finding a wider audience due to expanded treatment applications, including antibiotic-related diarrhea, diverticular disease and even anxiety,” Cooperman said. “Meanwhile, too much calcium has been shown to pose increased risk of cardiovascular disease, while high-dose vitamin C appears to increase the risk of kidney stones and cataracts. The benefits of fish oil now seem largely limited to people who don’t eat fish or have high triglycerides.”
The survey included more than 10,000 people, and respondents were all classified as “heavy” users of supplements (taking 6.6 supplements a day, on average).