60.2% of US adults took a dietary supplement in 2021 to 2023, yet the USPSTF finds too little evidence that multivitamins prevent heart disease or cancer. That is about 1 in 1.66 adults (our arithmetic).
Who takes supplements
During August 2021 to August 2023, 60.2% of US adults age 20 and older used a dietary supplement in the past 30 days, and 38.7% used two or more. More women than men took one, 66.1% against 53.9%, and use rose with age. Among adults, use of any supplement rose to 60.2% from 53.8% in the 2013 to 2014 survey cycle.
| Adults age 20 and older | Used any dietary supplement in the past 30 days, % |
|---|---|
| All adults | 60.2 |
| Women | 66.1 |
| Men | 53.9 |
| Ages 20 to 39 | 46.3 |
| Ages 40 to 59 | 60.3 |
| Ages 60 and older | 75.9 |
Multivitamins are a large part of that (our inference). The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements puts multivitamin use at an estimated one third of US adults.
What the evidence says
In its 2022 statement, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against beta carotene or vitamin E supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer, a grade D recommendation. For multivitamins, and for single or paired nutrients other than those two, it finds the evidence insufficient to weigh benefits against harms, an I statement.
The statement covers community-dwelling, nonpregnant adults. It does not cover children, people who are pregnant or able to become pregnant, people who are chronically ill or hospitalized, or people with a known nutritional deficiency. Separately, the task force recommends that everyone planning or capable of pregnancy take a daily supplement with 0.4 to 0.8 mg of folic acid.
What Americans spend
US sales of all dietary supplements reached an estimated $55.7 billion in 2020, in figures cited by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Of that, $21.2 billion was for products with vitamins, minerals or both, and $8.0 billion for multivitamins with or without minerals. Multivitamins made up 14% of all supplement purchases in 2019.
What the numbers do not say
The NHANES figure counts any dietary supplement taken in the past 30 days, not only vitamins. It measures something different from the earlier version’s weekly multivitamin shares, so the two are not a trend (our inference). An I statement means the evidence is too thin to judge, not that multivitamins are proven useless or proven harmful (our inference). The sales figures are 2020 estimates, the latest the fact sheet cites. The earlier version’s odds comparisons, its newspaper quotes and its 2009 sales projection are not updated.
The short version
Six in 10 US adults took a dietary supplement in 2021 to 2023, women more than men and older adults most of all. The USPSTF advises against beta carotene and vitamin E for preventing heart disease or cancer and finds too little evidence to judge multivitamins.
Last checked: November 3, 2026, against NCHS Data Brief No. 561 on dietary supplement use, the USPSTF recommendation statement of June 21, 2022, and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements multivitamin fact sheet. This article was machine-checked against the sources above and has not been expert-reviewed. Spotted an error or a newer public figure? Please tell us on our contact page with the article link and we will review it.
Sources
- S1 Stierman, Bryan, Catharine A. Couch, Jaime J. Gahche, and Suruchi Mishra. Dietary Supplement Use: United States, August 2021 to August 2023. NCHS Data Brief No. 561, National Center for Health Statistics, May 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db561.htm Accessed Nov 3, 2026.
- S2 US Preventive Services Task Force. Vitamin, Mineral, and Multivitamin Supplementation to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: Preventive Medication. Final Recommendation Statement, June 21, 2022. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/vitamin-supplementation-to-prevent-cvd-and-cancer-preventive-medication Accessed Nov 3, 2026.
- S3 NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Multivitamin/mineral Supplements: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated July 17, 2024. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/MVMS-HealthProfessional/ Accessed Nov 3, 2026.