WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., February 2, 2011— Fish oil beat out multivitamin use, which declined in 2010, but still managed to come in second as the most popular supplement, according to the 2011 ConsumerLab.com Survey of Vitamin and Supplement Users Report. Rounding out the top five were vitamin D, calcium and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Most respondents in the survey reported using multiple supplements.

Fish oil continued its rise in popularity, used by 75 percent of those surveyed, up from 74 percent in 2009. Use of vitamin D was up in 2010 at 56.2 percent of those surveyed, up from 47.9 percent in 2009 and 36.9 percent in 2008–a 52 percent increase over the two-year period. Meanwhile, multivitamin use declined to 70.1 percent last year from 72.0 percent in 2009 and 73.8 percent in 2008. Calcium was the fourth most popular supplement, used by 55.3 percent of respondents, up from 51.2 percent last year; and use of CoQ10, the fifth most popular supplement, fell in use from 55 percent to 53 percent of respondents.

The surveyed also reported use of herbs and extracts was down from 44 percent to 37.6 percent, and use of glucosamine/chondroitin was also down from 38.5 percent to 35.3 percent.

The survey found women were more likely than men to have taken vitamin D, calcium or probiotics. Men were more likely than women to have taken CoQ10, herbs and extracts, glucosamine/chondroitin, vitamin E, resveratrol, amino acids, nutrition drinks and powders. Younger adults were more likely to have used a multivitamin than older adults: 73 percent of people aged 35 to 44 used a multivitamin, compared to 67.9 percent of those aged 75 to 84. Younger adults were also more likely than older adults to have used amino acids, nutrition/protein drinks and powders, green tea, nutrition bars and iron. However, older adults were more likely than younger adults to have used vitamin D, calcium, CoQ10, vitamin C, vitamin E, resveratrol, vitamin K and red yeast rice. For example, 64.9 percent of those aged 75 to 84 used vitamin D, compared to 48 percent of those 35 to 44.

Online stores were the most common merchant people used to purchase supplements, used by 46.5 percent of respondents–up from 44.1 percent in 2009 and 39.9 percent in 2008.The increase was offset by small declines in the use of vitamin stores, mass merchants and direct distributors.

Article courtesy of Natural Product Marketplace, found here.