Report: Half of Americans Take Supplements

About half of U.S. adults take vitamins, minerals or other supplements, a survey finds. That rate has been steady for the last decade, but it’s higher than levels in the 1990s. The biggest change is an increase in women taking calcium. About 2 out of 3 women age 60 and older take it. That’s more than double the rate in the early 1990s. Experts said people who take supplements are also more likely to be well educated and follow healthy diets. Most of them probably don’t need the supplements, an expert told the Associated Press. The new report is based on large government surveys done from 2003 through 2008. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released it April 13.