Many Supplements Are Taken With No Proof Of Effectiveness

As society becomes more health conscious we are always looking for ways to improve our levels of important vitamins and minerals. Getting nutrients into your body is thought of as a universally positive experience with many advantages to health and wellness. In fact, many Americans take at least one dietary supplement every day. A new study has looked into why people might do it and whether they guarantee results.

The study, created by researchers associated with the Harvard School of Public Health, noted that despite the increased use of supplements, little is known regarding the underlying reasons as to why people take them. As such they undertook a telephone survey to determine exactly what motivates individuals to use supplements.

The survey was made up of 1,570 individuals who were asked if they took supplements, and if so, why they used them. The respondents were allowed to list as many reasons as they liked for taking the supplements.

The survey revealed some surprising results. Around 38 percent of the respondents said that they had taken a dietary supplement in the last two years, and one in seven reported taking supplements on a regular basis. 41 percent said they took the supplements to feel better, 40.85 suggested they took them to improve energy level, and 35.9 percent took the supplements to improve their immune system. However, it was noted that goals of the individuals often had very little to do with the supposed benefits of the supplements they took.

Something that was even more interesting, however, was that only 25 percent of the participants said that they would stop taking the supplement if they were found to be ineffective. It seems that many people would ignore public health announcements regarding the effectiveness of the supplement they use.