Confidence in supplements at all-time high.

Consumer confidence in dietary supplements reached a high point in 2009, with 84 percent of American adults indicating that they are confident in the safety, quality and effectiveness of dietary supplements compared to 81 percent last year, according to a new survey conducted by Ipsos-Public Affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). In the last several years, confidence levels in dietary supplements have been on a gradual rise, with 80 percent of American adults indicating a favorable level of confidence in dietary supplements in 2007, and 79 percent of American adults responding similarly in 2006.

According to the results from the 2009 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements, confidence in dietary supplements isn’t the only thing on the rise—the on-line survey also showed a slightly higher percentage of adults who label themselves as supplement users, with 65 percent classifying themselves as such. In 2008, 64 percent of American adults identified themselves as supplement users. These numbers are also consistent with previous years’ findings, as 68 percent and 66 percent of Americans identified themselves as supplement users in 2007 and 2006, respectively.

Consumers can also feel more confident given that in its first year of existence, the serious adverse event reporting system for dietary supplements demonstrated a strong safety profile when viewed within the context of similar reporting systems for other regulated industries.

Also up slightly this year is the percentage of consumers who regularly take a multivitamin; with 78 percent reporting they do so compared to 75 percent of supplement users who reported taking a multivitamin regularly in 2008.