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BOSTON, Feb 14, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A Boston University School of Public Health Study said Monday the popularity of dietary supplements has been slowing after the 1990's boom.
Judith Kelly and colleagues examined data from phone interviews conducted from 1998 through 2002 to determine which dietary supplements Americans were using. The 8,470 study participants were asked to identify all over-the-counter and prescription drugs, along with dietary supplements they had taken during the preceding seven days.
The study, published in the Feb. 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, found the use of alternative medicines, particularly herbal products, has increased considerably during the past 10 years, with Americans spending $4.2 billion on herbs and other botanical remedies in 2001.
The percentage using dietary supplements increased from 14.2 percent during 1998-1999 to 19.8 percent in 2001. However, that number decreased to18.8 percent in 2002.
The percentage of people aged 45 to 64 years who took supplements increased by about half between 1998-1999 and 2001-2002. But the use of Ginko biloba and Panax ginseng declined during the study period.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
