Dietary supplement marketing statistics 2026

Use climbs steeply with age and is higher among women. In August 2021–August 2023, 75.9% of adults aged 60 and over used a supplement, against 46.3% of adults aged 20–39. Among adults, 66.1% of women and 53.9% of men were users (NCHS Data Brief 561, 2026).

Source for every row: NCHS Data Brief 561, 2026. The 2021–2023 brief does not break out income or product type, so the next two points come from earlier federal reports.

What older and younger buyers take

In 2017–2018, multivitamin-mineral products led every adult age group. They were used by 24.0% of adults aged 20–39 and 39.4% of adults aged 60 and over. Vitamin D was used by 36.9% of adults 60+, and omega-3 fatty acids by 21.8% of that group (NCHS Data Brief 399, 2021).

Children's use tracks family income

For children and teens in 2017–2018, use rose with family income: 23.5% in the lowest income group, 34.5% in the middle and 45.9% in the highest. Multivitamin-mineral products were used by 23.8% of all children and teens (CDC MMWR, 2020). For brands selling kids' products, the parent is the buyer, and the household's income shapes the purchase.

The audience is getting older

The US population aged 65 and over grew 3.1% to 61.2 million in 2024, while the under-18 population fell to 73.1 million. Older adults outnumbered children in 11 states in 2024, up from 3 in 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025).

What it means for your marketing

• Older adults are the heaviest users and the most likely to "stack" products. Messaging for them should explain fit within a routine, label clarity and reorder ease.
• Adults under 40 use less. Treat them as a growth segment that needs education and social proof gathered within FTC rules, not discounts alone.
• Women are the larger user base. Do not let that turn into lazy creative; segment by need state, not gender alone.
• Choose your channel by age. The social data in the channels section below shows where each age group can be reached.

FDA puts the US dietary supplement market at more than $60 billion, with as many as 100,000 different products available to consumers. The same FDA page says approximately 75% of Americans take a dietary supplement (FDA, 2024). FDA does not approve supplements before they go on sale.

Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, FDA "does not have the authority to approve dietary supplements before they are marketed". FDA also says it is not able to keep a complete list of all supplements sold in the US, because it often does not know when new products launch (FDA Q&A on dietary supplements, 2026).

Rules that shape the launch timeline

• New dietary ingredients: a notification must reach FDA at least 75 days before the product enters interstate commerce (FDA Q&A on dietary supplements, 2026).
• Structure/function statements: FDA must be notified no later than 30 days after the first marketing of a supplement carrying one (21 CFR 101.93 (Cornell LII)).
• Required disclaimer: "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease." (21 CFR 101.93 (Cornell LII)).
• Serious adverse events: FDA's consumer guidance says firms must report serious adverse events to FDA within 15 days (FDA 101: Dietary Supplements, 2022).

What it means for your marketing

With so many products on sale and no premarket approval, the shelf is crowded and buyers know it. Differentiation rarely comes from the ingredient alone. It comes from proof you can show: third-party testing you can document, a clear label, a substantiation file behind every claim, and a brand story told by a real person. Build the regulatory steps into the launch calendar. The new-ingredient notification window is a marketing date as much as a legal one.

The FTC has put the industry on formal notice. In April 2023 it sent notices of penalty offenses to about 670 companies marketing supplements, OTC drugs, homeopathic products and functional foods. A recipient that later makes unsupported claims can face civil penalties of up to $50,120 per violation (FTC, 2023).

Receiving a notice did not mean the FTC found a violation. Its purpose is to make sure marketers know the substantiation standard, so that a later breach can bring money penalties rather than only an order to stop.

The evidence bar

The FTC's 2022 guidance says it expects "high quality randomized, controlled human clinical trials" to support health-related claims, generally (FTC, 2022). That applies to ads, social posts, influencer content and product pages alike.

The review rule

The review rule bans fake or AI-generated reviews, reviews bought on condition of a positive or negative sentiment, undisclosed insider reviews, company-controlled "independent" review sites, review suppression and fake social media indicators such as bought bot-generated followers or views (FTC, 2024).

What it means for your marketing

Every claim needs a file behind it before it goes live, not after a letter arrives. Review programs must ask all buyers, not just happy ones, and must never tie a reward to a positive review. Ask your counsel to review your claim set and review program once a year. Our supplement and D2C health brand marketing team builds this check into every campaign brief.

GLP-1 drugs now reach a large share of adults. A KFF poll fielded October 27 to November 2, 2025 found 18% of US adults have ever taken a GLP-1 drug and 12% are taking one now. Among users, 56% said the drugs were difficult to afford (KFF, 2025).

That creates a new audience: people on prescription weight-loss or diabetes drugs who look for nutrition and wellness products alongside them. It is also a high-risk audience for claims. A supplement may not claim to treat, prevent or cure disease, and copy that positions a product as a GLP-1 substitute or booster invites FTC and FDA scrutiny.

What it means for your marketing

• Speak to the routine, not the drug. Explain how a product fits a balanced diet, using structure/function language with the FDA disclaimer.
• Do not use drug brand names in ads or product names, and do not imply your product replaces or enhances a prescription.
• Partner with registered dietitians for education content; they can speak to nutrition needs within their scope of practice.
• Use the 20% of adults who ask chatbots about diet and fitness (Pew Research Center, 2026) as a reason to publish clear, careful explainer pages on this topic.

If you want a second view on how to approach this segment, book a call with the US team.