Last updated on 13-6-2025 by Elien Van Campenhout
Why do we study users of dietary supplements?
- In Belgium, dietary supplements are widely available in pharmacies, drugstores and online. Dietary supplements are concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect designed to complement a normal diet. They come in various forms, such as pills, capsules, powders, and liquids. Supplements can help correct nutritional deficiencies or support adequate nutrient intake. However, dietary supplements cannot replace a healthy and varied diet or compensate for an unhealthy diet.
- The dietary supplement market has grown in recent years, with an increasing number of individuals incorporating supplements into their daily routines. Understanding supplement consumption patterns is therefore essential to gain insight into usage trends across different population groups. While supplementation can be appropriate in certain cases, it is also frequently used without medical indication. Some individuals consume high doses that exceed recommended daily intakes, while others take supplements with no demonstrated need. Monitoring supplement use is therefore crucial to better understand intake patterns and assess potential overuse or unnecessary consumption.
How do we study it?
- Participants (or the parents of the 3-9 year old children) were asked to complete a Frequency Questionnaire on supplement consumption. They reported whether they had used a supplement in the past 12 month. Supplement users were then asked which type of supplement they had taken and during which months. To analyze seasonal differences, the year was further divided in winter (December-March) and the rest of the year (April-November).
- The list of supplements included: ‘vitamin A’, ‘vitamin B1’, ‘vitamin B2’, ‘vitamin B5’, ‘vitamin B6’, ‘vitamin B7’, ‘vitamin B9 (folium acid)’, ‘vitamin B12’, ‘vitamin B-complex’, ‘vitamin C’, ‘vitamin D’, ‘vitamin E’, ‘vitamin K’, ‘multivitamins without minerals’, ‘multivitamins with minerals’, ‘beta-carotene’, ‘omega 3 of fish oil’, ‘calcium’, ‘magnesium’, ‘iodine’, ‘fluor’, ‘ginkgo’, ‘ginseng’, ‘glucosamine’, ‘echina forte’, ‘Q10’, ‘zinc’, ‘chrome’, ‘prebiotics’, ‘probiotics’, ‘supplements based on plants’ and ‘lactase’. An open question allowed participants to report any supplements not included in the list.
- It is important to note that participants who reported supplement use spanning both periods were counted twice — once for the winter months and once for the rest of the year.
- As this was a self-reported questionnaire, responses were based on participants’ memory and knowledge of supplement types. Therefore, results should be interpreted with caution.
KEY RESULTS
Half (52%) of the population uses one or more dietary supplements
The proportion of dietary supplement users increased by 21% between 2014-2015 and 2022-2023
Dietary supplements are mostly used by women
Supplement use is highest among adults aged 40 years and older
By sex
Proportion of the population aged 3 years and older using dietary supplements, Belgium, 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- 52% of the Belgian population uses dietary supplements.
- The proportion of users is higher in women (57%) than in men (45%).
By age
Proportion of the population aged 3 years and older using dietary supplements, by age, Belgium, 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include those residing in care facilities, hospitalised individuals, or those who would have required significant assistance during interviews (e.g., people with cognitive impairments).
- The proportion of supplement users is lowest among adolescents (36%) and highest among middle-aged (40-64 year) and older adults (65 and above) (56% and 57% respectively).
- Among children, 53% use supplements, while 50% of young adults (18-39 years) do so.
By educational level
Proportion of the population aged 3 years and older using dietary supplements, by educational level , Belgium, 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- In the population aged 3 years and above, fewer individuals from the group with low educational level (47%) use dietary supplements, compared to those with medium (56%) and high (56%) levels of education.
By region
Proportion of the population aged 3 years and older using dietary supplements, by region, Belgium, 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Brussels is excluded from the regional comparison due to an insufficient number of participants, but is included in the national data for Belgium.
- The use of dietary supplements is similar in Flanders (50%) and Wallonia (53%).
By year
Proportion of the population aged 3 to 64 years and older using dietary supplements, by year, Belgium, 2022-2023
- Adjusted = results weighted for season, age, sex and socioeconomic status, and adjusted according to age and sex based on linear regression model (using the Belgian population of 2022-2023 as reference).
- Adults aged 65 years and older are not included as they were not part of the target population of the 2014-2015 survey.
- The proportion of dietary supplements users increased by 21% between 2014-2015 (30%) and 2022-2023 (51%).
By time of year and sex
Proportion of the population aged 3 years and older using dietary supplements, according to the time of the year and sex, Belgium, 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Overall, 39% of individuals aged 3 years and older use dietary supplements during the entire year.
- The population aged 3 years and above use supplements mostly during the winter months from December until March (45%). Supplement use is almost similar in winter as during the rest of the year (from April to November) (44%).
- During each period, the proportion of female supplement users is higher than that of male users.
By time of year and age
Proportion of the population aged 3 years and older using dietary supplements, according to the time of the year and sex, Belgium, 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include those residing in care facilities, hospitalised individuals, or those who would have required significant assistance during interviews (e.g., people with cognitive impairments).
- During each time period, older adults (65 years and above) use dietary supplements the most, while adolescents use them the least.
- No notable differences in dietary supplement use were observed across the different time periods within each age group. The variations between age groups were consistent across year-round users, winter-only users, and users during the rest of the year.
Please cite this page as: Sciensano. Dietary Supplements: Users of dietary supplements, Food Consumption Survey 2022-2023, June 2025, Brussels, Belgium, https://www.sciensano.be/en/results-national-food-consumption-survey-2022-2023/dietary-supplements/users-dietary-supplements