Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Use by Community-Dwelling Adults Living in Canada and the United States: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT

Vitamin and mineral supplements can assist a person in meeting recommended intakes but excessive use can pose risks. Knowing prevalence of supplement use is the first step toward gauging risk-benefit. This scoping review sought to determine the prevalence of vitamin and mineral supplement use among community-dwelling Canadian and American adults. Medline and Embase were searched using keywords and MeSH headings that encapsulated both vitamin and mineral supplements and community-dwelling adults in Canada and the United States. Search limits were set for study participants over the age of 18, English language articles, and a publication date from the year 2000 to June of 2016. Of the 181 articles originally identified, 30 were deemed relevant for this scoping review. Eleven studies reported on vitamin and mineral supplement use in general, without specifying the prevalence of use for any particular supplement(s). Prevalence of general vitamin and mineral supplement use reported in these studies ranged from 7-85%. Twenty-two studies reported the prevalence of consumption for specific vitamins and minerals; although three of these studies also reported on overall supplement use. Calcium and vitamin D were widely reported, with 10 of 22 studies focusing on these key nutrients. Multivitamin/mineral supplements were also widely studied with 8 of 22 articles reporting their prevalence of consumption. Results from this scoping review indicate that data on the quantity and combination of supplement use is lacking in Canada and United States. These data are key for identifying intake amounts and combinations that have the potential to cause adverse effects.

KEYWORDS:

• calcium
• multivitamin/mineral
• older adults
• supplements
• vitamin D

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

About the authors

Katherine Ford, BSc, RD, is a Registered Dietitian and a Master's student at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research interests include dietary assessment, specifically protein, vitamins and minerals, and the nutritional impact of these nutrients in supplemental forms.

Susan J. Whiting, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor of Nutrition in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research program focuses on calcium and vitamin D intakes from foods and supplements, with emphasis on bone metabolism, as well as on dietary assessment methodology.