More than 3 out of 10 American children take dietary supplements, but this is generally not taken into account when health researchers try to get a snapshot of the nation’s nutritional habits, a new study finds.
Writing in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers from the federal government and RTI International, a research institute, said the most common supplement was multivitamins. Vitamins A, C and D are also popular, as are calcium and iron.
The highest use of supplements in children was by 4- to 8-year-olds. Just under half the children in that group took them.
Pediatric groups, the study noted, recommend that healthy children fill their nutritional needs by eating well, and limit supplements to situations when there is reason for concern.
But a look at the dietary habits of more than 10,000 children from birth to age 18 made it clear that supplement use was fairly widespread — a factor that could affect other research.
“To truly assess the nutrient status and estimate the potential health risks of U.S. children,” the researchers write, “we must include nutrient intakes from dietary supplements as well as from food.”
The study also found that some homes were more likely to have supplement use than others. Among them were homes with higher incomes; where smoking was not allowed; and where children spent less time playing video games or watching television.
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