Eureka! Institutional Repository

Introduction: A dietary supplement is a product intended for ingestion containing a "dietary ingredient" intended to add further nutritional value to supplement nutrition. Dietary supplements can be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, soft gels, gelatins, liquids or powders. Some dietary supplements can help ensure adequate dietary intake of essential nutrients. Others may help reduce the risk of a disease. Purpose: The objective of the research is to study the population's trends in nutritional supplements and, more specifically, to link gender to the four most popular dietary supplements. Furthermore an extensive presentation of the characteristics of each supplement and its proven benefits to human health is attempted. Methodology: A questionnaire of 32 multiple answer questions was provided to a sample of 1200 individuals in a way that is credible. An investigation was then made into the factors influencing the use of dietary supplements, followed by analysis of the results using the x2 statistical SPSS statistical program. Conclusion: 61.8% of the sample consumes or has consumed dietary supplements. People with a fitness rate of 3 times / week, low relative intake (this factor was associated mostly with younger ages of most patricians – between 21-30) and lower BMI (20-25) are the average users of supplements. Interestingly, age does not affect use but compliance with medical surveillance during use. The four most common dietary supplements are proteins, multivitamins, vitamin C and iron. Results hightlight that the main users of protein supplaments are men, while on the contrary, women are the main users of iron supplements.