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February 25, 2015
Fish Oil Tops Natural Product Lists for Both Adults, Children

Bethesda, MD—Pharmacies where fish oil has been the top-selling natural product are right in line with national statistics.

In fact, for adults, use of fish oil, probiotics or prebiotics, and melatonin increased in the 5-year period ending in 2012, while use of echinacea and garlic declined, according to a report from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

The report, based on a nationally representative survey, notes that dietary supplements, other than vitamins and minerals, remain the most common complementary health approach.

The questionnaire is administered every 5 years as part of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The 2012 survey results used combined data from 88,962 American adults and 17,321 interviews with a knowledgeable adult about children aged 4 to 17 years. Previous surveys occurred as part of the 2002 and 2007 NHIS, with children’s data first assessed in 2007.

Fish oil was also the top natural product among children, which is a change from 2007 when echinacea headed the list. Use of melatonin, the second most popular natural product for children in 2012, increased significantly from 2007 to 2012, according to the report.

“While NHIS does not assess why shifts in use occur, some of the trends are in line with published research on the efficacy of natural products,” said Josephine P. Briggs, MD, director of NCCIH. “For example, the use of melatonin, shown in studies to have some benefits for sleep issues, has risen dramatically. Conversely, the use of echinacea has fallen, which may reflect conflicting results from studies on whether it's helpful for colds. This reaffirms why it is important for NIH to study these products and to provide that information to the public.”

The NCCIH determines what natural products and practices to study based partly on the extent of use by the American public, making the survey an important tool to set research priorities.

“The changes in use of individual natural products seen in the surveys are generally consistent with changes in nationwide sales data. Having independent confirmation of the NHIS data strengthens confidence in our findings,” explained Richard L. Nahin, PhD, MPH, the NCCIH senior advisor for scientific coordination and outreach.

 


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