Hardly a news cycle goes by with out fresh evidence of the health benefts of vitamin D, and American consumers are taking notice, according to two new surveys. Research by Angus Reed Strategies found that 44% of US adults say vitamin D plays an important role in improving or maintaining health, up from 37% last year. A second poll, of almost 2,000 American adults by the supplements trade group Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), reported a sharp jump in the percentage doing something about vitamin D and their health: 27% said they take vitamin D supplements, compared to 16% in the two previous annual surveys. A CRN spokesman pointed to the ever-grow- ing body of research on vitamin Ds benefts and noted, Given that optimal levels of vitamin D are diffcult to get from diet and adequate sun exposure alone, a vitamin D supplement is the right option for many people. Overall, the CRN survey found that two-thirds of respondents take some sort of dietary supplement, little changed from previ- ous polls.
