Since the ancient period, people have been using dietary supplement for a variety of reasons. In ancient China, people believed that supplements could promote good health and at the same time cure certain illnesses. These supplements were made from natural herbs and extracts of animal parts.
Apart from ancient China, natural supplements from herbs and plants were also widely used in Egypt, the Mediterranean region, and among the Indian civilizations of North and South America. It is safe to assume that the use of natural dietary supplement during the ancient period was fairly widespread.
Today, supplements are easier to obtain and they come in various formulations and packaging. You can easily find a bottle of dietary supplement in any local pharmacy or convenience shop. You can also find supplements being retailed online. These are the major factors why supplements usage has grown considerably around the world.
The Top Consumers of Dietary Supplement
Because of their exposure to massive advertising, stronger buying power, and advanced access to health information, you may assume that people in advanced industrialized countries would be the top consumers of dietary health supplements. However, such assumption is inaccurate because Asians are still the top consumers of these supplements.
More specifically, the prevalence of dietary supplement consumption is very high in Thailand and China. The majority of Thais for example take supplements on a regular basis especially multivitamins and nutraceutical that are indicated for weight loss. In China however, Eastern form of supplements are more popular than the Western manufactured dietary pills.
The prevalence of supplement usage in the region can be attributed to the fondness of Asians for folk remedies. Because the people are accustomed to taking herbal medicines, they are also comfortable in taking modern dietary supplement.
Global Trend on Health Supplement Use
Among Western countries, the United States is the leading consumer of dietary nutraceutical. However, the use of these supplements in the US came to fore only during the mid to late 20th century. The production of nutraceutical products and supplements during those periods accelerated. It was driven by advertising, affluence of the citizens, and the emerging need to stay healthy and fit in a modern world.
Daily dietary supplement intake among the people of Europe is relatively lower compared to the intake levels in the United States. The people of Greece for example rarely take manufactured supplements. This can be traced back to the belief of ancient Greeks that good health could be obtained from physical activities and sports.
In other parts of the world, the use of dietary supplement is also quite popular. In Japan, people tend to favor taking natural supplements for longevity. In Australia and New Zealand, there is also a huge demand for supplements especially nutraceutical products that could help people to lose excess weight.
Since the ancient period, people were already taking dietary health supplements. You should take note however that different cultures have varying views about the impact of supplements. Some think that dietary supplement could promote good health while others believe that it could help them lose weight faster.
