Impressive results from research on nutrition and nutritional supplements during the Covid period
Notable results were obtained in the study conducted by the Food Supplement and Nutrition Association to determine the change in dietary supplement use and consumer eating habits during the Covid-19 period. According to the study carried out in 12 provinces including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, the rate of those consuming dietary supplements rose to 60% in the last three months of 2020. While the participants were most interested in vitamins D and C; The number of people following dietitians or dietitians on social media and using healthy nutrition and exercise applications has increased.
The Food Supplement and Nutrition Association, committed to raising public awareness of nutritional supplements and innovative approaches, conducted the third part of the research on nutritional supplements and foods carried out in April and May 2020 in collaboration with Nielsen on December 3, 2020 in the Turkey (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Bursa, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Malatya, Samsun, Trabzon, Istanbul) last third of 608% in 2020; 3 out of 60 people said they used dietary supplements to increase their immunity to Covid-10. While 4% of participants said they had used nutritional supplements more often in the past 19 months; Vitamins D and C received the most attention. The highest rate of dietary supplements was in the 40 to 3 year old age group. The results of the research are as follows:
The main motivation is to strengthen the immune system
- While the main motivation for using dietary supplements is to strengthen the immune system (82%); 10 out of 4 people said they used dietary supplements to protect themselves from COVID-19.
- While 14% of participants said they have been using dietary supplements regularly for years; 1 in 10 people who have just started taking supplements (6 years of age or less) said they will continue to take supplements in 2021. 10 out of 4 people said that the frequency of supplement use has increased.
- In the past 2020 months, 3 out of 10 out of 9 people who used dietary supplements took vitamins. D, C, and multivitamins were the most commonly consumed supplements. Vitamins were followed by mineral and functional foods.
We make snacks with fruits and nuts
- The number of people following dietitians or nutritionists on social media has increased. Those rates, which were 31% and 29% in the studies conducted in April and May, rose to 40%. Likewise, the rate of those who said they saw a nutritionist rose from 9% to 11%. On these issues At the same time, the commitment to healthy eating and exercise increased. 10 out of 5 respondents said they used an application related to diet or exercise.
- Six out of ten respondents said they eat healthy food in general. The proportion of those who believe that they are eating healthy has increased in line with the average age. 6% of respondents reported having three main meals and 46% reported having two main meals. The feeding rate of three main meals was higher in participants over 52 compared to other age groups at 55%. 56% of participants said they made snacks; It was observed that fruit (67%) and dried nuts (74%) were generally consumed during the snack.
Dietary supplements are considered drugs
- 10 out of 3 people said that dietary supplements were drugs and 3 said they were food.
- While doctors continue to be the largest reference source for the use of dietary supplements at 61%; Pharmacists (45%), social media (21%), and advertising (16%) were also seen as reference sources.
- The percentage of those who said “My trust in supplements has increased” in the past 1 month was 34%.
Serttaş: Recalls the importance of pandemic immunity, proper nutrition and active life
Samet Serttaş, President of the Food Supplement and Nutrition Association, assessed the results of the research and stated that interest in nutritional supplements has increased with the COVID-19 pandemic, saying:
“According to our research, 10 out of 4 people (41%) said they used dietary supplements to boost their immunity to COVID-19. That rate was 25% in the study we conducted in April and 17% in our study in May. Again, in our research, we see that the rate of those using dietary supplements to increase immunity to COVID-19 has increased significantly across all demographic breakdowns, and the rate of dietary supplements that has been high among women in previous periods, was the same for women and men at the end of December. Another notable finding is the increased interest in dietitians and nutritionists, as well as in various sports applications. We understand that during this time when we restrict ourselves to homes, weight issues arise and people take action against them. The pandemic was a reminder to us all of the importance of immunity, proper nutrition, and active living. Research results also show this. In the light of these results, we will continue our efforts to correctly inform society. “”
