Many Utahns using supplements

The Utah Natural Products Alliance director says a nationwide survey on people's use of complementary and alternative medicines affirms the effectiveness of dietary supplements, an industry that makes up a large portion of Utah's economic machine.

"It confirms what we've known for a long time," said Loren Israelsen, executive director of the natural product alliance. "That millions of people have continued to use numerous forms of alternative medicine. … It's cost effective and it works."

However, vocal critics of the herbal supplement industry lambasted the survey, saying there is no correlation between customer satisfaction and a product's effectiveness.

"I would say the industry is a scam," said Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist who operates quackwatch.org. "Lots of people are extremely easy to fool."

Released last month by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2007 survey of more than 23,000 adults who were speaking for themselves and 9,000 adults who were speaking on behalf of a child in their house found that more than 1 in 9 children and teens use herbal supplements or some other form of alternative medicine. The study also found one in three adults uses complementary and alternative medicine.

Herbal supplements were the alternative medicine of choice among adults, children and teens, the study reports. Children were most likely to use echinacea for colds, as well as fish oils.

The survey polled people's use of numerous complementary and alternative medicines including dietary supplements, acupuncture, meditation and chiropractic care. Vitamin and mineral supplements were not counted, and the survey didn't gather information on folk medicine practices or religious healing.

The study also found children were five times more likely to use some form of alternative medicine if a parent or relative did so.

The percentage of adults who use complementary and alternative medicine increased slightly, from 36 percent in 2002 to 38 percent in 2007.

Israelsen said the survey shows dietary supplement effectiveness because people choose to continue using the products even during a slumping economy.

"If I use supplements and they don't work, why would I keep doing them?" he asked rhetorically. "Most consumers are practical about this thing, they wouldn't keep using supplements if they didn't work."

Despite current economic turmoil, dietary supplement sales remain strong for companies in Utah — the veritable global capital for the industry. More than 150 companies operate in Utah, Israelsen said, and contribute a revenue base of about $6 billion.

"As an industry in Utah, we're doing well," he said. "We're doing very well even in this tough economy."

Barrett, however, counters that consumer use and sales numbers are more indicative of sales strategies rather than product effectiveness.

"Many of the companies make outrageous claims," he said.

Most people use dietary supplements for short-term illnesses, Barrett also said, so people will eventually get better regardless of the products they used.

Israelsen said there has been an ongoing controversy regarding herbal supplements and alternative medicine for hundreds of years. But he said he doesn't expect to see a decline in supplement use any time soon.

"Many of these people who use supplements … feel very passionate about them."

Contributing: The Associated Press