Most doctors and nurses say they use dietary supplements

Your doctor has a little secret.

That is, he probably does. According to a recent survey, about three out of four physicians use dietary supplements. Among nurses, almost 90% said they also took supplements.

As you might suspect, both groups most commonly use multivitamins. Vitamins C, D, E, and B complex – also pretty common, no surprise.

But there were two things I did find surprising.

First is that 72% of doctors admit to taking supplements such as green tea, fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin and flax seed.

Sounds to me like mainstream medicine might have a “dirty little secret” if nearly 3 out of every 4 doctors are actually using a wide range of supplements.

But here’s the real surprise. While 72% admit to taking supplements, 79% recommend them to patients. And when you break down the numbers, it turns out that two out of every three docs who don’t use supplements still recommend them.

Ummm…Physician, supplement thyself!

Source:
“Study Breaks Down Supplement Use by Physicians” NutraIngredients-USA, 7/16/09, nutraingredients-usa.com