Currently, it is estimated that around 70 percent of Americans trust nutritional supplements. They are using them to fill in the gaps when consuming inadequate diets. Roughly, this equates to more than 150 million people in the U.S. that are supplementing their daily diet in some way, and on a regular basis. Most are realizing that eating the way they should is not always feasible, and supplementing their diet is a convenient way of assuring, themselves, that important nutrients are included to remain healthy. Many times this is an individual's first step towards a better understanding of their body's nutritional needs, and to see the bigger picture in motivating themselves to implement other healthy lifestyle changes as well.



According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, the definition of a dietary supplement is described as any product that contains one or more of the following ingredients, such as a vitamin, mineral, herb or other botanical, amino acid or other natural ingredient used to supplement the diet. Dietary supplements are not food additives ( such as aspartame or saccharin) or any other artificial substance or chemical drugs.

Have you ever wondered if your doctor or nurse, personally, follows the nutritional health advice that he or she gives out to you? According to a recent Life supplemented Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study, conducted online, November, 2007, 1,177 health care professionals, 900 doctors and 277 nurses completed the survey.

Although this survey sample was small, the results were rather eye-opening in the fact that it revealed that 72 percent of physicians, a whopping 87 percent of nurses, while compared to 68 percent of the rest of us, who actively used or recommend nutritional supplements, and other healthy lifestyle habits to others.

Other survey results:

(1.) Of the 72 percent of physicians who personally use supplements (85 percent) also recommended them to their patients; of the 28 percent who did not, three out of five or (62 percent) still recommended them.

(2.) Out of the 301 OB/GYNs surveyed (91 percent) recommended them to their patients, followed by (84 percent) of the 300 primary care physicians surveyed. This study also showed that 72 percent of doctors, and 88 percent of nurses, thought it was a wise idea to take a multivitamin.

(3.) The survey found that about half of the physicians and nurses who take supplements the most often, themselves, do so for overall health and wellness measures. But, only (41 percent) of doctors and (62 percent) of nurses recommend them to their patients for the same reasons.

(4.) Of the doctors surveyed (51 percent) use dietary supplements regularly (19 percent) occasionally, and (2 percent) seasonally, while nurses reported using them (59 percent) regularly, (27 percent) occasionally, and (3 percent) seasonally.

Additionally, other interesting, healthy lifestyle habit information was also gathered in this survey and revealed, that nearly two-thirds of doctors and nurses, regularly, get a good nights sleep (62 percent doctors and 65 percent nurses). How many admitted to consuming large amounts of caffeine? Twenty-eight percent of doctors, and (33 percent) of nurses. Reported smoking habits were (90 percent and 86 percent, respectively) who abstain from doing it, while heavy alcohol use was only reported by (4 percent) of doctors, and (3 percent) of nurses. Survey results reflected that (40 percent) of doctors and (32 percent) of nurses did not take any prescription medications.

The professional medical community polled in this survey, for the most part, showed that most, do indeed, walk the talk of healthy lifestyle behavior habits they preach to others, in eating better, exercising, and taking nutritional supplements. It also seems to indicate that the majority of health care professionals are, at least, staying focused on on prevention techniques before a developing disease has a change to take advantage.

Obviously, larger and more intergraded sectors of the population should be included in this type of survey. The results could produce even more surprising results, in practical and economical solutions, to halting America's, and the modern world's, current healthcare crisis.