2009 to 2023 Saw Surge in Probiotic Supplement Use

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Probiotic supplement use has surged in the United States, while the consumption of microbiome-supportive foods has remained unchanged, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.Kira L. Newman, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues used data from seven cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009-2010 through 2021-2023) to examine trends in probiotic use and how those trends relate to dietary patterns in 54,776 participants. The researchers found that probiotic use increased from 0.63 percent of people younger than 20 years and 1.8 percent of those 20 years or older in 2009-2010 to 5.58 percent and 6.96 percent, respectively, in 2021-2023. This was a 786 percent increase in people younger than 20 years and a 287 percent increase in people aged 20 years and older. Just over one-quarter of participants (26.29 percent) consumed one or more high-microbial content foods during the prior day, and 31.17 percent consumed only low-microbial foods. There was a significant association between probiotic use and high microbial content food consumption, with probiotic users consuming 1.35 g fiber/1,000 kcal more on average versus nonprobiotic users. For all groups, both mean and median fiber intake was lower than the recommended daily intake of 14 g/1,000 kcal, with no meaningful change in daily fiber intake over time for any group. "Our findings suggest that people are not making changes to what they eat, even though an increasing number are concerned enough about their microbiome to take a probiotic supplement," Newman said in a statement.Several authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

2009 to 2023 Saw Surge in Probiotic Supplement Use

Related Stories

Rare Brain Complication Kills Pennsylvania Teen In Fourth Measles Death

A Cancer Survivor Hoped To Work — Then She Lost Her Medicaid Disability Coverage

Less Overdiagnosis In Breast Cancer Screening Than Thought, Study Finds

2021 to 2026 Saw Increase in State Funding for Suicide Prevention