Usage of plant food supplements across six European countries: findings from the PlantLIBRA consumer survey

Autor: Monique M. Raats, Merja Isoniemi, Patrizia Restani, Simone de Klein, Maija Salmenhaara, Lourdes Ribas-Barba, Mihaela Badea, Lluis Serra-Majem, Flavia Bruno, Eva Melanie Meissner, Alicia Garcia-Alvarez, F.M. Maggi, Lorena Dima, Charo Hodgkins, Viktoria Knaze, Raimon Milà-Villarroel, Liisa Uusitalo, Angela Marculescu, Bernadette Egan
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Male
030309 nutrition & dietetics
Cross-sectional study
Epidemiology
Plant Science
theater
Plant foods
0302 clinical medicine
Medicine and Health Sciences
030212 general & internal medicine
Prospective Studies
2. Zero hunger
0303 health sciences
Multidisciplinary
Traditional medicine
Middle Aged
Plants
3. Good health
Evening primrose
Product (business)
Europe
Geography
Research Design
Pill
Medicine
Female
theater.play
Research Article
Adult
Adolescent
Clinical Research Design
Science
Research and Analysis Methods
Diet Surveys
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Environmental health
Humans
Nutrition
Survey Research
Plant Extracts
Organisms
Biology and Life Sciences
Confidence interval
Consumer survey
Cross-Sectional Studies
Survey Methods
Dietary Supplements
Zdroj: PLoS ONE, Vol 9, Iss 3, p e92265 (2014)
PLoS ONE
ISSN: 1932-6203
Popis: BackgroundThe popularity of botanical products is on the rise in Europe, with consumers using them to complement their diets or to maintain health, and products are taken in many different forms (e.g. teas, juices, herbal medicinal products, plant food supplements (PFS)). However there is a scarcity of data on the usage of such products at European level.ObjectiveTo provide an overview of the characteristics and usage patterns of PFS consumers in six European countries.DesignData on PFS usage were collected in a cross-sectional, retrospective survey of PFS consumers using a bespoke frequency of PFS usage questionnaire.Subjects/settingA total sample of 2359 adult PFS consumers from Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom.Data analysesDescriptive analyses were conducted, with all data stratified by gender, age, and country. Absolute frequencies, percentages and 95% confidence intervals are reported.ResultsOverall, an estimated 18.8% of screened survey respondents used at least one PFS. Characteristics of PFS consumers included being older, well-educated, never having smoked and self-reporting health status as "good or very good". Across countries, 491 different botanicals were identified in the PFS products used, with Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo), Oenothera biennis (Evening primrose) and Cynara scolymus (Artichoke) being most frequently reported; the most popular dose forms were capsules and pills/tablets. Most consumers used one product and half of all users took single-botanical products. Some results varied across countries.ConclusionsThe PlantLIBRA consumer survey is unique in reporting on usage patterns of PFS consumers in six European countries. The survey highlights the complexity of measuring the intake of such products, particularly at pan-European level. Incorporating measures of the intake of botanicals in national dietary surveys would provide much-needed data for comprehensive risk and benefit assessments at the European level.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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