{"id":18934,"date":"2026-04-24T19:19:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T19:19:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=18934"},"modified":"2026-04-24T19:19:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T19:19:23","slug":"supplement-use-in-kids-is-rising-including-for-weight-loss-bodybuilding-new-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=18934","title":{"rendered":"Supplement Use In Kids Is Rising, Including For Weight Loss & Bodybuilding, New Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Again<\/a> and again<\/a>, dietitians and pediatricians have told Scary Mommy the same thing \u2014 even picky children likely get enough nutrition from their diet and giving them a multivitamin isn\u2019t really necessary. Additionally, in recent years, reports of melatonin poisonings<\/a> in young kids have made national headlines. But in a world where parents have more access to health information, and supplement companies have more access to market to us and our teens, it\u2019s no surprise that a new study found supplement use in kids has risen significantly in the past decade.<\/p>\n

The study, titled, \u201cChanges in Dietary Supplement Use Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2015-2016 to 2021-2023<\/a>,\u201d used data on children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. It found that more than 35% of children and adolescents use daily dietary supplements. While 1 in 5 kids use a multivitamin, there was a significant increase in kids taking single vitamins, like vitamin D, zinc, and iron, from 2015 to 2023. There was also a notable increase in kids taking fiber, probiotics, and melatonin in that time, which the study authors state, \u201cis an important safety concern given substantial increases in emergency department visits related to melatonin ingestions in pediatric populations<\/a>, and evidence that the melatonin content of supplements often exceeds labeled quantity<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

When children reach adolescence, the most commonly used supplements split by gender. Adolescent boys most often use melatonin and bodybuilding supplements (whey protein, casein protein, branched-chain amino acids, creatine, creatine monohydrate, glutamine, beta-alanine, citrulline malate, arginine, or taurine). Adolescent girls most often use iron, zinc, probiotics, and supplements associated with weight loss claims<\/a>, like capsaicin, L-carnitine, white kidney bean extract, and more.<\/p>\n

What should parents take away from this study?<\/h3>\n

So, what\u2019s the harm in a little extra fiber and probiotics, really? Supplements are not regulated by the FDA the same way medications are, meaning that their manufacturers do not have to prove to any authoritative body that their supplements contain the dosages printed on the label. In many cases, as with melatonin, studies have shown these dosages to be off by hundreds of percentage points, and to include ingredients that aren\u2019t on the label, like CBD. This issue hasn\u2019t been studied in other supplements for children, but the concern is there for experts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a whole bunch of different products in the market that contain hidden ingredients, and those ingredients are not necessarily safe, especially for vulnerable populations like kids,\u201d says Brandy Recio, BS, lead author of the study and a PhD student at Keck School of Medicine of USC. Depending on the unknown ingredients in a supplement, Recio says this creates potential for adverse reactions with other medications children are taking, which parents couldn\u2019t have foreseen. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s only post-market that we find that there could be implicated in a whole array of adverse events,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Tell your child\u2019s doctor and pharmacist everything they take.<\/h4>\n

To try and prevent bad drug interactions, you should inform your kid\u2019s pediatrician of every supplement they take, even if they don\u2019t ask. If you\u2019re picking up a prescription at the pharmacy for your child, tell the pharmacist too. This will help them identify any potential bad interactions between your child\u2019s supplements and their medications before they happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know at least one in four adolescents are on a prescription medication regularly, whether it\u2019s for asthma, depression, ADHD, or allergies, or for adolescent girls, contraception sometime,\u201d says study co-author Dr. Dima Qato<\/a>, PharmD, MPH, associate professor of clinical pharmacy at USC. If your kid is one of them, a little due diligence will bring you major peace of mind.<\/p>\n

Make sure you\u2019re not doubling up.<\/h4>\n

Parents should read the labels of every supplement they give their child, says Qato. If you are giving a multivitamin that contains vitamin D and a separate vitamin D supplement, you run the risk of causing toxicity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Spend a few minutes reading up.<\/h4>\n

It can hard to find reliable information on supplements online \u2014 it\u2019s so saturated with advertisements and influencer marketing. You can search for research-based information about supplements on the NIH Department of Dietary Supplements<\/a>, Recio says. Their supplement fact sheets<\/a> gather up all the latest research on alternative medications and make it easy to understand.<\/p>\n

The bottom line: \u201cJust because something\u2019s a supplement \u2014 whether it\u2019s a vitamin, mineral or herbal or nutraceutical like melatonin \u2014 doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s safe, especially in children and adolescents,\u201d says Qato. \u201cSupplements aren\u2019t always needed, nor are they always safe, and oftentimes they could increase risk. So really reconsider giving them to your children or taking them, and make sure you\u2019re aware of the risks, especially if you\u2019re taking other medications.\u201d<\/p>\n