Introduction. The potential of the dietary supplements market is still high. These products are used in convalescence, when increased physical activity and in other conditions when nourishing deficiencies may occur. Lifestyle change in a university period cause that young people are frequent consumers of food supplements. Aim. The aim was to evaluate the use of dietary supplements, vitamins and minerals enriched products by students of universities in Poznan. The awareness of young consumers regarding dietary supplementation and their preferences was assessed. Material and methods. The study involved 164 students from selected Poznan universities (66% of women and 34% of men). The original questionnaire used in this study was constructed from 22 questions. Results. Among the respondents: 35% said that they know the rules of healthy nutrition but cannot adjust to them; 57% used diet supplements and as much as 61% declared their daily consumption. The young women more often use supplements (62%), especially those that improve the skin, hair and nails condition or memory and concentration, as well as the immune system. Among the men who had supplementation (48%) the most popular are muscle-building supplements and products for physical fitness. Students purchasing decisions are mainly the result of personal experience (43%) and pharmacist advice (33%). The most popular are effervescent tablets (42%) and capsules (30%). In the opinion of 71% of students the regular diet supplementation give the expected benefits. Conclusions. Food supplementation is common among students in Poznan, especially in women. The vast majority of respondents think it is possible to compose a diet without supplementation but it is very difficult. Further, our study showed high regularity of supplements usage – over half of respondents take more than one product of this type but they rarely consult with a doctor, more often with a pharmacist.

Key words: food supplements, students, health behavior.