Latest insights on supplement trends from our Nutritional Solutions team shows that innovation is going strong in the supplement category, from sleep aids for gamers to fast-growing ingredients.
New product development strong in supplements
The supplement market has seen a burst of activity, with new product launches doubling globally since 2017 (1). The drive toward better health and wellness is providing supplement brands with new opportunities to meet consumers’ needs—particularly through ingredients, claims, and formats.
Top 2023 supplement trends
Here’s a look at the top supplement trends for 2023 to see how brands can connect with today’s health-focused consumers:
1. Immune health
For nearly half (48%) of consumers globally, the main reason for taking supplements is to boost immunity, reports Innova (1). Brands have been very responsive to this need. Immune health is the top claim in new supplements, with one in three supplement launches making this claim last year (up from one in four in 2018) (2).
Innova also found that compared to supplement launches overall, there has been greater use of berry and cherry flavours in immune health supplements (3). Whether supplements are chewable or drinkable, flavour remains an important part of the consumption experience.
2. Top Supplement Ingredients
With consumers’ strong focus on immunity, it may be no surprise that vitamin C is the leading ingredient in global supplement launches. More than a quarter of 2022 new supplement launches contained vitamin C (4).
However, the fastest-growing ingredients in supplements are L-theanine (CAGR +102%, 2017-2022), zinc gluconate (+89%), and magnesium citrate (+82%) (5). Zinc gluconate is also considered an immune-healthy ingredient, while magnesium citrate targets bone health, and L-theanine is used in products for focus and calming.
3. Gummy vitamins
The gummy format continues to gain ground, growing in supplement launches globally at a CAGR of 54% during the past five years (6). This enjoyable format is expanding beyond vitamins to a variety of supplements—most recently mood and stress support gummies.
The top positioning for recent gummy supplement launches is immune health at 38%, followed by brain/mood health (23%), skin health (21%), energy/stamina (21%), and children’s (18%) (7). Fruit-based flavours make up the top five flavours in new gummy launches, with strawberry and orange in the lead (8).
4. Sleep support
Interest in sleep support supplements rose during the pandemic as disrupted routines and stress made quality sleep a challenge for many. With the pandemic behind us, brands have been exploring other consumer segments that could benefit from sleep support. The latest one: gamers. The frequent use of energy drinks during gaming, along with blue light exposure from computers and TV points to a real need for sleep support products for this segment—for recovery, performance, and general health.
5. Personalisation
As more consumers reflect on how best to support their specific health and wellness needs, expect more to turn to supplements since they allow for a personalised approach to self-care. Based on consumer studies, Innova identifies personalised health assistance as a key driver of supplement use (9).
When consumers were asked why they might prefer to take supplements rather than rely on nutrition from foods and beverages, 28% agreed they can combine supplements tailored to their needs, while 26% agreed it’s a faster way to assimilate essential nutrients (10).
Supplement solutions for every need
Consumers’ interest in health and wellness has made this an exciting time for the supplement industry. Innovation is more important than ever to meet today’s needs, ensure engagement, and gain consumer loyalty.
Glanbia Nutritionals offers a wide variety of ingredients to help companies rise to the challenge—including immune supporting bioactive ingredients, a complete line of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and more), plus our TechVantage™ solutions for gummies. Find out more here.
References
(1-5) Innova Immune Health Trends, Nov, 2022
(6-8) Innova Gummy Supplements, Nov, 2022
(9-10) Innova Immune Health Trends, Feb, 2023