| The market trends in dietary supplements reflect | | | | of herbs and vitamins to try to figure out which |
| current scientific research combined with current | | | | ingredients to use to maintain their good health. |
| health conditions and trends. A look at the | | | | We're making it a lot more convenient for |
| neutraceutical market today will show that there | | | | consumers. We've done the homework - and |
| are specific products for supporting specific health | | | | even the legwork - so they don't have to." Using |
| conditions for the heart, lung, diabetes, pregnancy, | | | | a specific focus for maintaining specific health |
| supplements specifically for women, men and | | | | concerns made Bayer's One-A-Day different than |
| women over 40, for children and for the aging, | | | | other vitamin brands that focused on overall total |
| those actively involved in sports, body building, for | | | | nutrition with a multivitamin. |
| dieters, for skin and digestion, and for hair care. | | | | Consumer Demand |
| General health products for overall health and | | | | Designer Nutrition is in. Years of research and |
| nutrition are still available categorized by age | | | | understanding what consumers need, can help |
| groups and gender. | | | | supplement manufacturers to produce |
| Growing Research and Health Trends | | | | supplements that are more specific to the needs |
| As more studies are done on specific | | | | of today's health conscious public. Don Kendall, |
| supplements, more customers are looking for | | | | co-founder and CEO of GreenTree Nutrition said, |
| health supplement manufacturers they can trust | | | | "We are seeing an overwhelming demand from |
| to withstand the rigor of scientific review. The | | | | customers for a wellness solution that is |
| medical community has grown more receptive to | | | | personalized to meet their needs,"In 2000, |
| nutritional supplementation. The market is | | | | Acumin's began SmartSelect, an online system |
| continually expanding. As a result, there is an | | | | that evaluates the customer's specific needs to |
| increase in specialty formulations. Supplement | | | | formulate a set of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants |
| manufacturers with high QC processes providing | | | | and herbs designed specifically for that person. |
| new and efficient solutions for growing | | | | Customers' needs are assessed, and they are |
| manufacturing needs are in high demand.The | | | | given one of over 37 million formulation |
| demand for health supplements that provide | | | | combinations personalized to meet their exact |
| preventive health and an alternative to | | | | criteria. By providing more personal nutrition, more |
| pharmaceutical drugs with its related side effects | | | | specific to their personal health needs, people who |
| will continue to grow. | | | | used to take a dozen pills a day can take just |
| Consider these facts: | | | | three or four. Along with the demand for more |
| - As an aging population continues to rise, there is | | | | specialized nutritional supplements, manufacturers |
| a strong demand for products that help maintain | | | | are seeing the need to empower consumers with |
| aging health. These include antioxidant formulas, | | | | comprehensive and personalized information they |
| anti-inflammatories, products that support eye | | | | can trust to make informed choices about their |
| health and brain health, and cardiovascular support | | | | health and nutrition. Their websites combine |
| products | | | | objective health information with the cost |
| - There is a continued interest and growth in | | | | advantages and convenience of online shopping. |
| menopausal support products in reaction to the | | | | Good Business Strategy |
| negative research surrounding hormone | | | | Besides providing the consumer with a more |
| replacement therapy. | | | | informed and personalized nutritional supplement |
| - The demand for exercise programs, diets and | | | | choice, from a business perspective, having a |
| supplements to aid in weight management will | | | | specific demographic or a specific health product |
| continue. | | | | for a specific health condition is imperative to sell |
| - The glucosamine / chondroitin market is still | | | | a product. A company must know who will be |
| very active and represents a significant portion of | | | | buying the product so that it can market |
| this industry. More people are interested in | | | | specifically to those consumers. Advertising and |
| essential fatty acid (EFA) formulations. | | | | marketing becomes more specialized and targeted |
| - There is more research being performed on | | | | and more importantly, advertising is more likely to |
| botanicals and the herbal segment of our industry | | | | succeed when geared to a specific target |
| is a hot, growing segment. | | | | consumer audience. |
| - Green foods are another very hot segment. | | | | The Future |
| - The high-protein, low-carb trend is certainly | | | | No two people are alike in their supplementation |
| influencing supplements in traditional and powdered | | | | needs. A one-size-fits-all dietary solution cannot be |
| forms. These can be found in meal replacement | | | | universally applied. Biological individuality calls us to |
| drinks and in mixes targeting the fitness industry. | | | | look for an integrated supplementation approach, |
| - Men's health is finally receiving increased | | | | one which addresses metabolism, lymphatic |
| attention. Multiple vitamin and mineral supplement | | | | function, blood circulation, skin health, detoxification |
| designed to provide specific nutrient support for | | | | capacity, digestive function, immune function not |
| men is on the rise. | | | | excluding genetics and heredity, exposure to |
| - Sales of vegetable capsules are on the rise. | | | | environmental toxins, and even culture. Other |
| There are consumers who are very vegetarian | | | | causes of nutritional deficiencies are traced to |
| oriented who like to stay away from animal-based | | | | psychological and physical stressors, activity levels, |
| products and prefer a vegetable-type capsule. | | | | age, weight, gender, lifestyle, habits and |
| - There is even a demand for kosher nutritional | | | | sensitivities. |
| supplements. | | | | Therefore, a personalized approach is necessary, |
| Some of these products are supported by truly | | | | which will result in prescribing a combination of |
| excellent research that have demonstrable benefit | | | | dietary supplements for individual needs.During the |
| and which are not only effective, but also safe | | | | past several years, the focus of nutritional |
| and reasonably cheap too. | | | | sciences has shifted from deficiency disease |
| Easier Consumer Choice | | | | prevention to optimizing health and chronic disease |
| With commercialization of products bombarding | | | | prevention. This research, along with the |
| the public, the challenge of choice can be quite | | | | expectations of the increasingly health-conscious |
| daunting. Supplement manufacturers can make | | | | consumer, is leading to more highly tailored food |
| the choice easier. For instance, in 1994 Bayer's | | | | choices and nutritional recommendations to meet |
| introduced a line of 8 major specialized health | | | | individuals' specific needs. The challenge for |
| supplements. Jim Kindel, category director of | | | | neutraceuticals in the near future will be to |
| nutritionals at Bayer said, "Consumers will no | | | | provide tailored choices for specific health |
| longer have to sort through a mind-boggling array | | | | conditions. |