Key consumer trends in the $28bn US supplement business

In this special edition of supplement use trends, NutraIngredients-USA reviews consumer trends for the industry.

Stable supplement use​

As the NBJ data shows, supplement use is extensive: According to data from 20,000 people participating the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), use of dietary supplements in the US has risen slightly, with about 50 percent of Americans reporting supplement use.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements also report for the first time the use of botanical supplements amongst a sample of the US population, with about 20 percent of adults using a dietary supplement with at least one botanical ingredient.

More women/girls than men/boys were supplement users, with 44 percent of males listed as users, compared with 53 percent of females. Furthermore, multivitamin-multimineral supplements were the most popular, with 33 percent amongst users.

To read the full article, please click here: Half of American adults continue to take supplements: Survey​​

Concerns?​

At the IFT Annual Meeting and Expo, Edward Zambraski, PhD, Division Chief, Military Performance Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) told Stephen Daniells that a current lack of understanding of the effects of some supplements is causing concern within the US military.

In addition, the US Army has established a specialized group to deal with nutritional supplements amid concerns over the excess of supplements being taken.

A recent USARIEM survey of US Army personnel revealed that that 53 percent of the surveyed soldiers were users of dietary supplements, with the average monthly spend of $38

And while supplement use per se is not a concern, excessive supplement use is, said Dr Zambraski.

“The Army is concerned about the excess of supplements being taken [by soldiers] and particularly supplements that we really don’t understand their effects, supplements that could be interactive with one another, or with other medications that may be taken, or supplements that we don’t understand how they may work in the environment of a military operational setting,”​ said Dr Zambraski.

To watch the video interview, please click here: US Army ‘concerned’ over excessive supplement use amongst soldiers​​

Herbal bloom​

In May, the American Botanical Council announced that sales of herbal dietary supplements in the United States climbed three per cent last year to reach more than $5.2bn.

According to a report published in the latest issue of HerbalGram​, the quarterly journal of the American Botanical Council, sales in the mainstream market channel, including drugstores and grocery stores, rose 6.6 per cent last year to reach an estimated $936m.

To read the full article, please click here: US herbal supplement sales up 3% last year​​

All-conquering omega-3​

As part of our special edition on omega-3, we reported that the omega-3 market was recently valued at almost $8 billion (€5.57 billion) by Packaged Facts.

According to a recent report, the market grew 17% from 2009 and such growth is predicted to continue, said the market researcher.

The US dominates with sales of $4bn (€2.78bn) in foods and drinks compared to $1.3bn (€900m) for dietary supplements, with much of the food and beverage figure accounted for by omega-3 fortified infant foods and formulas.

The US food and beverage sector is expected to grow 14.4% annually between 2006 and 2014, compared to 18% growth in the US supplements sector.

But can such growth continue? To read the full article, please click here: All-conquering omega-3 market set for further growth​​

Thinking about cognitive function​

Looking at specific health condition categories with market potential, Dr Mark Schauss from laboratory testing services firm Lab Interpretation said recently that the market for ingredients that can help keep our brains healthy as we age is “set to explode”​ in the next five to 10 years.

Speaking to NutraIngredients-USA before delivering a lecture on diet and the brain at the recent IAACN (International & American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists) Scientific Symposium, Dr Schauss noted that there is no miracle pill that can guarantee we will not lose our marbles.

However, there was a growing body of human clinical data supporting the cognitive benefits of ingredients including glycerophosphocholine (GPC), phosphatidylserine (PS), acetyl-l-carnitine, curcumin and the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, claimed Schauss.

“I don’t think there has been enough discussion about the research that already exists in this field. There is now a surprising amount of human clinical trial data out there to support the benefits of ingredients such as GPC and we must share this information with a wider audience.”​

To read the full article, please click here: Cognitive function market set to explode, predicts researcher​​