October 10, 2024 – In the US, a growing focus on wellness has driven consumers to seek functional foods, beverages, and supplements that boost immune health and strengthen the body’s natural defenses. Innova’s 360 research into immune health trends highlights how the demand for products that support the body’s natural defenses is gaining attention, innovations, and what may develop in the future.
Consumer Health Trends
Consumers in the US are taking more personal responsibility for their health. They are consulting a variety of sources for health advice and adopting varied strategies to improve their well-being. This impacts immune health as supplementation and fortification become key elements of self-care. Consumers focus on addressing their personal needs, prioritizing specific nutrients and ingredients.
Health trends shows around 1 in 4 US consumers are likely to be concerned about immune health,under-indexing the global average. Immune health is the second specific health-targeted supplement after gut health, with 55% of consumers in the US having taken action to maintain their immune health over the past year.
Supplements Trends
In the US, 1 in 4 consumers are increasing their use of supplements to stay healthy and boost immunity. Nearly 1 in 6 consumers regularly takes an immune health supplement. Despite under-indexing the global average supplement usage, immune health remains the top claim in US supplement launches, experiencing 12% CAGR growth over the past five years. The penetration levels for immune health supplements have remained constant in recent years.
Immune health trends research reveals that North America leads in immune health supplement launches, representing one-third of global activity. The regions hold a slightly higher share of immune health supplements than the overall supplement category. The US represents 92% of North American activity for immune supplement new product development.
Botanicals and herbals lead in immune health supplements claims, followed by vitamins and minerals, while the concentrates category has seen the fastest growth. Digestive/liver health and energy/stamina are the leading additional claims featured in immune supplement launches. Meanwhile, sexual health is the fastest growing crossover category.
Food and Beverage Trends
Immune health trends research shows that US consumers are less likely than the global average to choose health-boosting foods and beverages. Younger generations in the US are more inclined to seek out products that support their health, while older consumers show less interest. US consumers are also less likely to see value in functional ingredients that enhance physical health compared to the global average.
Despite this, North America is the third-largest region for food and beverage new product development activity with immune health claims. In the US, 20% of consumers think that boosting immunity is a desirable function that a food or beverage might offer. Immune health claims have a penetration rate of 18% over the past 12 months.
Soft drinks lead in food and beverage launches with immune health claims, followed by sports nutrition and baby and toddlers over the past year. Immune claims in soft drinks span various subcategories, including juices and nectars, energy drinks, iced tea, bottled water—flavored, carbonates, and others. Innovators are focusing on vitamins and minerals to boost immunity. This focus displays a growing opportunity for innovation in the immune health space.
Immunity Ingredients Trends
Botanicals is the top ingredient category in food, beverages, and supplements with immune health claims. Beetroot, ginger, and honey are large categories, but green tea extract, reishi mushroom extract, and lion’s mane mushroom extract are displaying the fastest growth.
Health trends shows that 2 in 5 US consumers say that vitamins are important ingredients to them. Vitamin C remains the most widely used vitamin ingredient, followed by vitamins K2 and D2. Zinc is the top mineral utilized in this arena.
Probiotics are also a key immune health ingredient. However, the performance of the top strains varies. Bacillus coagulans has the largest penetration in the overall immune health arena over the past year. There has been a steady growth in Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium breve probiotic strains during the same period.
Immune health trends research displays that probiotics are widely utilized in the dairy and soft drink arenas to support immune/gut health. There is an increased global interest in fermented foods, which has experienced an uplift in new product development such as kefir.
What’s Next in the Immune Health Trends in the US?
1 in 5 US consumers think that boosting immunity is a desirable function that a food or beverage might offer, but this rises for Boomers. These highlights opportunities lie in food and beverage subcategories that are convenient and novel. Brands can look at how immune health can appeal to older groups that may not be engaged with categories to gain attention.
Immune health trends research shows that fermented foods such as kefir, kimchi, and kombucha have increased their global appeal. Probiotics are a key tool in immune health and untapped potential for promoting immune health benefits in these trending food categories.
US innovation in immune health remains concentrated in nutrition categories like sports nutrition, baby nutrition, and functional beverages. As consumer awareness grows, brands are likely to expand fortification for the mainstream market, driving future growth in health trends.
This article is based on Innova’s Now & Next in Immune Health in the US report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
