Consumers More Drawn to Supplements With Natural Ingredients Such as Tomato Extracts, Finds Survey
10 Aug 2016 --- A survey conducted by Lycored, the supplier of Cardiomato, has revealed that consumers are more likely to buy a health supplement if the ingredients are natural, supported by clinical trials, and derived of fruit and vegetables - in particular, tomatoes.
In an attempt to better understand what drives them to buy some supplement brands over others, researchers surveyed 200 UK-based consumers aged 50 and over who take supplements at least five times a week.
The participants were presented with a range of properties a product might offer and asked if these would make them more or less likely to use that product.
The survey revealed that naturalness resonated more than any other factor, with 80% of respondents stating they would be more likely to use a supplement that contained naturally occurring ingredients. 
Being supported by extensive clinical trials’ was a factor that appealed to 79% of respondents, and knowing that a product was derived from fruit or vegetables was a major motivator, with 68% of respondents saying this would make them more likely to buy it.
Interestingly, 70% of those surveyed stated that supplements containing ingredients made specifically from tomatoes had even stronger appeal.
Golan Raz, Senior Vice President of the Health Nutrition Division at Lycored, told NutritionInsight: “Tomato based supplements resonate well with a broad spectrum of ages. The reason being is, that the tomato contains a unique combination of “super-molecules” that play a role in multiple biological and bio-chemicals activities. Also, these “super molecules” are working very well when combined and the result is an effective synergistic affect. As far as elderly population, we see that in many cases there is a reduction in consumption of fruits and vegetables as a part of the daily diet. Naturally, when this is the case, we will see a decline in the levels of these molecules in both blood serum and body tissues.”
Commenting on the results as a whole, Raz said: “The responses generated by this research enable us to form a picture of the ingredients that are most likely to appeal to consumers when used in dietary supplements.”
He added, “An analysis of these results highlights that Cardiomato, as a natural whole tomato nutrient complex that is free from artificial ingredients and supported by extensive clinical trials, taps into every significant trend in the dietary supplement market today.” 
During the study, participants were also asked about how important they considered heart health to be. Reponses to these questions indicated a good level of awareness that the risk of developing cardiovascular disease increases with age, with 73% stating they thought support for a healthy circulatory system to be beneficial, and 69% adding that reducing cholesterol is important.
Commenting on these findings, Raz said, “Our market research demonstrates that target consumers for heart health supplements are knowledgeable about their wellbeing and selective when it comes to the products they buy. The efficacy of Cardiomato is clinically proven and, in addition, it is an ingredient complex that checks all the right boxes when it comes to what consumers are looking for in their supplements.”
CardioMato, a heart health dietary supplement was launched by Vita Healthcare into hundreds of Boots stores across the UK earlier this year, and the ingredient form of the product has also received industry recognition, winning the award for Best Finished Product in the 2016 NutraIngredients Awards.
by Hannah Gardiner
