Key nutritional drivers: Growing consumer knowledge, holistic health and the mainstreaming of supplementation

10 Jul 2018 --- The future platforms for innovation in nutritionals are being shaped by a range of consumer drivers, including an increasing interest in holistic approaches to health, a growing knowledge of nutrition and the mainstreaming of supplements. NutritionInsight speaks with an array of suppliers on these consumer interests so keenly driving trends.

Growing consumer knowledge
Today's consumers are increasingly knowledgeable of product labels and ingredients, and chemical-laden ingredient lists can quickly lead to the products being put back on the shelf. Similarly, consumers are more aware of what their bodies may need nutritionally, conducting research online before going to buy products, and importantly, seeking the best quality.

“Consumers are actively educating themselves on the nutrients/supplements that would best meet their needs,” says Chris Speed, Senior VP Global Sales & Marketing at NattoPharma.

“Consumers not only want the best nutrients to meet their personal health goals, but they want the best possible varieties of those ingredients They are learning about clinically validated branded ingredients, and then seeking out supplements that feature those brands.”

A key ingredient that is on the rise, Speed notes, is vitamin K2. The vitamin has long been recognized as a bone-health nutrient but now “the body of evidence confirmed K2 simultaneously supports cardiovascular health is growing, and that evidence is gaining traction in the media.”

Further evidence is beginning to highlight the importance of vitamin K2 for children, which further emphasizes its “tremendous potential,” Speed adds. NattoPharma is a world leader in vitamin K2 research and development with its flagship brand MenaQ7.

Holistic health
Consumers armed with an expanding knowledge of nutrition are also invested in achieving their nutritional goals holistically.

“The trend for both healthy and ethical, sustainable solutions is definitely driving the market for holistic and natural approaches to nutrition from reputable sources and providers,” says Bérengère Feuz, Marketing Director at Lallemand Health Solutions.

Probiotics are key drivers within this, Feuz explains, as the probiotic concept, which means “for-life,” is semantically opposed to “antibiotic,” which positions it perfectly for a natural, safe and holistic approach to health.

“Let’s take the example of oral health – a very new area of application for probiotics: certain probiotic bacteria have a proven effect on the balancing of oral microbiota and preventing oral plaque formation to the same extent as chemical mouthwash. They represent a positive approach to oral health by favoring a healthy oral microbiota versus an antiseptic approach,” she notes.

The use of probiotics “beyond the gut” is also translating into “immunity, women’s health, mood balance (based on the gut-brain axis interactions), but also metabolism,” Feuz adds.

The mainstreaming of supplementation
Supplementation is also becoming a pivotal part of a healthy lifestyle for many consumers, and concern over the quality of the finished products is a crucial theme.

“As in the food industry, [consumers] are looking for cleaner, organic and traceable options,” says Timothee Olagne, Health and Wellness Director at Naturex.

In this way, the trend of holistic health and increasing consumer knowledge are strongly linked with supplementation choices, as gut health and processing techniques such as fermentation prove popular: “Ingredients with benefits associated with gut health are on the rise. For example, we see a lot of interest in Gingest, our ginger extract with digestive health benefits. We also developed a range of mineral ingredients based on koji fermentation. As a traditional process, fermentation is seen as a healthy way to deliver nutrients.”

“Two of the main health concerns for the aging population are brain health and heart health. We screened different solutions and found that specific berries are packed with benefits in these two areas: Think-Blue, a wild blueberry extract shown to improve episodic memory, and Aronox, an extract of aronia that delivers cardiovascular benefits supported by several published peer-reviewed clinical trials. The supplement industry can promote healthy nutritional habits such as increasing fruit and vegetable serving intake and getting antioxidants with proven benefits,” Olagne concludes.

This article is based on interviews to appear in the summer edition of The World of Food Ingredients (NutritionInsight).

By Laxmi Haigh

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