Novonesis webinar preview: Natural solutions in women’s health market touted for both body and mind
As consumer awareness around the needs in women’s health grows, there is a rising awareness that it encompasses more than just vaginal health. While women’s health has been a fast-growing category in the probiotics industry for some time now, Novonesis recognizes there are still many more — unique to women and more predominant in women — to explore both scientifically and commercially.
As women journey through life, their bodies and health undergo changes. These changes can disturb the natural balance of the microbiome, which fluctuates throughout different stages of life. When this balance is disturbed, women may experience a wide range of health challenges that can impact their well-being and quality of life.
In Novonesis’ forthcoming webinar, experts from the company will discuss the market and consumer trends that are keeping women’s health in the spotlight.
Anne Karina Riise, commercial industry manager tells Nutrition Insight: “There is a continued high interest in women’s health, both from the market side of view — the products that are coming out on the market are getting more nuanced and targeted — and we see that consumers are paying more attention to their own health and well-being.”
For example, we can see through movements like the drive to end stigma on conversations around menopause that consumers want to take more initiative and have open conversations around their health, she explains.
Anuska la Rosa Egeskov-Madsen, global scientific advisor at the company, observes the same happening in the scientific world, with conferences and events dedicated to women’s health becoming more of a norm: “Something we did not see in the past,” she notes.
Anne Karina Riise, commercial industry manager at Novonesis.
Tailored health
According to Riise, there are numerous factors driving women’s health.
“We can see both consumers becoming more aware and pushing for more tailored products for their health,” she explains.
Egeskov-Madsen adds that this has “also led to more of a focus on women-specific science because we know that women’s physiologies are different from men’s and there needs to be specific clinical studies taking this into account, which we are starting to see more of.”
Interestingly, she highlights that the different health challenges women face are now increasingly backed by and continued to be studied in science.
Adapting to challenges
Commenting on formulation challenges, Riise explains that when Novonesis works together with its customers to design product solutions, they start with a deep understanding of women’s health challenges, combined with what women as consumers are looking for when choosing dietary supplements.
“As we deep dive into market trends and run consumer studies, we see that women are increasingly looking for natural solutions as their number one criteria,” she explains. “As the market matures more and more, we see more selections of products on the market, but with varying levels of quality in the formulation. This can make it confusing for consumers.”
“At Novonesis, we are committed to ensuring that our biosolutions are always of the highest quality.”
According to Riise, consumers are increasingly seeking out solutions that can meet women’s specific health needs.
Spotlight on women’s needs
Egeskov-Madsen observes that in general, women have become more independent over time. “This has naturally driven more awareness of and sparked more conversations around their needs. The fact that science has traditionally taken a more male-focused approach means that there were simply not enough clinical studies and/or science directly focused on women,” she shares.
“And there needs to be more: clearly, there is a difference between male and female physiology and thus health needs. Women go through natural phases in life, such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause that lead to unique health challenges. Further, we see health challenges that affect women more or differently than men, such as osteoporosis.”
All of these factors are becoming more openly discussed today, which in turn fuels more science on women’s health, she adds.
Synbiotic solutions
Emerging science indicates that synbiotic solutions may support health across life stages.
Riise adds: “We have known for some time now that synbiotics — HMOs and probiotics — are beneficial for infants, but now we are starting to see indications that there may also be beneficial health effects across other life stages.”
Anuska la Rosa Egeskov-Madsen, global scientific advisor at Novonesis.“At Novonesis, we are uniquely positioned as world leaders in probiotics and HMOs, and we always want to be at the forefront of science-driven innovation,” she explains.
The company has recently launched and is continuously developing multiple synbiotic solutions for adults. For women specifically, the company has recently launched solutions for prenatal support and for menopausal women.
Meanwhile, due to the aging global population, Riise sees a lot of interest in menopause and healthy aging.
“At the same time, we’re also seeing high interest in mental health. In fact, in one of our recent consumer studies, we saw that women increasingly view health as both physical and mental health.”
At Novonesis, we believe there is still a lot of untapped potential in women’s health, says Riise and Egeskov-Madsen.
To learn more about current trends in women’s health and our predictions for the future, you can register for the Novonesis webinar, scheduled to broadcast on Novemeber 5.
