Eye health segment bursting with e-gaming potential, ingredient innovation

07 Apr 2022 --- With more innovation, new formats and ingredients, the eye health market is rapidly expanding to meet growing demand. Historically a niche market targeting older consumers, it has proliferated over the past two years, with an uptake of interest from industry and consumers alike.

Experts from Pharmactive, Astareal and PharmaLinea speak to NutritionInsight on the drivers behind market growth, the changes across the space, as well as the ingredients companies and consumers alike are eying. 

“Most consumers today are relatively new to the eye health market. According to recent consumer insight reports, about 27% of consumers have started to take nutritional supplements that address eye health not more than two years ago, and 50% have a plan to try an eye health supplement in the coming year,” says Dr. Behnaz Shakersain, marketing and scientific liaison, AstaReal Sweden. 

Prevention is a key driver behind interest in eye health, widening the market to include younger generations.Aiming for the “Mecca of e-sports” 
According to Julia Díaz, head of marketing, Pharmactive Biotech Products, the e-gaming segment is one industry is keeping an eye out for. “The e-gaming segment is definitely attracting attention, but it has not yet taken off mainly because of the lack of clinical studies in this group of population. We expect an important growth of this category in the following years.” 

A key driver of the interest behind this is growing awareness of damaging blue light, leading to greater interest in vision support within the e-sport supplement category. 

“What’s telling of the trend is that we’ve had companies focused on clinically supported products inquire about eye health supplements for e-gamers. Specifically from South Korea, as this seems to be the Mecca of e-sports,” underscores Matevž Ambrožič, marketing and PR director at Pharmalinea.

Eying opportunities
Beyond the growing interest from e-gamers, white-collar workers seeking to maintain vision abilities for better and prolonged performance and productivity are also a demographic on industry’s radar, Shakersain adds.

The potential in this space, however, is endless, he states. Students spending long hours studying in front of their screens, professional sports players needing sharp focus for accurate and precise movements – such as tennis players – could also benefit from eye health products, she notes. 

The same can be said for specific professions that require certain vision acuity, such as astronauts, air traffic controllers, pilots, ship navigation crew, firefighters, police officers, photographers, lifeguards, professional drivers, paramedics, surgeons, construction workers, and those with close work such as watch repair or creating jewelry, beauty and make-up artists, fashion designers, Shakersain underscores. 

A two-year transformation
Experts highlight that the COVID-19 pandemic played a central role in reshaping the sector. With a dramatic increase of on-screen time, this led to an increased awareness of blue light, according to Ambrožič. 

“Eye health made as big of a leap into the mainstream of nutraceuticals as did sleep and stress. Quite a few years ago, we launched our line of private label eye health supplements, but there was limited interest. It was an indication for very specific companies, mostly already present in other consumer health categories such as eye drops, companies already visiting ophthalmologists.”

“Since late 2020 and even more so in 2021, we have seen some of our most important clients establishing specific ophthalmology divisions and launching eye health supplements.” 

Brands already in the space are also rejuvenating their brands by launching line extensions with new, advanced product forms, Ambrožič adds.F&B holds potential for innovation in the segment as consumers seek fun formats.

Too much screen time
Furthermore, with more time at home and on screens, recommendations, including the use of screen filters or glasses, taking breaks away from screens at regular intervals and doing eye muscle exercise, has been neglected, according to Shakersain.

“Consequent problems such as blurred vision, tired and dry eyes, and regular headaches, especially during and after the pandemic, have raised a global awareness about the importance of eye health among consumers of different age ranges.”

“The drivers for continuing adding innovation is to align with the global trend of self-care awareness among consumers, which has shifted their focus on preventing instead of treating and on pursuing a more healthy aging,” Díaz says. 

Format innovation reaches F&B
Pill forms have been traditionally particularly over-represented in the eye health segment, and now there is some “exciting development in the space” with liquid, orodispersibles, chewables and gummies, Ambrožič underscores.

Additionally, the food category is introducing more functional F&B to support eye health, Díaz notes.

“Consumers prefer products that are easy to incorporate into daily routines. Taste and texture – when applicable – are still among the important factors. Consumers are more and more asking for vegan-friendly and low/no sugar alternatives,” Shakersain observes.

The majority of eye health products containing astaxanthin were launched in North America, followed by Asia and West Europe. Eye-deal ingredients
Currently, the most popular ingredients are the ones present in Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formulas or AREDS-2. These contain zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E and copper, according to Díaz.

“The reason is because this formula has been extensively studied and validated by clinicians, being familiar to a broad range of doctors, who tend to recommend products adjusting to it.”

“This establishes a good base for an eye health product, but if the brand is willing to stand out from the crowd, it is important to introduce innovative ingredients that can bring more value and excitement to the formulation,” Díaz adds.

For Ambrožič, lutein and bilberry are still on top of the list. “The main reason is the quantity and quality of research, as well as a well-established tradition of use and consumer recognition.” 

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is also a traditional ingredient, commonly included in softgels due to its scientific support and availability of health claims relating to eye health, he adds.

Booming demand requires consumer education
Shakersain also spotlights astaxanthin, a red pigment naturally produced by Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. He notes it is on the radar for many of those at the leading edge of innovative product developments.

“Astaxanthin is one of the strongest antioxidants, about ten times stronger than zeaxanthin and lutein and addresses some of the important causative factors of many eye problems, ciliary muscle fatigue and poor accommodation.” 

Although the interest is growing, many consumers today are not yet fully aware of the exact mechanisms of action of nutrients on their eyes, she concedes. 

“There is still room for consumer education in the eye health category. Given the huge unmet demand from a growing number of individuals suffering from vision impairment worldwide, there is a significant market potential for products containing these xanthophyll carotenoids.” 

“Especially since the health benefits of these nutrients are beyond vision and eye, they are among the best ingredient candidates to meet the need of consumers for holistic health nutritional solutions. Consumers are increasingly turning to algae-derived products as we continue to see a boom in demand for plant-based and sustainable ingredients.”

By Andria Kades