Nutritional Supplements Market Trends

Growth Drivers

•  High prevalence of non-communicable diseases - Rising global working population, prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle, consumption of unhealthy food, and failure to maintain a well-balanced diet are some of the leading causes of increasing cases of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and neurological diseases. Moreover, according to the Pan American Health Organization’s report released in 2023, around 41 million people die due to NCD every year, accounting for 71% of all deaths worldwide.
• Rising concerns about malnutrition- The rising burden of malnutrition across the globe and growing awareness about importance of nutritional supplements has resulted in rising sales of nutritional supplements. Today’s generation is highly reliant on consuming packaged and fast food.  A data published in March 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO), stated that around 390 million grown-ups aged 18 years or more were under-weight in 2022.
  
  Some oral nutrition supplements (ONS) in the form of powder or ready-to-drink forms of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals can provide extra nutrition when only a diet can’t meet the needs. This ongoing demand for ONS is expected to drive the demand for nutritional supplements by 2036.
• Rising demand for nutritional supplements to improve digestive health - The role of digestive health products is becoming inevitably important as people are becoming more conscious of digestive health. The demand for probiotics, prebiotics, and enzymes is rapidly increasing as people understand the importance of maintaining digestive health. As stated by ScienceDirect in August 2021, the demand for prebiotics and probiotics will increase respectively at 7% and 12.7% in the coming 8 years.

Challenges

• Stringent government rules worldwide - Different countries have different regulations governing dietary supplements. In certain areas, the laws may be less stringent than those governing prescription drugs. This might lead to uneven manufacturing standards, quality control, and product safety. There might be issues with product efficacy, deceptive advertising, and potential risks associated with certain ingredients if regulations are inconsistent.
• Excessive cost and adverse impact on the health of nutritional supplements - Excessive cost of nutritional supplements and the adverse impact related to the persistent use of nutritional supplements can hamper market growth going ahead. The nutritional supplements are manufactured with proteins, minerals, and vitamins that are good for a person’s overall skin, hair, body, and bones.
  
  However, using these supplements for a longer period can cause different health issues including liver damage, digestive issues, skin reactions, and others. In some cases, the U.S. Food and Drugs Association (US FDA) found that various prescription drugs and active components are not listed on the label of nutritional supplements which can harm a person.