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Dietary supplements are used to enrich diets or lower risks of health problems
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Wednesday, 14 April, 2021, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Dr Chandrasekar SB
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Dietary supplements are substances you might use to add nutrients to your diet or to lower your risk of health problems, like osteoporosis or arthritis. Dietary supplements come in the form of pills, capsules, powders, gel tabs, extracts, or liquids. They might contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids, herbs or other plants, or enzymes. Sometimes, the ingredients in dietary supplements are added to foods, including drinks. A doctor’s prescription is not needed to buy dietary supplements.
Different Vitamin and Mineral Recommendations for People Over 50
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020 recommend how much of each vitamin and mineral men and women of different ages need. Sometimes, too much of a vitamin or mineral can be harmful. Most, if not all, of your daily vitamins and minerals should come from food.
Vitamin B12—2.4 mcg (micrograms) each day. If you are taking medicine for acid reflux, you might need a different form, which your healthcare provider can give you.
Calcium—Women over age 50 need 1,200 mg (milligrams) each day. Men need 1,000 mg between age 51 and 70 and 1,200 mg after 70 but not more than 2,000 mg a day.
Vitamin D—600 IU (International Units) for people age 51 to 70 and 800 IU for those over 70, but not more than 4,000 IU each day.
Vitamin B6—1.7 mg for men and 1.5 mg for women each day.
When thinking about whether you need more of a vitamin or mineral, think about how much of each nutrient you get from food and drinks, as well as from any supplements you take. Check with a doctor or dietitian to learn whether you need to supplement your diet.
According to Markets, the global dietary supplements market size is estimated to be valued at $136.2 billion in 2020 and projected to reach $204.7 billion by 2026, recording a CAGR of 7.0 per cent during the forecast period. The market is increasingly driven by shifting consumer preferences, rising health awareness, growing geriatric population, and adoption of a healthy diet. The convergence of major industry trends is giving rise to new opportunities for key players in the industry. Changing lifestyles and dietary habits is one of the major factors driving the demand for dietary supplements. The growing positive outlook towards sports nutrition would also positively impact the market.
Market Dynamics
Drivers: Aging population to drive the market growth
Consumers across regions have become more health-conscious, which is driving the growth of the dietary supplements market. The aging population of some countries, such as Japan, Italy, Portugal, and Germany, is another key factor that is projected to drive the overall market.
The elderly population is focusing on adapting to nutritional supplements specifically tailored to their needs to maintain their good health and quality of life. The process of aging results in various changes in an individual, including psychological, physiological, and social, which affects their dietary and food choices. The population increasingly relies on habitual food choices and tailored dietary consumption patterns. The rising aging population in some countries, over the years, has increased the demand for developing age-friendly food alternatives with enhanced nutritional value to support their overall health, which has led to an increased demand for dietary supplements that further support the market growth. With increasing bone health and mobility concerns, consumers have become more aware of healthy aging and disease prevention. Thus, there is an increased demand for supplemental nutrition solutions that align with the nutritional needs of aging consumers.
Restraints: High cost of dietary supplements
Science and technology are helping people identify foods that will help people manage their weight and overall health. Dietary supplements involve significantly high costs, which could act as a restraint for the growth of the market. Few players, such as Amway, offer supplements under the brand Nutrilite, which is significantly expensive. Dietary supplements also involve the high cost of research and customisation. These supplements being less economic might restrict the growth of the market, particularly in price-sensitive countries such as South Africa and India. Asian countries are yet to adapt to the growing trend of nutrition-specific supplements.
With the increasing concerns of poor health and changes in lifestyle, consumers have shifted to dietary supplements to build their core strength and for biological benefits. Although these dietary supplements are comparatively less economical, which, in turn, is projected to restrict the market growth.
Opportunities: Shift toward plant-based supplements
The market for plant protein ingredients is growing at a high rate; consumers are drifting away from animal proteins to plant-based protein. This is highly likely to shift consumers towards plant-based herbal supplements and botanicals, further creating opportunities for the growth of herbal supplements in the market. The demand for clean-label products, concerns about sustainability, and a dire need to avoid allergens are some of the major factors responsible for shifting consumer preferences towards botanical extracts. The target population for these herbal supplements is expanding from vegan to flexitarians, further indication shifting consumer preferences.
Challenges: Consumer scepticism associated with nutraceutical products
Although nutraceutical products such as nutritional supplements have witnessed a high demand in recent years, a majority of the population is sceptical about the consumption of nutraceutical products, particularly dietary supplement products. Also, the increase in unawareness among rural and semi-urban consumers about dietary supplements and the lack of education regarding the same discourages key players from investing. This population contributes to a major share of the non-dietary supplement consuming population in the developing and non-developing countries. Also, consumers perceive dietary supplements as medical drugs and are apprehensive to incorporate the same in their daily dietary lifestyles. Due to these factors, some manufacturers are focusing on developing different formulations of supplements, such as gummies, soft chews, and others, to mitigate the fear of consuming tablets and capsules as nutraceuticals. However, these formulations are still in the early stage of entering the global market, whereas tablets and capsules in the nutraceutical market already have a majority share, which is challenging to the growth of the dietary supplements market.
(The author is junior scientific officer, drugs control department, Bangalore. He can be contacted at dtlsbcs@gmail.com)
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