Four health trends worth paying attention to in 2024 and two potential raw materials

In 2023, most global markets are in an inflationary period, coupled with ongoing conflicts in some regions, and supply chain fluctuations still exist, all of which are affecting consumers' daily attention and spending. A very obvious change is that consumers are no longer as concerned about immune health as they were two or three years ago, and mental health and stress relief have become one of the directions that consumers are paying attention to.

In 2024, the global mainstream market is paying attention to which health tracks, and which raw materials will continue to receive attention? Which markets are currently blank? Recently, PharmaLinea and IQVIA jointly predicted four health trends and three potential ingredients worth paying attention to in 2024, and Zhitiqiao will interpret these trends from multiple dimensions for you.

4 major health trends

1. Pain management

One of the blank markets in the nutrition industry is "pain", which most consumers experience in their daily lives. There is also an opportunity to solve this problem through some nutritional programs, which requires more scientific research data to clarify the relevant health mechanisms.

At present, discomfort in joints is attracting the attention of many consumers, and there are also some products developed specifically for this health need in the market. For example, Holland&Barrett has launched a joint health product, mainly composed of curcumin and black pepper, and the product dosage form is capsule.

Of course, in addition to joint discomfort, there are many other sub areas worth paying attention to, such as menstrual discomfort and back discomfort in women. Blackmores launched an "Ache Relief" in the Australian domestic market in 2023, targeting the "sedentary and non active" population. The product formula mainly includes vitamin B6 and ginseng extract.

2. Women's Health

When it comes to women's health, most people's focus is on "beauty, youthfulness, and thinness". It has been proven that these directions can directly address women's health needs, and the oral beauty market is in a rapid development period. In fact, women's health is an area that can be refocused and focused on in the industry. For the corresponding health needs of different age groups, it can be subdivided into the development of many health products.

According to Euromonitor International data, the global market size of women's health dietary supplements reached 2.36 billion US dollars in 2021 and 2.61 billion US dollars in 2023. The market growth rate is not particularly high, but the overall trend is steady growth. It is expected that this track will continue to increase in the coming years, with the United States currently the main market.

From the perspective of Zhiti Bridge to the development trend of the US market, in the past two years, many DTC brands have been focusing on women's health. Compared to other traditional brands, they pay more attention to the direction of segmentation, such as women's menopause, perimenopause, ovarian health, etc. Through this development path, their influence can be extended to retail channels, truly raising their awareness to a new level, making this category begin to become mainstream.

In contrast, some non mainstream channel markets in China are also paying attention to the health track of women's segmentation.

At present, common ingredients in the women's health track include cranberries, probiotics, maca, rye pollen, soy isoflavones, red clover, hops, South African cocktails, black cohosh, etc. Each ingredient corresponds to different health directions.

3. Healthy aging

With the continuous increase in global life expectancy, it has become an unavoidable topic, and consumers are also looking for various natural solutions, from Silicon Valley billionaire Bryan Johnson to ordinary consumers. According to a consumer survey conducted by Roland Berger in 2023, 67% of respondents are willing to pay for nutritional supplements and personalized nutrition to extend life expectancy.　The demand of consumers is driving "healthy aging" to become a major trend in the nutrition industry, which has high appeal in the global market and strong purchasing power. Many raw materials have the opportunity to enter a period of rapid development, including coenzyme Q10, PQQ, NAD+, grape seeds, ginseng, Cistanche deserticola, etc.

In 2023, Hurdle, a representative enterprise in the field of joint diagnostic testing by Bayer in Germany, will provide new consumer solutions for the healthy aging field. Hurdle will collect saliva samples from consumers and analyze them in the laboratory. Through a period of testing, consumers can track how lifestyle habits affect the rate of aging, such as healthier diets, nutritional supplements, or lifestyle interventions.

For product development, healthy aging is a very broad concept that can be subdivided into different age groups and aging of various parts of the body. Different groups have different needs and concerns for aging products, so it is necessary to clarify the market positioning and consumption pain points of the products.

At present, the main target audience for healthy aging products is still middle-aged and elderly people, and the macroeconomic policy direction of the domestic market in 2024 also targets the silver hair economy. The recently released "Opinions on Developing the Silver Hair Economy to Promote the Welfare of the Elderly" will promote more people to pay attention to this group of elderly people.

4. Supplement moisture

Supplementing with water has become an important habit in daily consumption, especially in the North American market. The Vitamin Shopee report lists "hydration" as the second largest trend in 2023, indicating that the demand for interesting and delicious electrolyte products from innovative brands and young consumers is constantly increasing.

In the past two years, supplementary water classification products have experienced a period of rapid development in the US market. According to market data released by SPINS, in the 52 weeks ending October 8, 2023, sales of supplementary water products in the United States reached $519 million, a year-on-year increase of 49.08%, and a compound annual growth rate of 42.30% over the past three years.

In addition, Coca Cola's brand BodyArmor entered the fast hydration beverage category in 2023 with its BodyArmor Flash IV product. This is the first major product launched by the brand in two years, aimed at creating a balance between carbohydrates and electrolytes for good absorption and supplementation, with the addition of zinc, vitamin B, and C.

At present, there are two obvious development trends in the water replenishment track. Firstly, the target audience of the product is changing, especially young people are beginning to pay attention to this category. Secondly, the product development presents a multifunctional direction, with the addition of ingredients related to intestinal health, immune maintenance, and exercise endurance in hydration products, which will be more attractive to ordinary consumers.

2 potential raw materials

1. Magnesium element

Magnesium has long been overlooked by people in the past few decades. In fact, magnesium participates in various physiological reactions in the human body, the most important of which is the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the main energy source for cells in the body. Long term consumer awareness has been neglected, and modern dietary methods have also led to a shortage of magnesium, resulting in a rapid rise in the magnesium market in the past two years.

From the perspective of the US market, the health track with rapid development of magnesium mainly focuses on emotional health and sleep management. Market data shows that in the first four months of 2023, sales of magnesium products at the Vitamin Shop increased by 25%. In 2023, Natural Stacks in the United States launched a product targeting emotions, mainly made from magnesium citrate, L-theanine, South African cocktails, and other ingredients.

In addition to emotional health, magnesium has also shown rapid growth in cognitive health, hydration categories, electrolytes, and other aspects.

2. Tianmen Winter

Besides curcumin and South African eggplant, Asparagus is becoming one of the new potential raw materials.

Tianmendong has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine in China and the Ayurvedic system in India. According to market data released by SPINS, as of the 52 weeks ending June 18, 2023, Tianmendong's sales in the US natural enhanced channel and traditional multi-channel markets reached 9.97 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 48.3%. It is expected to enter sales of millions of US dollars in 2024.

Tianmendong's development direction in the market is mainly focused on women's health. In 2023, Cepham in the United States launched SheVari4, a raw material derived from Tianmendong's root extract, to support women's health and serve as a new generation adaptation to its original role.