Positioning digestive health products
As consumers transform their approach to digestive health and become more knowledgeable, it’s pivotal that the industry can meet consumers’ wishes and demands. Krail shared that Marinova identified an “increase in demand for natural ingredients that deliver on three primary fronts—high purity, certified organic and backed by science. Brand marketers will do well to consider the trifecta of properties when selecting key ingredients for digestive support products.”
Hannah Ackermann, a registered dietitian at Comet Bio, shared "more consumers are reaching for prebiotic and probiotic supplements rather than the traditional standbys, like vitamin C or zinc, to boost their immune system." She added, “research suggests that over 70 percent of our body's immune system resides in the gastrointestinal tract, and prebiotic dietary fibres fuel good bacteria growth in our gut, especially bifidobacteria and lactobacilli probiotic strains.”
Interestingly, Medlin feels that the messaging around prebiotic fibres from plant-based products is a market opportunity. As she comments, “The highest levels of diversity in the microbiome are found in people who eat the greatest variety of plants.” According to the review, gut microbiota diversity according to dietary habits and geographical provenance—published in the Human Microbiome Journal—dietary habits and geolocations highly influence the microbiota diversity. In one of the ‘largest’ microbiome studies, the American Gut Project found a positive correlation between the number of unique plants consumed and the microbiota’s diversity. Such whitespace offers category specialists, especially manufacturers and product developers looking to expand their products portfolio, further potential to tap into the plant-based trend.
Digestive health market opportunities in APAC – podcast
Additionally, consumers are seeking nutritional products with preventive positioning rather than cure. Montgomery says consumers are “taking a daily probiotic to boost immune health, rather than only focusing on immune health acutely—like reaching for medicine once they already have the flu.”
Krail adds, "consumers are increasingly recognising that digestive health is a key factor influencing all manner of biological functions—from inflammation and immune function right through to brain and heart health.”
Radhika Bongoni, head of business development at BaseClear BV, notes, “there is a still a big gap in the level of knowledge between industry and researchers to the consumer and end-users.” Consumer education seems pivotal in pushing the digestive health market to further progress; thus, companies could take advantage of market presence by educating consumers on their products.
The industry agrees that physicians, dietitians, and nutritionists are at the forefront of educating consumers with the latest research developments and health claim communication. Ackermann encourages “any brand making a health claim to lead with the science behind what makes their ingredients unique within the supplement market.”
Hughes called out additional issues: “Ingredient-led claims are becoming more influential on purchasing habits because consumers are researching different ingredients as they take a proactive approach to health maintenance. Consumers are more accepting of ingredients they know and trust; they are open to trying new ingredients—especially if they are associated with increased efficacy. There is an opportunity to launch new ingredients that aid digestive health. Still, these ingredients must be deemed safe and natural, and consumers are fully educated about the related benefits."
