Probiotics such as IFF’s HOWARU® family of products already demonstrate the benefit of premium ingredients targeting specific life stages and sets of needs. They also resonate with consumers increasingly aware that each strain of bacteria has a different range of positive effects. Arguably, the very success of immune support as a category within dietary supplements and the fact that such support is becoming a staple for many more health-conscious consumers means that differentiation is more important than ever. According to global health category leader of IFF Health Maider Gutierrez, one solution can be to combine the immune support of probiotics with other added health benefits.
The combinations of immune health with stress, sleep and digestive health are becoming more and more popular as consumer knowledge about their connections grows
Even for those who have not suffered worse consequences, the pandemic will have turned routines upside down and raised levels of stress and anxiety, making this kind of pairing of probiotics with botanicals and minerals even more relevant when it comes to helping in these areas.
Euromonitor data suggests stress and anxiety rank as the second most common area of health concern after eyesight-related issues, affecting just under 30% of respondents in its 2020 global survey.10
Sleep problems follow close behind in fourth position. These are just two areas where the link with immune health is already strong and becoming stronger, with branded adaptogens, for instance, starting to integrate immunity messaging into their labelling.
Gutierrez noted that, when searching the shelves for a probiotic product, consumers are more likely to choose a bottle featuring a trending botanical on the label.11
“Some examples of potential combinations are probiotics like HOWARU® Protect or Echinacea with botanicals for sleep support like valerian or passion flower extract,” she said.
It is interesting that, according to Mintel:
40% of global patent inventions (2019-2020) targeting immunity-enhancement were based on botanicals, while 35% were based on probiotics.
Commercial marketing manager of IFF Health Vanessa Azevedo pointed out the “clean and green” associations and “healthier halo” that consumers look for in botanicals, as a complement to probiotics.
The vast experience of the IFF team fosters our strong belief that future innovation will lie in the combination of these ingredients and the unique holistic benefits they can bring together
Meanwhile, the impetus behind personalization will continue in all parts of health and wellness, not least in the area of immune support. This trend goes hand-in-hand with a sustained emphasis on sustained wellness rather than cure.
“As many as 89% of US consumers believe that healthcare should focus on preventative care,” Werner reported.12 “Consumers already use smart devices, primarily for preventative health purposes, such as tracking heart rate, and the future will see an increased merging of this behaviour with nutrition goals.”
Where the use of specific probiotics is backed up by careful selection and research, this already allows a segmented approach to the market. Combining these targeted strains with additional nutrients takes
‘immunity-plus’ supplements even further along the road to personalized nutrition.
“The need for particular minerals and vitamins depends on age group and gender,” Gutierrez explained. “For example, since iron fortification is especially important for children and women, the combinations of the microencapsulated iron AB-Fortis® with HOWARU® Protect Kids or HOWARU® Protect Prenatal+ could help to target these demographics. Looking at older age groups, HOWARU® Protect 55+ could be combined with soy isoflavones for women or Go-Less® Men for men.”
References: 10. Euromonitor International Health and Nutrition Survey 2020. 11. Nutrition Business Journal, April 2021. 12. Mintel, 2021.