New habits are creating unique opportunities in the supplement market
It is estimated that it takes about 66-days for someone to acquire a new habit and continue doing it when not coerced (Euro J Soc Psych, 2009). Certainly, COVID-19 and social distancing have consumers rethinking their health habits and it’s reflected in purchase priorities. Nutrition Business Journal reports, not surprisingly, that purchase of immune supplements are up significantly (NBJ: Supplements in The Time of COVID-19, April 2020):
• 17 of the top 20 vitamin category products are immune-related
• The top 500 vitamin products are dominated by C, D, and multivitamins with immune support
• 57% of the top 100 fastest growing vitamin products are vitamin C
• Elderberry ranks as one of the top products in the supplement space
More people are turning to vitamins and supplements to try and stay healthy; a trend that’s been steadily rising as the supplement industry approaches the $50 billion mark. For the short-term, immune formulas will continue to drive supplement purchases, but that trend may continue in the post-COVID-19 world as we start to venture back out into public. As reported in the NBJ report, Supplements in the Time of COVID-19, consumers reporting that they will increase their use of supplements (once per day) over the next three months increased by 30%.
The behavioral shift from treating seasonal concerns, like the flu, to being more proactive
Immune formulas like vitamin C or elderberry always rise and fall during the flu season but COVID-19 represents a greater need to stay healthy year-round. COVID-19 is also a global concern; an existential threat that can get people thinking seriously about how to better manage their health naturally.
Beyond immunity, what other health benefits will consumers include in their daily routine? Even now, performance nutrition supplement purchases continue to rise (SPINS, 2020) and continue to confirm consumer’s desires to stay healthy, active and independent for as long as possible. It’s a trend that will most likely gain traction as consumers become more DIY health-oriented.
Performance will continue to take hold of proactive, health-conscious consumers
Traditionally, performance nutrition was developed for and consumed by athletes and bodybuilders to improve their overall health, performance, and muscle growth. However, the category has been undergoing a transformation for the last several years, prompted by the influx of consumers who don’t necessarily fit the bodybuilding and pro-athlete personas. But their goals are the same—perform at their peak and recover quickly. Out of all the supplements within performance nutrition, curcumin holds a special place because of its ability to affect key factors important for exercise performance on recovery—healthy inflammation, cardiac function and muscle recovery.
Curcumin provides even more support now and for the post-COVID-19 supplement landscape
The antioxidant potential of curcumin and its ability to modulate inflammatory pathways underscores its potential as an adjunct to recovery. And while it is a potent antioxidant, curcumin can also support the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (Shen Lr. Et al., Age, 2013). Curcumin supports healthy inflammation after strenuous exercise most likely through a variety of mechanisms targeting inflammatory pathways and compounds like cyclooxygenase, interleukins, and cytokines (Kawanishi N. et al., Biochem Biophysic Res Comm., 2013).
A recent study demonstrated that CurcuWIN—OmniActive’s enhanced, highly bioavailable curcumin—can be an effective supplement for recovery after strenuous exercise. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, differing doses of CurcuWIN were evaluated on muscle damage and recovery following a bout of muscle damaging exercise by assessing plasma cytokines and creatine kinase (CK). Supplementing with 1,000 mg of CurcuWIN significantly reduced IL-6 and CK and may, therefore, facilitate muscle recovery and performance. The study also found a reduction in 24-hour pain scores and increased recovery of muscle performance after JM. Et al. FASEB Journal 2017).
Healthy cardiovascular function is the cornerstone of active wellness and curcumin may also play a role as demonstrated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects that measured the impact of CurcuWIN on circulation. Flow mediated dilation (FMD)—a process that measures the ability of blood vessels to dilate—is a useful tool because it is a sensitive and non-invasive process to evaluate the efficacy of natural ingredients for cardiovascular function (Moens AL, et al., Chest., 2005). The results showed that supplementing with 1,000 mg of CurcuWIN significantly improved FMD by 37% (Oliver JM, et al., J Nutr Metab, 2016).
COVID-19 will have a lasting impression on how consumers view wellness and supplements. And, beyond immunity, performance nutrition in on the rise. Supplements are quickly catching up to consumers’ needs to stay active and recover quickly and CurcuWIN is a multifunctional ingredient that addresses the needs of anyone who wants to continue on their path to health beyond COVID-19.
To learn more about how CurcuWIN can support Active Wellness, Click here.
Looking for enhanced curcumin? OmniActive is well-stocked on CurcuWIN to help with your formulation and manufacturing needs. Email us at info@omniactives.com or call (908)-512-8081