Market research consultancy Spate recently released its Dietary Supplement Trends Report for 2024. The report uses tools such as Googel and Trends to research consumer health concerns and search for specific supplements that address those concerns. They found that consumer preferences are shifting toward holistic and personalized health solutions. Consumers are increasingly seeking more targeted supplements to address specific health concerns, such as sleep health, hormonal balance, and anxiety. There is also growing interest in supplements related to hair growth, skin problems, and eye health. Here are a few of the trends they saw:

Trend 1: Magnesium supplements are gaining traction

Magnesium supplements are a hot product in the overseas market in recent years, mainly due to its very wide range of health benefits. According to the Dietary Supplement Trends Report 2024, there were 3.3 million searches per month for magnesium supplements, a significant increase of 484,200 searches per month since last year, demonstrating consumers' trust in this category. According to the report, magnesium is a "traditional supplement with new characteristics," and the mineral has become popular because of its wide range of health benefits, especially in areas such as sleep health and anxiety. Specifically, there is increasing consumer interest in various forms of magnesium, such as magnesium citrate and magnesium glycine, because of their targeted health benefits. The report believes that the rise of magnesium is set to continue, and that consumer education on the health benefits of different forms of magnesium will help magnesium products continue to gain popularity. According to data released by SPINS, in the year before December 3, 2023, magnesium supplement products achieved high growth in mainstream diversified sales channels and natural fortified channels in the United States. Sales increased 48% (mainstream channel) and 32.7% (natural enhancement channel), respectively.

Trend 2: Specialized supplements

The report highlights a significant increase in consumer interest in specialized supplements such as berberine, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and astaxanthin. Berberine and GLA both achieved a staggering 256% year-over-year growth (search volume), while astaxanthin achieved a 158% year-over-year growth (search volume). The annual growth rate of berberine is remarkable. This is mainly because berberine is the raw material for weight management in the United States in 2023, and it is also a popular raw material for TikTok, and this product was once sold out in the United States in 2023. We can see that the demand for weight management and the interest in new materials is still very high. The emergence of the raw material mainly relies on the personal sharing of online celebrity bloggers. These trends show that consumers are turning to holistic and personalized health solutions, exploring supplements in addition to traditional vitamins and minerals.

Trend 3: Hormonal health

Another trend worth watching is hormonal health. According to the report, there were 7.3 million searches for hormone health per month, an increase of 193.8% year-on-year. Hormonal balance has become an issue of great concern to consumers, which is also the rise of women's health, people are increasingly aware of the key role of hormones in overall health. According to the report, the growing popularity of supplements focused on balancing hormones, and the significant growth in product searches for menopause and hormonal balance, indicate that consumers are increasingly focusing on intervening to manage hormonal health through diet and supplement products and taking a more proactive approach to overall health. At present, women's health in the European and American markets and even the Japanese market are rising rapidly, on the various stages of women's health problems, especially menopause products emerge in an endless stream, the market is also growing rapidly. In the future, the domestic women's health market will also usher in a period of germination, and this market still has no small opportunity.

Trend 4: Natural ingredients

At the same time, the report found that more and more consumers tend to use supplement products with natural sources, such as astaxanthin and rutin. This trend highlights consumers' preference for natural and plant-based compounds. The interest in natural sources of supplements such as astaxanthin demonstrates the growing consumer interest in natural compounds, which also meets consumers' preference for natural sources and holistic health supplements. While staple foods are still more trusted, consumers are taking a more targeted approach to exploring new options beyond traditional vitamins and minerals that address specific health concerns.