Nutraceutical ingredients: what are the trends ?

The nutraceutical ingredients or health ingredients are booming since the pandemic. Faced with the public’s distrust of medication, the market for health and well-being food supplements has never been so successful. What are the nutraceutical trends ? How to choose the right health ingredients ? Focus on the health products of tomorrow !

What is a nutraceutical ingredient ?

The term nutraceutical is the contraction of nutrition and pharmaceutical. A nutraceutical ingredient is therefore a food offering a good nutritional contribution and which heals. Among the nutraceutical food products, you will find all the food supplements, probiotics, alicaments, functional foods..

These products can take the form of capsules, tablets, syrups, drinks… and they are concentrated in nutrients (vitamins and essential minerals), ferments or yeasts.

They do not replace a healthy and balanced diet, but come in supplementation, to to compensate for a dietary deficiency.

What are the nutraceutical trends ?

The nutraceutical distributor UNIPEX, expert in the field, reveals the leading ingredients in nutraceuticals !

Nutraceutical trends for health

As consumers are more and more concerned about their health, nutraceutical research is also moving in this direction !

Premenstrual syndrome, endometriosis… Women’s health is at the heart of research and the Next health supplements will target :

• Premenstrual syndrome (myrrh).
• Endometriosis (vitamin B and omega 3).
• Symptoms of menopause, fertility, preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding (vitamin B9).
• Urinary comfort (cranberry).
• Bone health (vitamin K2).

For men, the products will focus on prostate health, fertility, slimming and joint health.

As for sports health, the trends are focused on :

• Oxidative stress (ginger, vitamin E).
• Recovery before and/or after exercise (yeast, amino acids, minerals, vitamin B).
• Anti-inflammatory activity (boswellic acids).
• Muscle action (L-Valine, L-Leucine and L-Isoleucine).
• Sports performance (whey, vitamin B9).

Wellness nutraceutical trends

Between the crisis of Covid-19, the geopolitical instability, the increase of the prices… The French men and women are more and more stressed and worried.

To improve their daily lives and calm their fears, many people have turned to health ingredients phytotherapy products for well-being, including in particular:

• Chamomile and hops to reduce nervousness and improve sleep.
• Vitamin B 9 or yeast for cognitive health.
• Lemon verbena extract or coriander linalool for mood and stress.

The cosmetic field is also seeing the arrival of healthier and more natural products with nutricosmetics for the skin (anti-aging and hydration), for the hair (fortifying, anti-hair loss, shine…) and sun care (self-tanner, protective cream, after-tan…).

Ingredients dedicated to immune defenses again hold the top of the podium with products such as yeast extract or Echinacea angustifolia to boost the immune system.

Nutraceutical trends for disease prevention

As you know, nutrition can help with preventing certain diseases and the next trends will target :

• Cholesterol control with natural Frankincense products.
• Blood sugar control with black pepper and clove.
• Cardiovascular diseases with natto for blood pressure, vitamin B 9 for the regulation of metabolism and vitamin K 2 – MK7 for the protection of blood vessels.

Nutraceutical trends for digestion

We end on a problem that affects more and more French people: digestive health.

So if you suffer from bloating, diarrhea or constipation, take advantage of the beneficial effects of the following nutraceutical ingredients:

• The enzyme lactase for lactose intolerance.
• The probiotic yeast S.Boulardii and the alpha Galactosidase enzyme to improve intestinal comfort.
• Whey protein isolate for its prebiotic action.

If you suffer from an imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals, you can act before the disease sets in (diabetes, certain cancers, chronic diseases…) with nutraceutical ingredients such as chamomile for its soothing action or yeast extract to stop the inflammatory processes.

How to select them ?

For a good choosing your nutraceutical products, here are some tips :

• Check the origin of the materials used and favor organic ingredients with an eco-responsible manufacturing process.
• Ingredients must be rigorously selected for their nutritional and functional quality.
• The concentration of active ingredients must be indicated on the labels of nutritional supplements.

Also be careful to choose the product that best suits your nutritional needs. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice if necessary.