2026 Ingredients to Watch: Top Ingredients and Trends Driving Nutraceutical Product Development

Welcome to Nutritional Outlook’s 2026 Ingredients to Watch, which provides key insights into the ingredients driving significant growth in nutraceuticals. Nutritional Outlook has partnered with market research firm SPINS, who have generously provided functional ingredient sales data from the mainstream multi-outlet and natural channels. We use these sales data and our own observations to identify ingredients and/or categories that are trending or otherwise experiencing significant growth. This year, we’re highlighting ashwagandha, colostrum, creatine, and protein.

It shouldn’t come as a shock that popular ingredients like ashwagandha, creatine, and protein are trending. In some ways, perhaps, it feels like old news, but as Scott Dicker, senior director, market insights for SPINS points out, the lifecycle of many of these ingredient trends take time to develop. “It’s a good thing that we’re talking about the same ingredients for a couple years in a row, because otherwise we would have been wrong,” he explains. As the industry responds to trends, it must adapt to evolving consumer preferences, overcome challenges and technological limitations, and continue to disrupt in order to compete in the crowded and sometimes volatile marketplace. Occasionally, familiar ingredients make a surprising leap in sales as trends evolve. This year, colostrum saw incredible sales performance, finding new life in beauty-from-within and longevity products.

The growth and evolution of familiar, well established ingredients like ashwagandha, colostrum, creatine, and protein reflect a broadening base of consumers and needs that these ingredients can address. Protein, for example, is a mainstay that has always performed well, but a number of factors have been influencing double-digit growth in this ingredient category. One is the desire for protein-rich or fortified foods as consumers associate protein with good nutrition; that so-called ‘healthy halo’. The recently published Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 demonstrates just how important protein has become to the American diet, as the Department of Health and Human Services increased the recommended intake of protein. Another major influence here is the rise of GLP-1 drug use, and the benefits of taking protein in conjunction with the drug.

Read on for more detailed expert insights and sales data. You can also find last year’s Ingredients to Watch here.

Ashwagandha’s Advancement

Ashwagandha continues to have a prominent presence in the nutraceutical space, growing 27% in the mainstream multioutlet channel (MULO) to reach $176 million, according to data from SPINS, based on the 52 weeks ending November 30, 2025. (Table 1) The ingredient has been performing well for years, booming in 2021, then leveling off in 2022, essentially becoming a mainstay of the industry. According Dicker, we’re still seeing the lifecycle of ashwagandha play out.

“There’s a lot of adaptation to [the] conventional [channel], so we’re still seeing that lifecycle play out. We like to talk about how fast the lifecycle is now, but it still happens over some period of time,” he explains. “It is being used in more and more formulas as well. I’ve been seeing a lot of male health formulas now having ashwagandha in it, along with stress and energy. So, when you have an ingredient that’s being touted for such a wide range of health focuses, and more and more consumers are aware of it, I think that brands always look to it as a nice one to put in their formulations and bring to market. So you’re still seeing new brands adding it.”

According to Kartikeya Baldwa, CEO of Ixoreal Biomed, maker of KSM-66 ashwagandha, the modernization of this traditional ingredient has been instrumental in the adoption of ashwagandha products and its wide acceptance. “Ashwagandha moved from folklore to evidence,” he explains. “Consumers were ready for solutions that support stress resilience, sleep quality, and daily balance, but what actually unlocked wide acceptance was the category getting more disciplined about quality, consistency, and research.”

There were three shifts in the market that contributed to ashwagandha’s growth and current profile, he explains. The first was standardization and strict specifications. “The market had to learn that ‘ashwagandha’ is not one uniform ingredient,” says Baldwa. “Differences in plant part, extraction process, and standardization approach can materially change what you are actually putting in a product. Once standardization improved, outcomes became more predictable. That is when consumer trust started to build.”

The second shift was a more mature understanding of quality. With the rise of ashwagandha, brands have been figuring out the best ways to position and market their ashwagandha products. At the same time, consumers have been learning what works for them and what doesn’t. There are a number of ways to approach formulation, but a few things must hold true. “What matters is repeatable composition, responsible dosing, and clinical validation that reflects how real people use the ingredient over time,” he explains.

Finally, Baldwa says that ashwagandha fits the evolving needs of consumers. “People are not just looking for energy or intensity anymore,” he explains. “They want to function better under pressure. They want calm, focus, better recovery, and quality sleep. Ashwagandha fits those needs well when it is produced responsibly and positioned with restraint.”

Ashwagandha Benefits

Consumers shop by health benefit, says Dicker. “For most things, people lead with benefit, but then they do turn the label around, or search for it, and see if there are ingredients that they’ve heard of, or want to try,” he explains. “The more popular and well known an ingredient gets, the more it will go to the top of the try-list for consumers.”

“The next phase of growth will come from more precise benefit positioning and better delivery formats,” adds Baldwa. “But the brands that win will be those that keep their claims responsible and grounded.”

Ashwagandha is well recognized, but that recognition is most effective when paired with a health benefit. It’s no secret that a desirable health benefit plus a recognized and trusted ingredient is part of a winning product formula, but as Baldwa notes, how that benefit is positioned goes a long way as well. Sleep, for example, is something that can be addressed acutely or more holistically. According to Baldwa, consumers are beginning to see the benefits of a more holistic approach.

“Consumers have moved past simply wanting to fall asleep,” he says. “They care about restorative sleep and how they feel the next day. This is a meaningful space for ashwagandha when it is used as part of a broader routine, not as a magic pill.”

This is similar for stress management and mental performance. Non-stimulating products that help with focus and stress-management that offer more than a temporary solution are highly desirable. “Ashwagandha can be relevant here because it supports resilience without promising a quick fix,” says Baldwa.

A major area of opportunity Baldwa points to is life stage wellness, such as women’s health and longevity, more broadly. “The opportunity is large, but it demands careful communication and well-defined research outcomes,” he explains. “Stretch the claims and you lose credibility fast.”

Fast-growing categories like menopause support offer great opportunity, but the people buying these products want results. Without evidence-based formulation that creates effective products, consumers will quickly turn to something else.

Formulation Considerations

One of the major contributions to ashwagandha’s growth was the launch of the ingredient in a gummy format. This continues to be an important factor in ashwagandha’s continued growth and innovation, but form should not exceed function.

“On dosage form, the opportunity is about reducing friction in daily use,” says Baldwa. “Capsules are not going away, but growth is accelerating in gummies, stick packs, ready to mix powders, chewables, and beverage formats. The point is not novelty for its own sake. The point is compliance and consistency. A format is only an innovation if it preserves the actives, delivers a reliable dose, and fits into how people actually live.”

Traceable, standardized, validated ingredients are therefore crucial for not just creating an effective product that consumers will come back to, but also ensuring safety and credibility. “The way I see it, the category’s long term growth depends on trust,” says Baldwa. “Trust comes from transparency, consistent composition, ingredient specific research, and a mature approach to quality that does not reduce performance to a single metric.”

Colostrum Boom

An ingredient gaining new attention is colostrum, which has demonstrated significant growth across multiple categories driven by increased interest in its various benefits leading to new distribution. Located in the beauty-from-within and immune health categories, colostrum is simultaneously positioned at the intersection of evolving trends.

Growth and New Direction

According to data from SPINS this nutrient-dense supplement saw significant growth in multiple channels. During this time, it saw 2454.2% sales growth in the hair, skin, and nails category to reach just over $13 million in the mainstream multi-outlet channel. (Table 2C) and 203.4% sales growth in the immune health category of the natural channel, reaching nearly $4 million. (Table 4B)

The significant growth of colostrum started early in 2025 in the natural and digital channels, says Dicker, who flagged the ingredient for further observation, anticipating a surge. That surge happened faster than Dicker expected, and by end of Q1, colostrum was already seeing significant penetration into the mainstream channel.

Dicker attributes the growth of colostrum mainly to new distribution, as brands capitalize on the ingredient’s multiple benefits. “There’s this group of products that position as this all-in-one formula, where it’s doing so many things: immune health, hair, skin and nails, beauty-from-within, whatever you want to call it. So, there’s been a couple brands that have done this really well, and so a lot of it is new distribution in the channel hitting new markets,” he stated. “There’s big potential to grow, still.”

The growth of colostrum in the hair, skin, and nail category, particularly, highlights a paradigm shift in how brands market supplements and consumers take them. On the whole, the category is flat in both channels, and most of the top ten best-selling ingredients in the category are seeing declines, except for a few. In MULO, for example, collagen sales fell by 7.8% in hair, skin, and nails, and biotin was flat with 0.5% sales growth, while colostrum exploded with quadruple digit growth. In the natural channel, collagen sales fell 8%, biotin was pretty much flat with 1.7% sales growth, and horsetail/silica fell 6.9% while glutathione ballooned by 2715.7% and multivitamins saw 435.7% sales growth. The category is still relevant, but focus is turning toward longevity rather than cosmetic appearance.

“Beauty-from-within is an area of health span, so it is still of high interest. People are shifting in what ingredients, what brands they’re trying, but you’re also competing with and sometimes complementary with topicals as well. So now you’re seeing ingredients that were mostly topical coming to beauty-from-within, and ingredients that were typically beauty-from-within going to topical. And so that’s capturing the whole market,” explains Dicker. “Hyaluronic acid is a great one to think about there, collagen as well, with collagen peptides. And so, there are different ways that people are looking at this. And sometimes it’s not as overtly marketed for hair, skin, and nails, and it is the ingredient that people heard of that could be multi-faceted or multi-health focus.”

For example, collagen peptides and hyaluronic acid can also be marketed for things like bone and joint health, which fits neatly into the health span conversation. Therefore, beauty-from-within is being reshaped to consider overall health and longevity. In the case of colostrum, beauty-from-within, longevity, and immune health are an attractive combination for consumers not only trying to look good but be healthy.

While more research is warranted, there is evidence to suggest that colostrum is highly beneficial for skin health and aging as it contains hyaluronic acid, which binds water to keep skin hydrated, lactoferrin, which has antimicrobial properties, immunoglobulins that support immune health, growth factors that increase collagen levels, and the telomerase enzyme, which maintains telomere length to slow the aging process.¹

The ingredient is also relevant for active agers. In a review of clinical trials involving athletes and the impact of colostrum supplementation, bovine colostrum was demonstrated to have the potential to strengthen the immune system, protect against diseases, and even support immunity after intense post-exercise immune suppression.²

Similarly, in randomized double-blind placebo-controlled, crossover study, 28 endurance-trained male athletes received 25 g of bovine colostrum for 12 weeks.³ Ultimately, the study found the colostrum to serve as a “a potential stimulator of local immune defense after exercise-induced homeostasis disturbances,” and reducing the risk of the risk of upper respiratory tract infection, however, more research was called for to elucidate the mechanisms of the immunological effect.

Colostrum is not a new ingredient but it’s getting a new life as brands seek to meet the demand for multi-benefit products. This initial surge for the ingredient is a sign of continued growth to come, and presents an opportunity for manufacturers.

Strong Tailwinds on Creatine

Creatine is an ingredient that continues to grow. According to SPINS data for the 52 weeks ending October 6, 2024, creatine saw 46.5% sales growth in the performance category in the MULO channel. That double digit growth continued into 2025 with SPINS data showing that creatine saw 71.9% sales growth in MULO’s performance category (Table 2B) as well as 48.9% sales growth in the energy support category of the natural channel. (Table 4C)

When Nutritional Outlook highlighted creatine in its 2023 Ingredients to Watch, the conversation revolved around how the demographics around who bought creatine, and why, were changing. This still appears to be the case. As Dicker puts it, creatine has a strong tail wind.

“So, it’s new demographics, that’s the biggest one; both age brackets, as well as women getting involved in it really expanded the pool. There are also new use cases,” he explains. “It’s not just for young men in the gym anymore. We’re seeing a lot of boost for cognitive support as well. You’re seeing an emergence of new delivery formats, whether that’s ready-to-drink or gummies or chewables. These are all big tailwinds.”

Justin Moore, senior brand manager, private brands at The Vitamin Shoppe (Secaucus, NJ) agrees, saying that creatine’s shift to overall health is driven mainly by new research indicating its benefits for cognitive health and longevity. “Most consumers are supplementing creatine for strength and size as they historically have, however this new wellness consumer, while small in comparison, is driving incremental sales in the category,” says Moore.

Creatine and the Brain

Research on creatine’s cognitive health benefits is promising. A recent systematic review⁴ and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that across 16 randomized controlled studies involving 492 participants between the ages of 20 and 76, creatine monohydrate supplementation had significant positive effects on memory, attention time, and significantly improved processing speed time. According to a review⁵ in the Journal of Psychiatry and Brain Science, supplementation with creatine has been shown to be particularly beneficial for cognitive functioning in people experience metabolic stress such as sleep deprivation, mental fatigue and even traumatic brain injury.

The emerging cognitive health benefits of creatine not only drive-up demand for the ingredient due to its use in more formulations, but the doses required for cognitive benefits surpass those of skeletal muscle health products. “For something like cognitive health, the recommended intake is about twice the recommended intake of when you’re just trying to saturate your muscles for energy, strength, and power,” explains Dicker. “Now, you’ve expanded your base, expanded the potential pool of people who are going to use this ingredient, and the people who currently use it might now take more of it. That’s why there’s such a big push as this is an ingredient that’s been really on a rocket ship for the past handful of years.”

Research⁵ does indicate that cognitive health benefits from creatine supplement do require higher doses and long-term dosing strategies, but more research is required to determine optimal dosing for cognitive health benefits, particularly in healthy populations.

Targeted Formulations

Creatine is often combined with complementary ingredients. “We are seeing a lot more robust creatine formulas loaded with other muscle builder ingredients, along with ‘Creatine Plus’ formulas that leverage other daily health supplements (Creatine + Collagen for example),” notes Moore. However, combination products may be more difficult for products marketed for cognitive health, says Dicker.

“There’s opportunity for it to be combined with other ingredients,” he explains. “[But] I’m a little skeptical of some of those, because a lot of the other nootropic ingredients are meant for more acute usage and creatine is typically built up over time with consistent use.”

Looking at alternative formats such as gummies or soft chews for cognitive health benefits, these higher doses will also pose a challenge for formulators. There has already been controversy in this area as testing by multiple parties has shown inconsistencies between the label claims of certain creatine gummy products and what’s actually in the supplement. NOW, for example, revealed⁶ in March of 2024 that out of 12 creatine gummy supplements it tested, half failed to meet label claims and detected creatinine, an unwanted creatine metabolite in the failed gummies. These results additionally revealed the lack of validated testing methodologies for gummies among trusted third-party labs, and sparked a fierce debate about what constituted proper methodology and sample prep for gummy products.

More recent testing from SuppCo⁷ also found that while creatine powders were stable and had reliable label claims, the same was not the case for gummies. The reason for the lack of creatine in gummy products can either be dishonesty or poor quality control. Gummies that failed to meet label claims in their tests also had elevated creatinine levels which indicate that the creatine in the product had degraded, a product of heat, moisture, acidic pH, or long storage. That said, a product that passed also had elevated creatinine levels in the gummy. This just serves to demonstrate that formats like gummies are more difficult to formulate and inherently less stable than powders. No doubt innovation will continue in this area as brands strive to develop effective creatine gummies and soft chews that meet label claims and offer a high quality user experience.

Creatine has the benefit of being well-recognized by consumers and among the most researched ingredients on the market. This is an excellent foundation for the continued innovation and growth creatine is experiencing, and only encourages further progress.

Peak Protein? Not Yet.

Across multiple channels, consumers are still showing sustained interest in protein, with retail sales insights and consumer trends indicating a broadening of the market. Protein benefits for muscle health, satiety, and health aging are some of the factors behind the continued push forward across multiple formats.

What the Data Says

According to data from SPINS, general animal protein saw a 22.7% increase to reach over $18, million in the natural channel (Table 3), and a 27.3% increase to reach nearly $1.5 billion in MULO. (Table 1)

Protein from whey is seeing notable growth in multiple categories. In MULO, whey and milk-based protein increased 24.4% to reach $355.5 million in MULO, and increased 66.7% in the performance category of the same channel. (Table 2B) On its own, whey protein increased 14.4% to reach $687 million in MULO (Table 1), increased 16.4% in the performance category (Table 2B), and increased 29.7% to reach $37 million in the natural channel. (Table 3)

About five or six years ago, plant-based proteins saw a spike in consumer interest, but has since leveled off, explains Dicker. Now protein from whey is a top market share and top growth driver. The advantages of this protein are that is easy to mix, has a favorable flavor, and a position of whey protein products as organic along with “better-for-planet” label claims, he adds.

Notably, though casein, the main protein in milk, saw a 25.8% increase in MULO to reach $231 million, but dropped 33.3% in the performance category of the same channel (Figure 2B) while also experiencing a 53.4% growth in immune health category (Figure 2D). Recent research has indicated that caseins and the bioactive peptides they produce during digestion have potential to modulate some aspects of the immune system.⁸

A 2026 trends report from protein and prebiotics company FrieslandCampina highlighted the continued expansion of protein, with formats including new treats, ready-to-consume meals and drinks standing out.⁹ Also noted was SPINS data stating that half of Gen Z and Millennial consumers seek out functional foods enriched with protein, among fiber and other ingredients.

Going deeper, a 2025 report from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) provided insights from two surveys (the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey and the July 2025 IFIC Spotlight Survey) on American consumer trends and beliefs surrounding protein.¹⁰ One key highlight noted that in 2025, 70% of Americans stated they were trying to consume protein, rising from 67% in 2023 and remaining comparable to 71% in 2024. Additionally, a “high protein” diet was the most followed diet plan for Americans in 2025. The interest is driven in part by media attention, GLP-1 medication use, and healthy aging, the report explained, though consumers also appeared to be unsure on daily intake needs and most consulted friends or family as a primary resource for protein information.

Multifactor Drivers of Protein Growth

The forces driving the interest in protein are varied, explains Dicker, though the interest is seen across gender and age. These include GLP-1 medication users whose goals are to retain muscle mass while losing weight as well as consumers who are becoming more interested in their health span. The belief that diets rich in protein are an important aspect in improving and maintaining one’s health is reflected in the newly released dietary guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.¹¹

Released in early January 2026, the guidelines emphasize nutrient dense foods and provide new recommendations for food groups. For example, protein recommendations are prioritizing protein at every meal to achieve an intake of 1.2-1.6 g/kg of body weight per day.

Additionally, when looking at potential trends long-term, Dicker notes that the use of supplemental nutrition when taking GLP-1 medications may also fuel long-term sales of protein through consumers’ long-term change in diet intake.⁹

Product Innovations

Recent product innovations have emerged to support protein needs of GLP-1 users. Many of these solutions target satiety as well as muscle protein synthesis.

“Protein gives us a feeling of satiety, but also strength in your muscles and sustained energy, and our caseinates portfolio¹² plays an important role, because they are very specific in the slow release of the amino acids,” explains Sophie Zillinger Molenaar, global marketing execution lead at FrieslandCampina Ingredients (Amersfoort, The Netherlands), in an interview with Nutritional Outlook. “So that gives a longer feeling of satiety, also gives energy, and it’s typically something you could use overnight and really helps to build muscles as well.”

Another company, Arla Foods Ingredients (Viby, Denmark), recently launched a beta-lactoglobulin ingredient, which is a whey protein with high levels of leucine that stimulates muscle protein synthesis. The company is positioning the ingredient for us in ready-to-drink formats. “You can use it for shots, you can do it for RTDs, and that’s something with GLP-1 coming up, we see a lot of need for new applications,” explains Clara Komischke-Konnerup, sales developer at Arla Foods Ingredients. “People want it in their everyday drinks just to hit their protein goals. So, if you can have that soda that you’re going to drink anyways, but it has nutritional benefits…that’s something that could help out a lot of people.”¹⁰

Sustained Popularity and Resilience

The barometer Dicker uses to gauge the popularity of protein is to examine how much interest is seen with protein powders. “When you have protein enhanced options through every aisle in the grocery store and you have products that are inherently high in protein, like yogurt, cottage cheese, or eggs doing really well also, I would almost expect protein powders and ready-to-drinks to either level off or dip, because people have all these options,” he explains. “That’s not the case. We continue to see it grow either in high single digits or low double digits, year after year, showing we have not yet hit peak protein.”

Protein is usually surrounded by positive marketing as well. Unlike fats or carbs that receive mixed messaging, protein has a “health halo” around it, Dicker explains, keeping the macronutrient in a positive light in consumers’ minds. There is still room for growth, too, he adds.⁴

Ultimately the data and trends support the macronutrient’s resilience and adaptability, supporting a range of consumer needs. As the year continues, protein shows signs of continued interest and expansion

References

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2. Yalçıntaş, YM.; Baydemir, B.; Duman, H.; Eker, F.; Bayraktar Biçen, A.; Ertürk, M.; Karav, S. Exploring the Impact of Colostrum Supplementation on Athletes: A Comprehensive Analysis of Clinical Trials and Diverse Properties. Front. Immunol. 2024. 15, 1395437. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1395437

3. Durkalec-Michalski, K.; Główka, N.; Podgórski, T.; Woźniewicz, M.; Nowaczyk, PM. The Effect of 12-Week High-Dose Colostrum Bovinum Supplementation on Immunological, Hematological and Biochemical Markers in Endurance Athletes: A Randomized Crossover Placebo-Controlled Study. Front. Immunol. 2024. 15, 1425785. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1425785

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5. Fabiano, N.; Candow, D. Creatine Supplementation: More Is Likely Better for Brain Bioenergetics, Health and Function. J Psychiatry Brain Sci. 2025, 10 (4), e250006. DOI: 10.20900/jpbs.20250006

6. Krawiec, S. NOW Tests Creatine Gummies, Identifies Limitations in Third Party Gummy Testing. Nutritional Outlook. March 1, 2024. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/now-tests-creatine-gummies-identifies-limitations-in-third-party-gummy-testing (Accessed 2026-01-16).

7. SuppCo Tested: Let’s Make Sense of Supplements, Issue 01: Creatine. SuppCo. June 12, 2025. https://files.supp.co/tested/creatine.pdf (Accessed 2026-01-16).

8. González-Rodríguez, N.; Vázquez-Liz, N.; Rodríguez-Sampedro, A.; Regal, P.; Fente, C.; Lamas, A. The Impact of A1- and A2 β-Casein on Health Outcomes: A Comprehensive Review of Evidence from Human Studies. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 7278. DOI: 10.3390/app15137278

9. FrieslandCampina. A Taste of Innovation: FrieslandCampina Ingredients Serves Up the Trends Shaping Nutrition in 2026. January 6, 2026. (Accessed 2026-01-20).

10. International Food Information Council. Americans’ Perception of Protein. July 9, 2025. https://ific.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IFIC-Spotlight-Survey-Protein-Perceptions.pdf (Accessed 2026-01-20).

11. Krawiec, S. HHS Releases New Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Emphasizing the Consumption of Whole Foods. Nutritional Outlook. January 7, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/hhs-releases-new-dietary-guidelines-for-americans-emphasizing-the-consumption-of-whole-foods (Accessed 2026-01-20).

12. McEvoy, E. FrieslandCampina’s Innovations in Protein Support and Products. Nutritional Outlook. November 8, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/frieslandcampina-s-innovations-in-protein-support-and-products (Accessed 2026-01-20)