Big picture on immune health

Image | adobe.stock/Antonio

It used to be that there was a cold and flu season. Dropping temperatures in fall and winter would create the right conditions for viruses to proliferate. The COVID-19 pandemic has largely upended this concept since peaks in infection can happen throughout the year. Therefore, immune health as a dietary supplement category is changing; not just when people take these products, but also how they are integrated into their supplement regimen.

“[Consumer] behavior has changed since COVID in that rather than taking immune supplements acutely to address poor immune health and related conditions, they are now looking for products that support immune health as an important component of those that enhance general wellbeing,” explains Irfan Qureshi, ND, global head of product development at Metagenics. “Increasingly, consumers are equating immune health with daily wellness, and this is fantastic news for companies that promote the use of supplements as a critical part of a daily care regimen since it suggests consumers are broadly open to a proactive approach to health,”

Alice Mintz, director of brand strategy at the market research firm SPINS believes that immune health is taking a couple of different paths in the nutritional industry. While it is not the fastest growing health focus anymore, she explains, formats such as wellness shots are allowing consumers to more seamlessly integrate immune health benefits into their daily lives. Mintz also points out that zinc incorporation is one way manufacturers are infusing immune benefits into products that may not necessarily be marketed toward immune health specifically. There is also an opportunity to “refresh the familiar” as Mintz calls it.

As an example, Mintz points to the relationship between citrus products like orange juice and vitamin C, which is associated with immune health benefits. “And so now, when we...understand how there’s this connection point between fruit functionality [and health], how can you bring that narrative back in a way that is contemporary and driving home the functionality aspect,” says Mintz.

What this comes down to is ease of use. Now, more than ever, consumers want to be able to seamlessly incorporate these products into their lives, and alternative dosage formats are a great way to do this. “We continue to see increasing adoption of sensory formats, like gummies, outpacing growth for powders which used to be the first big sensory format in the need state,” says Daniel Renteira, director of innovation, MegaFood. “Another trend we saw was the increasing numbers of consumers buying multi-ingredient solutions that provided a combination of ingredients with C, D, and zinc as the mainstays in typical formulas.” These multiple ingredient solutions are also leading consumers to seek out products providing multiple benefits to meet their interests of supplementing for overall wellbeing.

Qureshi mentions that consumers are becoming more informed about ingredients for immune health, actively seeking out ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc. They are also focused on learning more about ingredients outside of the vitamin space in search of other options. For example, there has been an increased interest for botanicals and mushrooms due to the immune benefits they provide and are also found to be good complimentary ingredients with vitamins and minerals. These include ingredients such as elderberry, echinacea, Andrographis, Nigella sativa, and adaptogens such as, ashwagandha.

“Immune products are increasingly featuring biotics (pro, pre, and post). Probiotics for immune health are well established in market, but postbiotics such as tributyrin & yeast fermentates have grown significantly popular recently,” says David Gunderman, PhD, principal of nutrition science at MegaFood, “Botanicals continue to proliferate with consumers and manufacturers expanding from terrestrial plant life to embrace immune-supporting algae like sea moss and bladderwrack sourced from the ocean. Such ingredients would only complement the existing immune health ingredients such as vitamins C, D and zinc as they function on distinct but complementary cellular pathways.”

“Of further note, consumers are certainly looking at products that address benefit platforms of interest to their daily experience. There is an essence of personalization that comes along with this in that consumers will gravitate towards products they feel best address their needs on a holistic level,” says Qureshi. “An example would be a multivitamin specific to a particular gender or age category that supports immune health, mood, and heart health. The more that companies can address the needs of specific segments, the greater a product will resonate with consumers and the more successful a product line is bound to be.”

There are also important synergies that exist between immune health and other health focuses. The body’s immune system is very interconnected and may be more sensitive to the overall health of the individual. “Deficits in nutrients, and sleep can negatively impact immune health,” says Gunderman. “Even stress, both physically and chemically can suppress immunity, whereas good mental health can enhance immune function. Thus, supplements that address sleep, stress or overall wellbeing may also be inadvertently supporting a healthy immune system.”

“Moreover, the role of the digestive system and its impact on immune health has garnered extra attention recently as we learn more about the link between the gut and immune function,” he adds. “A healthy gut microbiome is essential for a healthy immune system with microbes modulating inflammatory responses and promoting the production of immune cells.”

As consumers take a more holistic approach to their wellbeing, there is value in incorporating immune supportive ingredients into supplement formulations that encompass a range of benefits. There are natural synergies that exist between ingredients and health targets that can translate into innovative and effective products. Additionally, more convenient dosage formats encourage compliance with routine supplementation.The immune health space may be changing, but the need for these ingredients and products is not going away.