An estimated 77% of Americans report they take some form of dietary supplement as part of their regular health regimen with adults age 35-54 topping the charts at 81%. Dietary supplements are only one corner of the health product market with sports supplements and general consumer goods routinely finding their way into our shopping carts. These are five of the most common health products in 2019.

Herbal Supplements

Herbal supplements are a multi-billion dollar global industry that is expected to hit $8.5 billion by 2025. The most popular herbal supplement is echinacea, with over 14 million Americans adding it to their regular health routine. Studies have shown that echinacea can reduce the risk of developing a cold by 58%. Should you be so unlucky to still get sick, echinacea often reduces your cold’s duration to less than four days. Echinacea is also thought to help regulate blood sugar and promote healthy cell growth, which is why it is credited with reducing the risk of breast cancer.

 

Turmeric is what gives curry its signature yellow color, and turmeric supplements have been gaining popularity for their purported medicinal properties. In fact, turmeric supplements are projected to experience the highest growth rate of all herbal supplements with an expected CAGR of 8.1% by 2025. 

 

Turmeric has a long history of medicinal use, and scientists are just beginning to understand why. The spice contains a compound called curcumin, which is a strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Unfortunately, curcumin makes up just 3% of turmeric, so you will need to take a concentrated turmeric supplement to experience the benefits. These supplements work best when taken with black pepper, which aids in the absorption of curcumin by the bloodstream.  

Coconut Water & Coconut Oil

Coconut water is a $2.3 billion global industry that is expected to double in size over the next four years. In the United States alone, the coconut water industry is expected to surpass $2 billion by 2024, marking a 500% increase in just 10 years.

 

Initially marketed as a sports performance beverage, coconut water has gone mainstream and is enjoyed regularly by millions of consumers. It is naturally low calorie, with a single serving having under 50 calories, and is packed with several important vitamins and minerals that people often struggle to get through their diet: potassium, magnesium, manganese and calcium. Coconut water is also thought to reduce inflammation, which is what initially made it such a popular post-activity hydration drink, and may even reduce your risk of developing Type II diabetes.

 

Coconut oil became popular in large part due to the keto movement as the oil’s high concentration of medium-chain trigylcerides (MCTs) are easily digested by the body and associated with several health benefits. For those who follow the keto diet, MCTs can be converted to ketones by the liver. These ketones are able to bypass the blood-brain barrier and enter brain cells directly where they can be broken down as a quick source of energy. That makes coconut oil literal brain fuel.

Cannabidiol (CBD)

If you thought the coconut water market was growing quickly, wait until you see the CBD market. In 2018, the global CBD market was estimated to be $1.34 billion. By 2025, it is expected to surge to $9.66 billion on the strength of a forecasted 32.6% CAGR.

 

CBD is praised for its myriad benefits, such as pain relief, reduced anxiety and depression and possible improved heart health. Many of these are the same benefits reportedly observed by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) users but without the psychoactive side effects.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is a growing product due to its ability to absorb impurities, but it extends beyond the realm of health products. You can find activated charcoal in all sorts of commercial and industrial applications from filtering impurities in your tap water to absorbing radioactive elements in nuclear reactors.

 

It is also a common health product that does the same thing in our bodies. Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen to give it unusually large pores. These large pores allow it to trap toxins effectively, sequestering them away from our bodies to prevent absorption. It is commonly used in emergency settings to battle overdoses. The activated charcoal supplement market is expected to surpass $10 billion by 2025 with a forecasted CAGR of 14.2%

Probiotics

Probiotic is the catch-all phrase for live bacteria and yeast that are good for your digestive system. Over the last few decades our diets have become increasingly dominated by processed foods that have been shown to harm our gut flora. We are only now understanding the importance of our gut’s microbiome on all aspects of our health, including our mental health.

 

There are two major types of probiotics. If you have ever seen an Activia yogurt commercial, then you are probably familiar with lactobacillus probiotics. These are the most common probiotics and aid in digestion, especially for people with lactose intolerances. The other major class of probiotics is bifidobacterium, which is thought to help those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.

 

The global probiotic market is the largest of these five common health products and is expected to surpass $76 billion by 2024 with a CAGR of 7.4%.

 

Sources

 

https://www.crnusa.org/newsroom/dietary-supplement-use-reaches-all-time-high-available-purchase-consumer-survey-reaffirms

 

Herbal supplements

https://familydoctor.org/herbal-health-products-and-supplements/

 

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/the-global-herbal-supplements-market-size-is-expected-to-reach-usd-8-5-billion-by-2025-1028047168

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/echinacea-tea-benefits#aids-healthy-cell-growth

 

Coconut water

https://www.statista.com/statistics/325473/us-coconut-water-sales/

 

https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/coconut-water-market-global-industry-research-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-20192024-2019-04-17

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/video/global-coconut-water-sales-expected-182720638.html

 

Coconut oil

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mct-oil-benefits#section1

 

CBD

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cbd-oil-benefits

 

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cannabidiol-cbd-market

 

Activated charcoal

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/activated-charcoal

 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322609.php

 

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-activated-charcoal-supplement-market

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18289782

 

Probiotics

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-health-benefits-of-probiotics

 

https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/probiotics-market

 

https://www.healio.com/gastroenterology/nutrition/news/online/%7B4c9ef9c6-c7d6-4a50-9b6a-84abdf3a9b4b%7D/gut-bacteria-linked-to-mental-health