Last year the vitamin and supplement industry was valued at £1.4bn in the UK alone, with a growth rate of 29.9% - a faster increase than the economy overall. Now a large chunk of the booming wellness sector, supplements are also an area that span both health and beauty thanks to their pre-portioned ingredients that promise everything from thicker hair to clearer skin to better sleep. Add to that our 21st century time poor lifestyles, diet of processed food and everyday stresses to deal with, and it’s no surprise people are seeking out easy and accessible solutions – aka supplements.
“We are living through times of more stress, spending more time indoors – which means less vitamin D – preparing and cooking less, moving less and our food is not as nutritious and fresh as it used to be since the soil’s nutrients are depleted,” explains expert nutritionist, Saba Stone (@saboush_nutrition). “In addition, our food travels a long way before it reaches ‘farm to fork’. The idea that optimum nutrition meets all our needs is a challenge for most of us and sometimes we need to counteract this.”
Enter supplements. The holy grail for filling the gaps that our diet and nutrition misses out. On victoriahealth.com – one of the most popular holistic health and wellness sites in the UK, approximately 80% of their retail is dedicated to food supplements vs other categories. “We have a loyal customer base who place their trust in us and the formulations that we have created,” admits Shabir Daya MRPHarms, co-founder of Victoria Health website and formulator of some of their best-selling supplements.
WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN A SUPPLEMENT?
Whether you’re looking for yourself or considering adding a supplement into your retail offering, there are certain things you need to know because all supplements are not created equal. And with so many herbs, vitamins and minerals on offer, despite being a relatively new market sector, consumers are at risk of information overload. “People are more educated in this space than they ever were and many of our customers really embrace the world of food supplements and are really knowledgeable in this space. However, I think it’s fair to say, especially in the UK where we are restricted on what we can say, it is confusing understanding what the benefits of certain herbs and ingredients are,” continues Shabir.
It's also considered a ‘trending’ category which means right now, it’s a marketeer’s dream which is why it’s not always enough to hunt out buzzwords. “There are lots of ingredients that have very little evidence base to back them and it’s often the claims that are made around certain supplements that are a real problem,” admits Dr Federica Amati, registered nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition. “There is some excellent marketing fluff around supplements which is why I would always look for one that has evidence-based ingredients. Clinical trials on actual supplements (not just their individual ingredients) are very rare so definitely an added bonus if there is some data on their efficacy.”
Other red flags and considerations should include pricing, diet requirements, ethical and religious considerations, additional ingredients, quality of ingredients, sustainability, GMP (good manufacturing practice), the bioavailability of ingredients and of course, any clinicals. This may require some digging on your part but don’t be shy in asking the formulators and brands all of the aforementioned as well as where they source their ingredients, whether they use organic or non-organic binders, the dosage of their actives and why they’ve chosen the format they have – tablet, powder or liquid form.
“Tablets and capsules are easier to transport and any potential unpleasant tastes are hidden but they may have excipients for filling, coating and bulking. Powders are very flexible and can be mixed with various liquids or smoothies and are easy to scale up or down but liquids always come out on top in terms of absorption,” says Saba.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER TAKING A SUPPLEMENT?
Ideally you’d seek advice from a healthcare professional, pharmacist or nutritionist before overloading your body with supplements but if you’re the one recommending products to your clients, you need to be clued up on the RDA’s and ingredients. “Ask yourself (or them) – is there a deficiency that needs to be addressed quickly or are they at a critical window such as conception or pregnancy? Do they have problems absorbing nutrients due to ill health? Is their diet lacking? It’s a difficult landscape to navigate and it’s extremely personal – no two people need the same thing at the same time,” explains Dr Federica.
LESS IS MORE
Because the market is already so saturated and everyone is keen for quick fixes, it’s very common for people to overload on what they think they need and ‘over supplement’. Yes it will take around three months to notice a difference but they shouldn’t be seen as a ‘forever fix’, especially when taking fat-soluble vitamins and minerals as they can accumulate in the body.
“Aside from fertility, pregnancy and malabsorption, supplements should be used for a targeted time to improve a deficiency or health condition, you shouldn’t need to supplement for life,” continues Dr Federica. Taking too many could also lead to a cancelling out effect as some ingredients have counterindications to others.
“Some supplements often use ‘mega strengths’ of certain vitamins and much lower strengths of others. You only have to read the labels and you will find that some of these supplements show 5000% of the recommended daily amounts (RDA) of certain vitamins. The problem with this is that in many cases, when a vitamin is presented in a very high strength, it may actually compete with another vitamin for absorption and that is not ideal,” warns Shabir. For example, the body absorbs vitamin K better when vitamin E and D aren’t present; vitamin C has the potential to break down vitamin B12 in your digestive tract making it less effective so should be kept separate; calcium and magnesium compete against each other for absorption as do copper and zinc. It’s fine to take them in the same day but ideally a gap between am and pm is advisable.
WHAT’S NEXT IN SUPPLEMENTS?
Just like with skincare, there are plenty of ingredients that get the spotlight shone on them. Last year, the adaptogenic herb ashwaganda – nature’s natural anti-anxiety medicine and the calming, sleep-promoting magnesium were hitting the headlines. This year, mushrooms are having a moment. “There has definitely been a recent spike in mushrooms as a food supplement and the various mushrooms that fall under that umbrella. They’ve been around for many years but I would say this is currently the fastest growing area on victoriahealth,” says Shabir.
Longevity ingredients that delay the onset of ageing at a cellular level are also causing a stir according to Saba: “Urolithin A is the next powerful supplement as it’s post-biotic and produced in the gut but there isn’t enough to have anti-ageing effects in most people which is where a supplement can help.”
Where personalisation is booming in health and beauty, it’s trickling through to supplements as well. “The supplements I’m most excited about are functional and personalised,” says Dr Federica. “Increasing our intake of plant chemicals called polyphenols we know has a measurable impact on health so these will increase in popularity with good reason, as will whole food-based that can increase fibre. Postbiotics (dead microbes) are another promising area that I think will see big developments in the next five years.”
Delivery systems also continue to develop and Dr Chris Shade believes that liposomes are set to make a huge difference in absorption rates. Tiny lipid bubbles that are so tiny – 1/1000th the width of a human hair – liposomes are biocompatible and stable and can be crafted to carry both water and fat-soluble nutrients. The can also facilitate absorption as soon as they land on the tongue and can help protect against breakdown by digestive acids and enzymes.
With more advances in clinical trials, ingredients and personalisation, supplements are without doubt a worthwhile investment in your business and your client’s wellness. Offering them a support system that could help with collagen production, inflammation, and acne as well as thicker hair and stronger nails, they’re the perfect plus one to an at-home programme to bring out the best in your clients internally and externally.
FIVE TOP TICKLIST ESSENTIALS
Saba Stone gives her non-negotiables when it comes to choosing supplements:
Ethical & Religious Considerations
Consider catering for vegans or vegetarians as well as for clients with Halal and Kosher diets, for example collagen supplements and capsules containing gelatine where the source is bovine.
Nutrient Potency
Check the amount of active ingredients present in one dosage. Also, it is important to make sure that the UTL (Upper Tolerable levels) are not exceeded per dosage, as fat-soluble vitamins and some minerals can accumulate in the body.
Additional (Non-Active) ingredients
This is especially important in tablet and capsule form where non-active ingredients such as fillers, flavours, binders, emulsifiers, coating agents and anticaking agents such as lactose, sucrose, corn, starch, talc and magnesium stearate may be present. Capsules that have less non-active ingredients are more easily broken down by the digestive system.
Evidence
The dosage, benefits of the supplement, and potential side effects must be based on scientific papers or advice from reputable, well established supplement companies.
Quality and purity of the supplement
In terms of vitamins, a natural source is preferable to synthetic source. As for mineral supplements, choose organic binders and avoid inorganic binders, such as Magnesium Citrate (organic) vs Magnesium Oxide (inorganic), for better absorption. As for the fish oils, the origin of the supplement is important in terms of the amount of EPA & DHA (Fatty Acids) and pollutants from the sea.
Words: Becci Vallis