Those who walked around Expo West this year in California saw a few common trends that are promising to be huge in 2016. While some of the below aren’t your “normal” supplements in the sense of creatine, preworkouts, protein, and BCAAs, they still make for large sales numbers across the United States. More people are looking for “health” supplements rather than the usual ergogenic aids. Below are some hot trends to keep an eye out for and even pick up if you’re interested in their benefits.
1. Omega-3 blends
Products such as omega-3’s and omega-3-6-9’s have been on the market for years now. So manufacturers were looking to a new way to market these health friendly powerhouse products. Enter the new trend of adding omega-3’s to other products such as multivitamins and curcumin (which also made the list below).
The combination of omega-3’s to an already popular product only makes sense—now you have one SUPER product with multiple health benefits filling in many different gaps and deficiencies. The saying “kill two birds with one stone” comes to mind.
2. Relaxation and sleep aids
Let’s face it, we’ve all had sleepless nights. We’ve tossed and turned and just couldn’t seem to turn our brain off long enough to catch some z’s. You’re not alone—more than half of American’s lose sleep due to anxiety or stress. Studies have shown that more than 30% of the population suffers from insomnia. And sorry ladies, women are twice as likely to suffer from insomnia when compared to men.
With more than 10 million people using prescription sleep aids at night, people are looking for more of a natural remedy or supplement. Several manufacturers are coming out with pills and beverages to try and stay ahead of the curve with innovation in this category.
Along with sleep aids, more and more people suffer from anxiety and increased stress levels due to work and personal life. Consumers are looking for a product they can take during the day to “take the edge off” and unwind them a little to help them focus and have better mental clarity to finish off the day strong. This segment is already doing well and 2016 will further boost product sales.
3. Probiotics
Everyone has heard about probiotics over the years but how many people have actually tried a product with them in? Yogurt has been a huge hit with pushing the benefits of probiotics for health benefits. Activia, Yoplait Original, and Stonyfield have all marketed their healthy probiotics in their yogurt to help with digestive health.
With all the research surrounding probiotics, more companies are jumping on the thought of also adding it to their portfolio of products. Companies aren’t just focused on adults either—one brand decided to launch probiotic gummies for kids (which happen to taste amazing by the way) while other companies decided to add probiotics to food and beverages. Either way, you don’t need to consult with a jury to figure out that probiotics are very important and should be used regularly for digestive health.
4. Turmeric/Curcumin
This hot product has been growing 25%+ year over year for several years now with no slowing down in sight. With a good amount of research coming out on it and “television doctors” mentioning it on their shows, people seem to be running to the shelves to buy a bottle, or 10. With properties like anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and even anti-cancer properties it’s no wonder the sales are continually growing.
Pills and powders aren’t the only place to find turmeric/curcumin, you can also find it in some food and beverages on the market. More known for its use as a spice, turmeric/curcumin is making a splash in a big way and as more research is done it will only get hotter. Keep your eyes peeled for more research to come out this year as well as new products revolving around turmeric/curcumin.
If any of the above products/ingredients are of interest to you consider picking them up and trying them for yourself. With all the buzz around the above at Expo West and in research I’m sure manufacturers will show positive growth if they add any of the above to their portfolio. As always, make sure to consult with your doctor before trying any of these products mentioned to ensure they will not react with any other medication you might be taking.
Source: http://www.ironmagazine.com/2016/4-supplement-trends-to-watch-in-2016/
