Being healthy is one of the most crucial aspects of living and thriving. Many say treating the body like a temple by eating healthy and exercising is an excellent way of living and thriving. How will people thrive if they don’t care for their bodies?

As more people start caring about their health, more food supplement markets have appeared worldwide. That’s why it’s essential to make sure people are choosing the best food supplement markets for them.

To be as healthy and thriving as possible, here are some statistics on food supplement markets worldwide and where to find the best of them.

Food Supplements Worldwide

More people have been trying to improve their health in recent years, so they are taking more supplements and eating healthier foods. These supplements include amino acids, enzymes, herbs, minerals, and vitamins.

Due to this, the global food supplements industry has risen in profits. In 2021, it earned approximately 161.2 billion USD; experts predict this amount to jump to around 321.2 billion USD by 2028. That’s a record jump of nearly 8.8% from 2022 to 2028 in CAGR.

The more food supplements of vitamins and minerals people intake, the more profit the global food supplements industry makes. Since people care more about their health than ever, there’s quite a market for supplements.

For example, NIH researchers claimed that American adults consume five times more of these supplements than food:

• Vitamin B6
• Riboflavin
• Thiamin

Food supplements are also prescribed in low and middle-income groups for deficiencies. Some common deficiencies are:

• Vitamin A
• Iodine
• Zinc

Furthermore, food supplements are recommended when other intake methods aren’t adequate.

Some food supplements are demanded more often than others. For example, many people often took vitamin C and zinc supplements in 2020.

The United States is one of the most significant contributors to the global food supplements industry’s rise. According to the NCBI, consumption of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids supplements increased in adults between 1999 and 2012.

In 2021, the functional food and beverages segment held the largest revenue share in Europe, with a little over 55%. This segment contains omega 3, probiotics, and more. More people are consuming these products to avoid cardiovascular diseases and other ailments.

Powder was second at over 35%. The body can easily absorb it, which is fantastic for sports people and those on the go.

Why are more people taking supplements than before? Many people have hectic working schedules, so they may not have the time or energy to cook a nutritious meal.

Besides hectic working schedules, healthcare items are also rising in expenditure, so food supplements help with the wearing of the human body. Plus, there are more geriatric people because life expectancy is growing in many countries.

When more people take care of themselves, there’s an enormous demand for food supplements. That demand, in turn, gives the global food supplements industry extra profits.

Where to Promote Food Supplements?

Healthier living has risen in popularity worldwide, and one region hopping onto this trend is western Europe. Western Europe is one of the leading industry performers. During the 2022-2027 forecast period, Europe’s dietary supplements market is expected to reach a CAGR of 5.49%.

The sports nutrition segment is expected to grow the fastest during the forecast period. That’s because more people are focusing on health and fitness. These people are integrating physical activities and sports to maintain a healthy lifestyle. These activities are not only excellent for attaining ideal fitness levels, but they’re also great at fighting off diseases.

Many Europeans take supplements to improve their health and well-being. One way to improve health and well-being is weight loss. In 2019, 53% of Europeans were overweight, and 36% were obese. In countries like Germany, Hungary, Malta, and the United Kingdom, the obesity epidemic has been escalating for several years.

European countries occupy six out of the top 10 places among economies with the most significant health expenditure on obesity. Due to this, more consumers have become aware and are requesting natural ingredients and health products. In turn, alternative medicines, particularly supplements, have grown exponentially over recent years.

In 2020, France was the leading western European country for intaking weight loss supplements, followed by Spain and Italy. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom was the western European country with the most negligible intake of weight loss supplements.

The supplement market reached a value of 3.3 billion euros in 2018. In 2021, Italy held the largest dietary market share among western European countries, with a double-digit value growth from 2009 to 2019; the United Kingdom had the lowest share.

Why Choose the Italian Food Supplements Market

Italy is a country famous for its cuisine. Some favorite foods from the country are spaghetti, risotto, pizza, and carbonara. Italy also has one of the highest life expectancy averages and one of the lowest obesity rates in Europe.

Knowing this, it’s safe to assume there are some great things about Italian food supplement markets. After all, Italy held the largest dietary market share among western European countries as of 2021, with 29%. 52% of Italian adults use supplements for their vitamins and minerals. So, what supplements do they use, and why do they use them?

The food supplements market in Italy has been consistently growing since 2008. Between 2008 and 2018, food supplement consumption increased by 126%. The most popular vitamins and supplements used in Italy are:

• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Calcium
• Iron
• Probiotics
• Glucosamine

Three-quarters of Italians claimed medical professionals and/or pharmacists recommended taking food supplements. Meanwhile, one in 10 Italians cite advertisements as a reason for taking supplements.

Another reason for consuming food supplements is to improve health and well-being. According to FederSalus, more consumers in Italy have used food supplements as a preventative measure to maintain their health throughout 2020.

The growing geriatric population is another reason for the uptake of food supplements. As of 2021, 20.8% of the European Union’s population was 65 or older. As people get older, their bodies slow down, making them more likely to get sick or injured easily. Thus, older people are more likely to take food supplements to maintain their health and well-being.

Being obese or overweight is prevalent among the older population. In Europe, 66% of people between the ages of 65-74 are overweight or obese. To maintain a healthy weight, many people are taking supplements.

If obesity isn’t checked out and/or solved, the risk of diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases increases. Thus, many people are taking food supplements to lower the risk of obesity and these other diseases.

One supplement many Italians used for maintaining health was vitamin C. In the first quarter of 2020, the sales of dietary supplements like vitamin C increased by 237.8% compared to 2019. Other supplements for sleep and relaxation increased in sales by 26.6% during that same period.

As of 2020, pharmacies sold around 80% of food supplements; drugstores, large-scale retailers, and online websites sold the rest. Vitamins and minerals generate the highest revenues for supplements, with a share of almost 26% or nearly one billion euros.

The supplements with the most significant increase in sales between early 2021 and early 2022 were:

• The respiratory tracts
• The musculoskeletal area
• The gastrointestinal area

Of course, it’s not just about these tracts and areas. Supplements for hair and skin have also increased in sales. Hair and skin are two of the most prominent aspects of beauty, but they can also indicate health and well-being.

If people don’t care for their hair and skin, their hair might fall out and get skin diseases. Thus, more people are taking supplements to maintain their health and well-being for hair and skin. After all, beauty is both on the outside and the inside.

Italy has the highest expenditure on food supplements per capita among European countries. On average, each inhabitant spent 63.6 euros on food supplements in 2020.

Female consumers overwhelmingly dominate Italy’s food supplements market, accounting for around 61% of consumers. In Italy, the average supplement consumer is between the ages of 35 and 64 and has a higher level of education.

Throughout 2021, western European countries like the UK, Spain, and Italy have seen massive increases in food supplement sales. People want to live healthier lifestyles, and they want to avoid diseases like diabetes.

Conclusion

Being healthy is a crucial aspect of living and thriving. More people are starting to take care of their health and well-being, so the global food supplements industry has seen a massive profit increase. One of those countries contributing to this is Italy, a country famous for its cuisine, high life expectancy, and low obesity rate.