Food vs. Supplements

Food vs. Supplements

Consumers around the world are more likely to address some
health conditions via foods, while preferring dietary
supplements for others, finds a new survey.

According to global research by Ipsos Marketing, food and beverages rival
supplements when it comes to digestion, energy, weight and blood sugar levels.
However, dietary supplements were by far the most popular option for
benefits linked to immunity, brain health and memory, bone and joint health,
cancer prevention, hormonal balance and eye health.

Established health links
The key differentiation, according to Ipsos, comes down to consumer
awareness of well-established health links, which is what prompts
them to go for foods or supplements.
The survey, which tracked responses from 21,623 adults in 23 countries,
also identified a mid-way category of health conditions, which people are
more likely to address with supplements.

Supplements
These used for heart health, cancer prevention and immunity benefits,
increased brain power and memory, and bone and joint health which
most people would first turn to supplements for.

A wide range of countries participated in the survey: Argentina,
Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany,
Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Korea,
Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Great Britain,
the United States and Turkey.

Sport Nutrition

Non-sporty consumers drive
Sports nutrition market.
As global sales of sports nutrition products maintain
healthy growth rates, one distinct – and unexpected –
group of consumers is emerging as the main driver for the market,
made up of people who are not necessarily interested in sports.

Sports nutrition consumers can be split into four main groups:
body builders, athletes, recreational users (who pursue sport as a hobby)
and an emerging group of lifestyle users.

Lifestyle users, are not necessarily very athletic, but are
choosing to consume sports nutritional products as an initial
building block in leading a healthier lifestyle.

People within this group mainly consume sports nutrition products
in order to provide a refreshing beverage, a quick meal
replacement or simply a healthy snack. Consumers within the group
may also use sports nutrition products to provide an
energy boost during illness, or even when feeling tired.