Even before the pandemic, the nutritional supplement industry was expanding at an astronomical rate.
Multivitamins lead the charge as the world’s most popular supplement. In fact, in 2020, multivitamins accounted for over 40% of global supplement market revenue!
If you are interested in starting a profitable supplement business, consider adding the king of supplements to your product line. To design a highly marketable multivitamin, it is crucial to know what multivitamins are, who needs them, and what they do.
What are Multivitamins?
Multivitamins are supplements that contain a mix of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements.
There is no strict ingredient requirement or standard for a supplement to be classified as a multivitamin. Thus, multivitamins vary greatly between manufacturing companies.
Multivitamins are intended to supplement the diet to ensure that the person taking them gets daily nutritional amounts of all the vitamins and minerals essential to health.
However, multivitamins that focus on a particular area of health (immune, heart, digestion, etc.) are also common. Thus, people interested in the health supplement business may be interested in formulating targeted multivitamins.
Multivitamins can also be called multis, vitamins, multi-minerals, or multiples.
Who Uses Multivitamins?
Although people of all ages and demographics take multivitamins, they are more beneficial for certain people. Those who get the most benefit from taking a daily multivitamin include:
Seniors: As the body ages, it does not absorb vitamin B12 as well. In addition, older adults need more vitamin D, calcium, and other nutrients than younger individuals.
Vegans and Vegetarians: Many essential vitamins and minerals are more common in animal products than in plants. People who primarily eat plants are at high risk of several nutrient deficiencies, such as calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin D, etc.
Pregnant Women and Breastfed Infants: Doctors often recommend supplements to women who are expecting. It is essential for the fetus’s development that the mother has plenty of nutrients. Children that are nutrient deprived in the womb have a higher risk of birth defects. Doctors also often recommend that breastfeeding infants receive Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D supplements.
Certain Medical Conditions: People with certain medical conditions may also need the extra nutrition found in multivitamins.
Health Benefits of Multivitamins
The health benefits of multivitamins may be controversial and, in some cases, unclear.
There are many different multivitamin formulas. As you can imagine, research is limited on most formulas. And even if a formula has been clinically researched, the results are invalidated if the manufacturer changes the formula.
In addition, research data may be skewed since people with healthier lifestyles are more likely to take multivitamins. Thus, it is hard to determine if the results are due to the multivitamin or healthier life choices.
Some studies show multivitamins reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, or death. However, other studies found that multivitamins have little to no effect on the risk of developing these conditions.
However, research has found multivitamins benefit eye health!
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) blurs central vision and is one of the top global causes of blindness. Studies have shown that multivitamins containing a combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper slow the progression of AMD.
Multivitamins also reduce the risk of developing cataracts.
What Consumers Look for in a Multivitamin
To successfully mass-market any product requires knowing what people want. How do people decide which multivitamins to purchase and which ones to pass up? People look at third-party certification, medication interactions, ingredients, and the multivitamin form.
Third-Party Certifications
Like all supplements, some multivitamins have third-party certifications (GMP, Organic, Halal, etc.). Third-party certification means an unbiased certification body surveyed the supplement and the facilities it was produced at and verified that the supplement meets a certain standard.
Many people only buy third-party certified supplements. Since a disinterested third party has verified it, these supplements are safer and of higher quality. Working with vitamin manufacturers that are third-party certified brings accreditation to your product.
Medication Interactions
Ingredients in multivitamins can interact with certain medications. Be aware of what potential medications your targeted consumers may be using.
For example, if you are designing a heart health multivitamin, people with heart issues may be the most interested in your product. A targeted heart health multivitamin should not contain ingredients that interact with blood thinners. Do your research to avoid potential issues.
Ingredients of Multivitamins
Multivitamins contain numerous ingredients. People examine the ingredients list to determine the product quality. Be especially aware of nutrient absorption and additives.
N
utrient absorption is impacted by the other nutrients present. For example, iron and calcium compete for absorption, so consumers will not want to buy a supplement that has both. Design your multivitamin to maximize nutrient absorption.
For additives, the requirements of quality vary. For the most part, wise consumers avoid buying multivitamins with very many additives. Where possible avoid putting additives in your product.
Forms of Multivitamins
Multivitamins are found in nearly every form: gummy, tablet, capsule, or liquid. Gummies and liquids often contain added sugar, and gummies often have lower concentrations of nutrients.
Multivitamins dominate the supplement market. They are a great way to fill nutrition gaps and ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need to be healthy. Multivitamins are also a great place to start your supplement brand.
You do not have to embark on your supplement design journey alone. Here at Origin Nutraceutical, we help you through every step: from vitamin formulation to the final packaging. With us at your side, producing the best vitamin on the market will be no problem!
Contact us today to start working on your dream supplement!
The content of Origin Nutraceutical’s website is for information only, not advice or guarantee of outcome. Information is gathered and shared from reputable sources; however, Origin Nutraceutical is not responsible for errors or omissions in reporting or explanation. No individuals, including those taking Origin Nutraceutical products, should use the information, resources or tools contained within to self-diagnosis or self-treat any health-related condition. Origin Nutraceutical gives no assurance or warranty regarding the accuracy, timeliness or applicability of the content.
Sources:
Hrefna, Palsdottir. “Do Multivitamins Work? The Surprising Truth”. Healthline. 2021. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/do-multivitamins-work#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
“Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements”. NIH. 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/MVMS-Consumer/
“Vitamin Supplements Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Multivitamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K) By Form, By Distribution Channel, and Segment Forecasts, 2021-2028”. Grand View Research. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/vitamin-supplements-market-report
Anzlovar, Sarah. “The 7 Best Multivitamins of 2022, According to a Dietitian”. VeryWellFit. 2022. https://www.verywellfit.com/best-multivitamins-4163427
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