The immune health space is evolving, with shifts in product trends, changes in consumer focuses, and advances in research influencing the space. Among the major changes:

• A shift in priorities towards fostering day-to-day wellness.
• The continued rise of well-informed consumers seeking specialized supplements.
• The continued interest in the gut and immunity. 

With 2024 coming to a close, we reached out to experts in the space to discuss the year that was and to get forecasts for the next 12 months.

Life After COVID-19

The global pandemic had a massive impact on consumers’ views regarding immune health. Joana Carneiro-Wakefield, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of NutriLeads, notes the “awakening” among consumers. “The immune health IQ of many consumers got a big boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this heightened awareness continues to influence purchase decisions.”

Now more than ever, consumers are aware of the changes they can make to help optimize their immune health. “Post-pandemic, consumer focus has shifted from long-term wellness and immunity to prioritizing day-to-day health, especially mental and emotional well-being,” reports Julianne Gardner, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Stratum Nutrition. “In addition, concerns about germs, which were heightened during the pandemic, have decreased as news sources have moved away from health crises.”

While overall “immunity” is now less of a priority, Gardner explains that consumers have learned to look at other key factors to determine their immune strength post pandemic. “According to FMCG Gurus, in 2022, 63% of consumers surveyed said they were easily susceptible to disease and illness; in 2024, that percentage has dropped significantly to 24%. This data is a direct reflection of consumer education with more focus on recognizing immune health indicators outside of what has been considered the norm, giving consumers more confidence in the state of their health. While concerns about vulnerability to illness have decreased, consumers now measure their immunity through easily observable factors.” These include sleep, energy levels, and recovery time from illness.

“The public now has an increased awareness that is driving them to support their immune system through their diet, lifestyle, and supplementation,” adds Jessica Earley, NOW Nutritionist. “The supplement industry saw significant increases with supplement use during this time, the most popular immune supplements being NAC, vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, elderberry, and probiotics. Heightened awareness of other herbal supplements came along with that. Some people dropped off their supplementation after the pandemic, while others made it a part of their lifestyle and continue to do so.”

Trending Now: Immunity+

“According to Grand View Research, the global immune health supplements market was worth approximately $26.60 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.72% from 2024 to 2030, reaching $52.81 billion,” shares Dr. Liki von Oppen-Bezalel, Business Development Director, TriNutra. “Although the immunity sales post-pandemic have declined, the growth of the category is still expected to steadily climb through 2027 [NBJ]. Immune health for consumers is no longer a one-season focus; rather, they look for immunity-boosting products year-round. Some of the most popular ingredients for immune health include vitamins, minerals, probiotics, herbs, and botanicals, with several of these ingredients backed by clinical research to prove their benefits.”

The holistic combination of diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes to support wellness is becoming more popular, Gardner adds, where factors such as gut health, stress management, and overall wellness play crucial roles in supporting immune function. “Gut health has been recognized as a critical factor in immune support, with probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics continuing to gain attention for their ability to support immune resilience by increasing microbiome diversity,” she explains. “Over the last decade, awareness of the gut’s link to physical and emotional health has grown, though many are not familiar with the technical terms like ‘microbiome.’ Consumers increasingly expect functional products to reference digestive health alongside immunity benefits.”

Dr. Carneiro-Wakefield cites data to further illustrate consumer interest in this space. “We’re seeing strong interest in both immune and gut health, as consumers increasingly recognize the interconnected relationship between them. In its Top Ten Trends for 2024, FMCG Gurus reported that many consumers recognize the link between the gut and immunity, as well as the importance of beneficial bacteria to support digestive health. This awareness is driving increased demand for food, beverages, and dietary supplements that offer multifunctional benefits.”

Functional foods are very appealing to consumers. “One positive effect that came from the pandemic is that consumers are doing more research than ever before,” says Earley. “They are asking good questions and empowering themselves more than ever, leading to more informed decisions for their health and wellness... Many people have started seeking out more functional foods for their diets in place of supplementation, like turmeric and mushrooms, for example. They are looking for products to support a healthy normal and healthy immune response. Turmeric, a source of curcumin, helps this immune response in the body, while mushrooms have modulating benefits for the gut and immune system.”

Consumer focus on immune and immune-adjacent categories will continue to be in demand, says Dr. Darrin Starkey, Director of Education at Trace. “The immune health and support category continues to grow, and consumer attention on immunity is increasing. As a result, the market is producing a variety of delivery formats to address consumers’ preferences to find ways to ensure products fit into a range of health and wellness routines. Trace offers a wide variety to meet the consumer’s needs from liquids, capsules, gummies, tablets and powders both in single servings for on the go and in bulk. Consumer interest in ingredients that support immunity beyond vitamin C is also increasing. At Trace we look to a variety of ingredients when prioritizing immunity, such as colloidal silver, ionic zinc, beef liver, iron, elderberry, and more.”

Products on the Move

So what are consumers doing with so much immune health information at their fingertips? According to Gardner, they are looking for products that can address multiple concerns. “Consumers are looking for products that address stress and sleep issues while supporting immunity. Ingredients like adaptogens and prebiotics that reduce stress and promote sleep alongside immune health are seeing an increase in demand. Companies that can offer multiple benefits within comprehensive formulations that integrate immune support with mental wellness and sleep health may have a better chance at standing out in the marketplace.”

In addition to offering multiple benefits, products backed by science that matches their claims are also standouts for consumers, says Dr. Carneiro-Wakefield. “There is a heightened interest in natural products formulated with innovative ingredient combinations. Consumers are no longer satisfied with simply taking vitamin C. They want products that deliver multiple benefits and are supported by clinical research. In fact, FMCG Gurus found that 78% of global consumers are more likely to purchase immune-supporting products when efficacy claims are backed by scientific evidence.”

Scientific backing has helped spike demand for functional ingredients manufacturer, Beneo, and its prebiotics offerings. Denisse Colindres, Senior Manager, Nutrition Communications, Americas, reports, “Beneo’s Inulin and Oligofructose support a healthy microbiota, improve the gut environment to make life for pathogens more difficult, strengthen the gut barrier function, and more. Gut bacteria are known to be beneficial for health, for example, bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. These bacteria can be selectively increased by eating prebiotics, like the prebiotic fibers Orafti Inulin and Oligofructose from the chicory root. In this way, our immune system can be strengthened. More than 50 human intervention studies have examined the selective growth of bifidobacteria by chicory inulin and oligofructose. And several studies have confirmed specifically the link between gut health and the body's own defenses, confirming that Orafti prebiotics support the body's inner defense system by shortening the duration of infections, lowering incidence of infections and fever, and also improving antibody response after vaccination.”

NOW’s offerings also stand out thanks to research. “A consideration for adults would be NOW Quercetin and Bromelain,” shares Earley. “Quercetin is a naturally occurring free radical scavenger that supports healthy seasonal immune system function. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that quercetin can also help to promote normal respiratory function. Bromelain has a long history of use by herbalists and is known to help support a balanced immune system response to environmental challenges. This complementary combination may promote year-round respiratory health and support overall seasonal comfort.

On the Horizon

Because consumers are straying from one-dimensional products, companies like NutriLeads are seeing the possibilities expand for multi-functional ingredients. 

“We see enormous opportunities for multifunctional ingredients like Benicaros, our award-winning precision prebiotic derived from upcycled carrot pomace. Ground-breaking clinical research demonstrates that Benicaros can accelerate and strengthen immune responses, improve quality-of-life via cold symptom relief, and fortify gut health by increasing beneficial microorganisms and their metabolites,” shared Dr. Carneiro-Wakefield. 

Another branded ingredient that functions as a multi-tasker: TriNutra’s ThymoQuin black seed oil has been shown to support immune health along with metabolic health, fatty liver support, and cardiovascular health. ThymoQuin is an ideal ingredient for dietary supplements, the company says.

Gardner sees a continued focus on convenience and effectiveness in the upcoming year. “Convenience and perceived efficacy, especially through supplements, remains crucial for consumers. Despite spending more cautiously, consumers still value health products that offer multifunctional benefits and are backed by scientific claims. According to FMCG Gurus, 45% of consumers surveyed are willing to pay a premium for immune health products with multiple health benefit claims. The overlap between digestive and immune health in product claims highlights how consumers perceive these areas as interconnected. Ultimately, consumers are seeking value-driven health solutions that promise a broad range of benefits, with a focus on easily measurable day-to-day health improvements in areas like energy levels and sleep.”

Artemis International offers ElderCraft in this space, and the branded ingredient was the winner in the Immune category for WholeFoods Magazine’s 2024 Natural Choice Awards: Ingredient Edition. Made exclusively from premium quality European black elderberries of the Haschberg variety, ElderCraft is the subject of large-scale clinical trials demonstrating its significant immune health benefits, such as reducing the severity and duration of cold/flu symptoms, and gut-induced immune health by possessing prebiotic activity. It is standardized to both anthocyanins and polyphenols and comes in a variety of options, including organic and excipient-free.

Looking Ahead

Dr. Starkey’s take on the future of the immune space: “As more consumers look to products to enhance their health. We anticipate consumer awareness to increase, resulting in products that can address a variety of the body’s systems alongside immunity. ‘Gut-immune’ labeled products specifically are continuing to entice consumers, and will attain significance prominent in consumer products in 2025. Barrier function—of the skin, of the gut (and the ‘patching’ of a leaky gut)—is increasing in both basic and clinical research investigations and in consumer awareness. Select forms of zinc, and specific probiotic (live) and postbiotic (killed/non-viable) strains, have been shown to improve gut barrier integrity, which can prevent the entry (leakage) of immunological insults from the gut into the systemic circulation.”

Dr. Starkey also singled out hydration and its less-obvious impacts as something the Trace team will be looking at more closely in 2025. “Maintenance of hydration—beyond water intake—may influence function of the airways (lungs) and the immune system in the oral and nasal region. At Trace, our leading products continue to be the ZeroLyte and Power Paks, providing sodium, electrolytes, vitamin C, manganese, selenium, elderberry, zinc, vitamins D3, B6, B12, and a full spectrum of ionic trace minerals. As consumer awareness has increased about hydration and mineral intake, and the positive impacts on immune support, highlighting these key ingredients and their benefits will be necessary for companies in this space to gain trust.”

The Same But Different

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” doesn’t hold the significance it once did, especially with today’s consumers. They understand that optimal immune health requires an ongoing, multi-pronged approach. “Developing a healthy immune system early in life is key, supporting it throughout life is no less important,” says Colindres. “Maintaining health, fighting off infections and recovering from diseases are lifelong tasks for our body.” WF