Immune health continues to be a key priority for consumers, with interest in preventative health and everyday wellbeing on the rise.

According to Innova Market Insights, immune health is now the second most common claim in global supplement launches, following energy and stamina, with around 1 in 3 supplement launches worldwide carrying an immune health claim.

Today’s immune health category is evolving beyond traditional seasonal products, driven by trends including the gut-immune connection, year-round wellness and multifunctional immunity products.

What Are the Key Trends Associated with Immune Health?

Year-round support

Immunity is becoming a part of everyday preventative wellness rather than just a focus during the colder months and its traditional association with cold and flu season. Innova Market Insights reports that 1 in 5 consumers care a lot about immune health and two-thirds of these consumers have taken steps to improve their immunity.

This shift creates opportunities for consistent, year-round use and immune-support positioning as part of a daily wellness routine.

Gut-Immune Connection

Recently, more consumers have become aware of the importance of gut health and the gut microbiome and how it connects to other parts of the body, including the immune system. Market research highlights the growing awareness of this connection as well as the wider relation to holistic health.

For brands, this creates opportunities to develop multifunctional products that combine digestive health benefits with established immune-supporting nutrients, responding to growing consumer interest in more holistic approaches to wellbeing.

Multifunctional Products

As consumers seek convenient options to fit into their routine, they seek products that not only support their immune health but also other aspects of their overall health. Immune health is the second most common claim for supplements with benefits such as energy-boosting, stress-relief and digestive health following, reflecting the importance of multifunctional products.

With consumers looking for products that support multiple areas of health and wellbeing, convenient formats are also becoming increasingly important. Gummies, tablets and functional beverages can offer an accessible way to combine complementary benefits with a single product that easily fits into consumers’ everyday routines.

Ingredients Gaining Traction for Their Role in Immune Health

With immunity supplements remaining a priority amongst consumers, and the rise in holistic wellness, consumers are seeking ingredients that support their wellbeing in a more natural way.

Trending ingredients include:

  • Mushrooms: Functional mushrooms such as Reishi, Shiitake, and Lion’s Mane continue to grow in popularity as consumers explore more natural and holistic approaches to everyday wellness.
  • Ashwagandha: Adaptogenic botanicals, such as Ashwagandha, continue to attract consumer interest, particularly within the wider trends towards stress management and holistic wellbeing.
  • Elderberry: Elderberry is a popular ingredient traditionally associated with seasonal wellness and naturally rich in anthocyanins.

These trending ingredients can be combined with established nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc, which contribute to the normal function of the immune system. We already use this approach within our off-the-shelf range, for example our Elderberry, Vitamin C & Zinc Gummies, combining a popular botanical with established immune-supporting nutrients.

Your Next Immune Health Supplement

As immune health evolves beyond seasonal support, brands have an opportunity to create products that combine recognisable ingredients, targeted benefits and convenient formats.

At Opalbond, we offer a range of supplement formats to support innovative immune health products, including:

  • Elderberry, Vitamin C & Zinc Gummies: A convenient combination of key immune-supporting ingredients.
  • Multi Mushroom Gummies: Combines 5 types of mushrooms including Lion’s Mane, Reishi and Shiitake in a tasty gummy format.
  • Bespoke development: Alongside our existing formulations, our bespoke development service can support brands looking to create differentiated immune-health products across a range of supplement formats.