In the current era of increasing health awareness, the dietary supplement market continues to thrive. As the world's largest consumer market for dietary supplements, the market trends in the United States have always attracted much attention. In February 2025, SPINS released data on the sales of the US nutrition and health market in 2024, presenting the trends of popular ingredients and tracks in the US supplement market. This is of great reference value for both industry practitioners and consumers pursuing a healthy lifestyle.
Magnesium: The Low-key "Health Guard" with Explosive Market Potential
Magnesium had an outstanding sales performance in the US natural enhancement channels in 2024. The sales volume reached $80,676,400, showing a 25.7% increase compared with the same period in 2023. As an essential mineral for the human body, magnesium plays a crucial role in numerous physiological processes. It is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions and is vital for energy metabolism, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, and other functions.
From the perspective of health effects, magnesium has a positive impact on cardiovascular health. Research shows that sufficient magnesium intake helps lower blood pressure, regulate blood lipids, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. For people who often feel fatigued and have muscle soreness, magnesium can relieve muscle tension, reduce fatigue, and restore the body's vitality. In terms of sleep, magnesium can also play a role. It helps regulate the nervous system, promotes relaxation, and improves sleep quality.
As consumers' attention to health gradually shifts from the surface to the regulation of internal body functions, the market demand for magnesium will further expand. Whether in the form of single magnesium supplements or compound products combined with other nutritional components, there is a broad market prospect.
Milk Thistle: The New Favorite for Liver Protection with a Strong Market Rise
In 2024, milk thistle made its debut on the Top 25 sales list of US natural enhancement channels for the first time, which is undoubtedly a major highlight in the supplement market. Its sales volume reached $17.54 million, with a year-on-year growth of 34.6%, ranking 23rd on the list.
In the modern fast-paced life, people are faced with various factors that may damage liver health, such as environmental pollution, poor eating habits (high - fat and high - sugar diet, excessive alcohol consumption, etc.), and long-term mental stress. As an important detoxification organ of the human body, liver health has attracted much attention. The active ingredients such as silybin in milk thistle have powerful antioxidant and hepatocyte-protecting effects. It can help the liver resist the invasion of harmful substances and promote the repair and regeneration of liver cells.
The global milk thistle supplement market is expected to grow rapidly at a compound annual growth rate of 7.06% during 2020 - 2030. Currently, the Northeast region of China is the world's main supplier of milk thistle raw materials. Enterprises such as Panjin Tianyuan and Liaoning Ward dominate with their technological and scale advantages. This is a good opportunity for domestic-related enterprises to expand their business and enhance their brand influence. For new entrants, although facing high thresholds, they can develop new milk thistle-related products through R&D and innovation, such as high-purity milk thistle extracts combined with modern pharmaceutical technologies, or compound preparations that synergize with other liver-protecting ingredients.
Mushrooms: Multifunctional Ingredients Blossoming in Multiple Fields
Mushrooms maintained their popularity in the US market in 2024. The sales volume in natural enhancement channels was $24.41 million, with a year-on-year growth of 19.1%, ranking 14th on the list of popular ingredient sales—the market success of mushrooms benefits from their wide application in multiple health fields.
In the field of cognitive health, with the intensification of population aging and consumers' increasing attention to brain health, mushroom-based ingredients have stood out. Hericium erinaceus and Ganoderma lucidum have experienced rapid growth in this track. They contain a variety of bioactive components such as polysaccharides and triterpenoids. These components can promote the growth and repair of nerve cells, improve memory, and enhance attention and concentration. For the elderly, it helps prevent and alleviate cognitive decline; for adolescents and adults, especially students and professionals, it can help improve learning and work efficiency.
In terms of immune health, mushrooms also perform well. The active substances they contain can activate the cells of the human immune system, enhance the body's resistance, and help the body resist the invasion of pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. In addition to dietary supplements, mushroom raw materials are also widely used in food and beverage, daily chemical products, and pet food. In food and beverage, adding mushroom ingredients can not only increase the nutritional value of products but also endow unique flavors; in daily chemical products, mushroom extracts can play the roles of anti-oxidation, moisturizing, and anti-aging; in pet food, it helps improve the immunity and health level of pets.
Domestic enterprises such as Zhongzhikang and Xianzhilou occupy an important position in the supply of mushroom raw materials. In the future, with the progress of technology, the extraction and application of mushroom raw materials will become more refined and diversified. For example, high - concentration mushroom extract products targeting specific health problems can be developed.
Immune Health: Continuously Hot, with Innovative Formulas as the Key
Immune health has always been a popular track in the supplement market. In 2024, the sales volume in natural enhancement channels reached $54,120,238, with a growth rate of 5%. Since the global public crisis in 2019, consumers' attention to their own immunity has reached an unprecedented level, and immune-health products have become essential items for many families.
In the formulas of immune-health products, there is a trend of diversification. Vitamin-mineral components, such as vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc, are common basic components for enhancing immunity. Vitamin C has antioxidant effects, can promote the activity of white blood cells, and enhance the body's resistance; vitamin D is not only important for bone health but also plays a role in immune system regulation; zinc is involved in the metabolic processes of various immune cells in the human body. Herbal plants such as Echinacea purpurea and Astragalus membranaceus have also attracted attention due to their immune-regulating effects. Echinacea purpurea can stimulate the human immune system and enhance the activity of immune cells; Astragalus membranaceus can regulate the body's immune function and improve the body's resistance. Mushroom-based ingredients also perform well in the field of immune health. For example, Ganoderma lucidum and Inonotus obliquus mentioned above can activate immune cells with their polysaccharide and other components. Probiotics can indirectly enhance the body's immunity by regulating the balance of the intestinal flora. The intestine is the largest immune organ in the human body. Beneficial flora can inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and promote the health of the intestinal mucosa, thereby enhancing the overall immunity.
For enterprises to continue to develop in the immune-health track, they need to continuously innovate formulas to meet the increasingly diverse needs of consumers. They can develop new compound formula products by combining cutting-edge scientific research results. For example, scientifically proportion a variety of components with synergistic effects to achieve better immune-regulating effects.
Cognitive Health: The Rise of Emerging Forces with Broad Market Prospects
Cognitive health showed a strong growth momentum in the US natural enhancement channels in 2024, with a growth rate as high as 10%. The rise of this track is closely related to changes in social structure and people's lifestyles. With the aging of the population, the elderly have an increasing demand for preventing cognitive decline and improving memory. At the same time, the fast-paced and high-pressure work and study in modern society have made groups such as adolescents, adults, and gamers also start to pay attention to cognitive health, hoping to improve their attention and mental agility through supplements.
Among the cognitive - health categories, mushrooms ranked first with sales of $12,668,401, and the market growth was as high as 28.6%. In addition to mushrooms, magnesium, Ganoderma lucidum, vitamin B12, MCT, etc. are also popular ingredients. Magnesium is involved in the synthesis and transmission of neurotransmitters and is crucial for the normal function of the brain; the active ingredients in Ganoderma lucidum can promote the repair and regeneration of nerve cells; vitamin B12 plays an indispensable role in the development and maintenance of the nervous system; MCT (medium - chain triglyceride) can quickly provide energy for the brain and improve the brain's cognitive function.
In the future, the cognitive - health track is expected to continue to grow at a high speed. Enterprises can develop personalized products for different target groups. For example, design soft - candy-shaped products with a good taste and rich in a variety of brain-boosting nutrients for adolescents; develop high-purity and easily absorbable cognitive-health supplements for the elderly.
Hydration: Expansion of the Consumer Group and Sustained Market Heating
In the US mainstream diversified channels in 2024, hydration once again became a popular direction. The sales volume increased sharply from \(481 million in 2023 to \)639 million in 2024, with an increase rate of 32.8%. The market size exceeded categories such as weight management and bone health.
The continuous growth of the hydration market benefits from the diversification of the consumer group. In the early days, hydration products were mainly aimed at professional athletes, helping them replenish water and electrolytes and restore physical strength after exercise. Nowadays, with people's pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, the general health-conscious population has also become an important consumer force in this market. Whether in the hot summer or in a dry environment, people pay more attention to water replenishment to maintain the normal metabolism and physiological functions of the body.
Among the hydration categories, potassium and taurine are rapidly growing ingredients. Potassium is crucial for maintaining the cell's osmotic pressure and acid-base balance. At the same time, it can also help regulate the heart rhythm. Supplementing potassium after exercise can effectively relieve muscle fatigue. Taurine has a variety of physiological functions. It can protect cardiomyocytes, enhance immunity, promote brain development, and improve eyesight. Many traditional brands and start-up companies have laid out in this category, such as Liquid IV under Unilever, Celsius Holdings, Nuuu, etc. They have brought continuous innovation to the market by launching SKU products with different flavors and formulas. From electrolyte water with added fruit flavors to functional hydrating beverages rich in a variety of nutrients, they have met the diverse needs of consumers.
From the trends of popular ingredients and tracks in the US supplement market in 2024, it can be seen that consumers' pursuit of health is becoming more refined and diversified. Whether it is magnesium, which focuses on the regulation of internal body functions, milk thistle, which protects liver health, or mushrooms, which play a role in multiple health fields; whether it is the continuously hot immune - health track, the emerging cognitive - health track, or the continuously expanding hydration market, they all provide rich development opportunities for enterprises. At the same time, it also puts forward higher requirements for enterprises' R&D innovation capabilities, product quality control capabilities, and market sensitivity.
Copyright © Herbfields.net. No unauthorized reprinting or plagiarism.