What do global consumers want?

While health and wellbeing trends were instigated by the onset of the global pandemic, FMGC Gurus’ head of research and insight, Mike Hughes, stated in a recent webinar series that these trends were inevitable and would have been seen overtime regardless, and as such, are here to stay.¹ Trends may have some transient properties, but overall, it is predicted that this will continue upward.¹

On the whole, consumers have an invigorated interest in maintaining their health with a proactive approach to lifestyle, diet, nutrition, and wellbeing. According to Hughes, this trend has translated to a market that is “more focused on prevention over cure,” and attitudes that have “fundamentally changed [in consumers’] approach to health.”¹ He goes on to explain that consumers have taken a broader approach to health, acknowledging that they might be vulnerable to due to lifestyle and diet choices, and that consumers are looking to address the interlinked aspects of health through these proactive efforts. Hughes explained that there is recognition that being tired and rundown can contribute to more than a diminished mood; it can also make a person susceptible to disease and illness.¹

In particular, Hughes explained that consumers’ attitudes toward health and wellbeing have been significantly re-evaluated.¹ They have adopted a long-term and proactive approach to health and are recognizing the direct links between many sub-categories, such as how digestive and cognitive wellbeing have an impact on overall immune health.¹ This acknowledgment of the links between physical and mental wellbeing have stirred greater interest in a whole-body, holistic approach to health.

Looking ahead, formulators have opportunity to attract a long-term customer-base targeting general health and wellbeing (60%), cognitive and mental health (51%), sleep habits / optimized circadian rhythm (32%), immune health (64%), joint and bone health (36%), improved energy levels / decreased fatigue (47%), weight management (37%), women’s health (16%), digestive & gut health (57%), eye & vision health (14%), heart health (65%), muscle health (15%), and hair, skin, & nails (23%).

What fills this global need?

With so many areas of health interlinking with one another, formulators and finished product marketers are well-poised to tailor multi-prong product solutions with versatile ingredients and diverse / innovative delivery methods.

With immense opportunity in the areas of general health and wellbeing, cognitive and mental health, sleep habits / optimized circadian rhythm, immune health, joint and bone health, improved energy levels / decreased fatigue, and even gut & digestive support being intertwined applications of interest, it is ideal to select an ingredient with clinically supported solutions to the same.

Longvida^® Optimized Curcumin^® is a robust solution appealing to consumer demand for multi-prong solutions and flexible deliverability. Patented solid lipid curcumin particles (SLCP^™) deliver systemic free curcumin to the brain and target tissues for balanced cognitive wellness targeting memory, mood, fatigue, and key biomarkers known to impact the brain. Longvida^® is supported by rigorous quality, traceability, sustainability, and research initiatives and has won numerous awards for innovation and cognitive function.

Want to learn more about Longvida^®? https://vs-corp.com/what-is-longvida-optimized-curcumin/

Where can consumers find Longvida Optimized Curcumin^®?

For more than 10 years, Verdure Sciences has proudly offered Longvida^® Optimized Curcumin^®, our patented Curcuma longa extract, to the global marketplace. Throughout Longvida’s decade-long history, more than thirty human clinical trials have been published in support of the delivery of free curcumin. Additionally, we are honored to have received multiple awards backing the astounding efforts by researchers, both published and ongoing, as we continue to invest in innovative research initiatives supporting Longvida, and other Verdure branded ingredient solutions, even further.

Longvida^® curcumin holds many certifications and accreditations from third party organizations dedicated to upholding quality and promoting elite standards within the natural products industry. We are proud that Verdure is either accredited, verified, and/or compliant with the following organizations and standards specifically associated with Longvida^® Optimized Curcumin^®:

• Non-GMO Project Verified / Compliant
• Meets or exceeds USP/ICH/Prop-65 standards
• Certified Glyphosate Residue Free
• Self-GRAS affirmation
• Informed Choice / Informed Sport compliant
• WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency compliant)
• C-14 testing compliant
• National Animal Supplement Council approved/compliant

Verdure Sciences, in support of Longvida^® curcumin extract, is a Founding Member of the Global Curcumin Association (GCA), in which we partner with key industry players to jointly promote the betterment of curcumin as a category and the industry as a whole. As Founding Members of GCA, we hold traceability, sustainability, and adulteration controls paramount to the success and understanding of curcumin. Aligned with these objectives, we are proud to work with local farms and farmers to establish generational relationships and offer supply chain controls and traceability standards.

What can Longvida Optimized Curcumin^® offer consumers?

Beyond global regulatory compliance, Lognvida^® Optimized Curcumin^® is well-established as a leader in the curcumin category. Over fifty-three publications including human clinical, preclinical, and review papers have been published in the more than a decade of market availability. Of those numerous publications over thirty are human clinical publications with more than ten of them offering supportive evidence for Longvida^® as the Cognitive Curcumin of Choice^™.

The hallmark of brain health is a person’s ability to function well in daily life and work; this includes making decisions, solving problems, interacting successfully with others, and enjoying an emotional balance. Conjunctively, cognitive health is the ability to think clearly, learn, and remember. Combined, the brain and cognitive space is vast and the ability of a formulator to quickly adapt messaging, tailored to the needs of the customer, allows for greater product diversity and flexibility. Verdure uniquely offers supportive positioning in this space for a variety of sub-categories that are more pointedly oriented to fulfill consumer demand for tangible health applications backed by clinical rigor and supported with robust traceability, sustainability, and quality initiatives that not only offer health benefits to themselves, but also support the lives of the farmers and suppliers involved.

Increasingly, consumers and formulators are seeking new ways to better position in this evolving space. With an aging population and increased interest after the onset of COVID, many are seeking healthy ways to maintain focus and mental clarity, decrease fatigue, maintain emotional wellbeing, and more.^2-3 In fact, market researchers at FMCG Gurus (providing market research and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors across the food, beverage, and supplement markets worldwide), recently analyzed consumer behaviors in 2021. They showed that “75% of global consumers say they recognize the link between good cognitive health and their overall welfare”³ The team goes on to explain that “across the globe, consumers say that they suffer from a variety of cognitive health problems ‘at least some of the time,’ including stress (73%) and disrupted sleep (72%).”³

While these two particular issues have been exacerbated by the pandemic, they are likely to drive demand as sub-categories in the brain and cognitive space for the foreseeable future. Additionally, FMCG explained that “consumers admit that they also suffer from problems such as general forgetfulness (47%), memory loss (45%), and difficulty concentrating (48%) on a semi-regular basis.”³ Overall the cognitive and brain space is continuing to see immense growth and potential with 66% of consumers saying “that they are interested in products that improve cognitive health, even if they are not suffering from specific conditions.”³

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† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

References:

1. Hughes, Mike – head of research & insight. FMCG Gurus: What next for positive nutrition? Exploring consumer attitudes towards ingredients. FMCG Gurus presentation in A Naturally Informed Virtual Conference – Active Nutrition: Mastering the Market. Retrieved from presentation via live Zoom event on June 30, 2021. Slides available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mtXH9BbuOwFr52a4wiL7KA5zTGQ-239v/view
2. Raterman K. Emerging brain health ingredients offer substantive science. Natural Products Insider: Cognition in focus – Ingredients for brain health make a connection. 2021 Apr. 11(5): p 7-13. Retrieved May 2021 from naturalproductsinsider.com/cognitive-health/focus-cognitive-health-digital-magazine
3. FMCG Gurus. Greater demand than ever for cognitive health products. Nutraceutical Business Review. 2021 Apr 16. Retrieved May 2021 from nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com/news/article_page/Greater_demand_than_ever_for_cognitive_health_products/176012