Collagen--The New Trend in Joint Care
Apr 25, 2022
According to SPINS (Chicago), sales of joint health-related supplement ingredients fell 2.3 percent in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 26, 2021.SPINS Intelligence noted that part of this decline may be related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers began to focus on other health issues such as stress relief, sleep and immunity . Also, as more seniors stayed at home during this time, lower activity levels meant less attention to joint health supplements.
The truth is that trends actually point to a revival of the joint health market, especially when it comes to older consumers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of American adults over the age of 65 is estimated to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060.
Trends in Joints
Once the superstars of the joint health market, glucosamine and chondroitin are not as popular as they once were, thanks to some serious drawbacks, "including the high doses needed to be effective, the fact that they seem to work for only a fraction of the population, and the long time it takes to see benefits (usually three months or more of continuous use). Instead, the trend in the joint health market is shifting to lower doses of effective ingredients, which can help eliminate some of the pill fatigue expressed by consumers of a certain age."
Considering the number of other supplements and medications that the middle-aged and older population may be taking, a once-daily product would help improve adherence, which would increase consumer effectiveness, as well as repeat brand purchases.
Why Collagen?
It's impossible to talk about trends in joint health supplements without talking about collagen. It is certainly the hottest trending ingredient in the category right now for a number of reasons.
First, collagen is a flexible ingredient that is available in most supplement formats, from powders and capsules to functional drinks. Collagen is a simple, ideal solution that can be customized in a variety of flavors. For older consumers, simple portion sizes are another selling point, and powdered collagen supplements can provide benefits in simple two scoop portions, or in pre-measured, on-the-go stick packages for water bottles or thermoses.
Collagen also offers a range of benefits beyond joint health, including skin, hair and nail support, as well as a protein content in powder form that gives consumers more bang for their buck. It can also be used in conjunction with other joint health ingredients such as MSM to provide consumers with a natural solution with multiple mechanisms of action.
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