The panel:

Sébastien Bornet, Vice President Global Sales & Marketing, Horphag Research, Geneva, Switzerland, www.pycnogenol.com

Annie Eng, CEO, HP Ingredients, Bradenton, FL, https://hpingredients.com

Ellen Kamhi, PhD, RN, Herbalist and Scientific Advisor, Bio-Botanica, Hauppauge, NY, www.bio-botanica.com

Niki Kennedy, Director of Insights & Content, Glanbia Nutritionals, Chicago, IL, www.glanbianutritionals.com

Jean Leclerc, Director of Sales & New Business Development, Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals, Villeroy, QC, Canada, https://fruitdor.ca

Colleen E. May, Chief Business Officer, Graminex, Saginaw, MI, https://graminex.com

Jordi Riera, Chief Business Development Officer, Kaneka Probiotics, Pasadena, TX, www.floradapt.com

Tracey Seipel, ND, CEO, Seipel Group, Australia, https://seipelgroup.com

Danielle Weed, Director of Marketing Strategy and Public Relations, Maypro Group, Purchase, NY, www.maypro.com

With the global women’s health market estimated to be more than $50 billion by 2025, emerging products are starting to address health concerns for women of all ages, and diverse and evolving needs from symptom-specific to lifestyle-based. The global women’s health market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.8 percent through 2030.

Nutrition Industry Executive (NIE) has invited a panel of industry experts for their insights.

NIE: Women’s health is about more than menopausal complaints. Please highlight the state of ingredients for women’s health and what types of ingredients should manufacturers be aware of.

Weed: There is a broad range of nutraceuticals in the women’s health space that have clinical evidence to support their claims. From probiotics that provide post-partum mood support, can mitigate the incidence of gestational diabetes and provide nursing mothers with human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) to support infant gut microbiota to a mushroom-derived ingredient that has been shown in some cases to clear high-risk HPV infection and a botanical that reduces common pre-menstrual and menstrual complaints, the women’s health category can and should encompass the breadth of the female experience.

May: We are seeing big changes in the supplement market geared toward women that reach outside of the healthy aging category. It isn’t just about a multivitamin any more or taking enough calcium to stop bone loss, women want more.

Newer niche categories are developing that recognize the lifestyles and experiences women have regardless of age. Ingredients, especially botanicals, will be further segmented to help with specific concerns.

In the sleep category there is the distinction between ingredients that help you fall asleep, melatonin (sleep inducing signal), help you relax L-theanine (calming effects), and ones that allow you to keep sleeping through night, pollen extract (helps reduce night sweats).

Riera: The women’s health category has opportunities for a range of ingredients to support women during each phase of the aging process. A key concern for women of all ages is vaginal health and maintaining a balanced urinary microbiota ecosystem, which is a key factor in protecting against the overgrowth of pathogens. Fortunately, there are probiotic ingredients that can support a naturally healthy microbiota and have been extensively tested for their potential in improving quality of life.

In this regard, Kaneka Probiotics is developing and has researched a range of targeted probiotic solutions specifically designed for women’s health, addressing common premenstrual and menopausal concerns, as well as vaginal and urinary tract health.

Leclerc: Women’s health also includes areas like fertility, mood, weight control and its possible negative impact if not treated, and general hormonal changes between childhood and adult age. The ingredients that manufacturers should consider and promote must be ingredients with demonstrated effectiveness and a lack of side effects.

Seipel: Women’s health also incorporates digestive/gut health, immune function, cognition, mental well-being, sports, joint health, stress, lifestyle, skin, fertility, urinary care and reproductive health.

Ingredient manufacturers should be aware of include adaptogens such as Rhodiola rosea and ashwagandha for their potential role in managing stress and supporting hormonal equilibrium. Collagen is important for women’s health for promoting skin elasticity and joint health. Ingredients like turmeric and resveratrol are well-researched for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Probiotics with strains specific to women’s health, such as Lactobacillus reuteri, for digestive health and immune function.

Bornet: Women are looking for ways to support their overall health as they age, and many are turning to safe, evidence-based and efficacious products as a way to support this goal.

Science-backed ingredients are key in leading to creative formulations that raise the bar and provide solutions that set the industry standard for safe and efficacious offerings.

Kennedy: The in-demand ingredients for women’s health include a whole range of vitamins, minerals and protein. Something that manufacturers should be aware of is the need to have innovative ingredients that are personalized, life stage specific and holistic. For example, FerriUp is an ingredient from Glanbia Nutritionals in which the backbone is 80 percent whey protein, which is needed to maintain a healthy active lifestyle but it also naturally contains high levels of vitamin B12 and lactoferrin which support women in terms of red blood cell production, thus supporting menstruation and an active lifestyle catering towards optimizing health and wellness.

Alternatively, clinically backed ingredients, such as Bioferrin, can also be added in formulations that focus on skin health, which is a real issue during adolescence. Menopause is another area that has very specific demands—during this stage a woman becomes susceptible to illnesses such as osteoporosis and sarcopenia, so calcium and protein become very important. TruCal from Glanbia Nutritionals is a milk mineral complex (not just calcium) that caters toward optimizing bone health, and ingredients with a technological edge such as Pepform leucine which is a whey peptide bound leucine, help in preventing sarcopenia.

NIE: That being said, while female end-users are not defined by hormones formulations catering to PMS or menopause are still important. Briefly talk about ingredients addressing these areas.

Eng: SPINS estimated that the global menopause-related market was to have reached approximately $5.3 billion in 2023. In 2024 there will be approximately 1.1 billion women in their post-menopausal phase—and most will likely be dealing with hot flashes and other related symptoms.

Weed: Functional ingredients, such as vitamin B6, vitamin E, magnesium, chasteberry, angelica root, maca root, L-theanine and 5-HTP, will likely always find a place in menopausal or pre-menstrual formulations.

A newer nutraceutical that shows clinical efficacy is Venetron—a low dose standardized extract of rafuma (Apocynum venetum) leaves containing no less than 2 percent hyperosides and no less than 2 percent isoquercitrin. A 2023 double-blind placebo-controlled study found that Venetron improved several symptoms associated with premenstrual and menstrual discomfort, such as pain, concentration, behavioral changes, negative emotions and sleep quality.

Riera: We are proud to say that our menopause blend made of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABPTM 051, Lactiplantibacillus brevis KABPTM 052 and Pediococcus acidilactici KABPTM 021 has shown very promising results in oestrogen modulation from the gut. We’re expecting publication of the full study to provide more details but it’s fair to say that the popularity of probiotics in menopause products appears well justified!

Seipel: Hormonal health remains a focal point for women, with a surge in interest in plant-based solutions. Formulations to support premenstrual health and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms such as mood swings, bloating and cramping include vitamins B6 and E, magnesium and calcium. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety associated with PMS. With menopause, calcium and vitamin D are commonly included to support bone health and soy isoflavones and black cohosh are the more popular herbals to provide relief from menopausal symptoms like hot flashes.

Kamhi: When the phytoestrogens in soy connect to estrogen receptor sites, they block the uptake of the aggressive types of estrogen. When we review the epidemiological evidence of those cultures that enjoy soy-based diets, there’s an incredibly low incidence of menopausal symptoms as well as cancer and other degenerative illnesses.

It’s of utmost importance to only use organic soy products, since conventional soy is genetically modified, and is sprayed with an abundance of potentially hazardous glyphosate. Pueraria mirifica, a plant that grows only in the rich soils of the high-altitude rainforests of Thailand is also a fantastic source of phytoestrogens which has been used for millennia as a menopausal support supplement. Puresterol is a patented, specially processed, and highly active compound of P. mirifica extract sold by Bio-Botanica to manufacturers as an ingredient for use in female health dietary supplement formulations.

Other helpful herbs include: black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), which contains isoflavones that have been shown to bind to estrogen receptor sites and lower lutenizing hormones, which are linked to hot flashes; chastetree berry (Agnus castus, Vitex) is one of the most helpful herbs for normalizing symptoms of hot flashes, fluid retention and mild depression; and red clover (Trifolium pratense) which, like soy, is rich in estrogenic-like compounds. Red clover is the only plant containing all four major estrogenic isoflavones (Formononetin, Biochanin-A, Diadzein and Genistein).

NIE: In a similar vein, one of the first differentiators for women’s supplements was Centrum Silver. But the female market is no longer defined solely by age. Describe the ways ingredients are segmented today.

Weed: Today, age is still an important factor since our nutritional needs change as we get older. Our physical activity levels also change, which is why we see segmentation between sports nutrition, active nutrition and joint health. There is continuing emphasis on serving women’s health in areas such as weight management, beauty from within and, increasingly, hormonal support for all stages of life.

Kennedy: Female consumers no longer think about themselves as bound by age. For many, agelessness is the new anti-aging—and needs are driving consumption. Ingredients chosen or recommended to address a health issue or treat a condition may be the same ingredients used by someone who is looking to enable a healthier lifestyle with no particular condition to treat. More generally, we classify the health need states of female consumers to be 1) fix and treat 2) defend and enable or 3) pursue and improve. For that reason, there is currently a revolution in the ingredient market where well-known ingredients are being re-examined to address an expanded set of needs for a wider variety of female consumers.

Seipel: Women’s supplements today tend to be differentiated in a number of different ways. Lifestyle, active and fitness-oriented women’s supplements focusing on muscle recovery, energy, and joint support. Skin health and hair, and nail strength remain important. Reproductive health including preconception care, pregnancy and postpartum support are growing areas. Menopause support includes bone health, hormonal balance and alleviation of menopausal symptoms such a hot flashes, night sweats, mood disturbances, sleep and bladder control. PMS support is still important. Newer categories to emerge for women are mental and cognitive health and cardiovascular health.

Leclerc: Today we are recognizing that not every woman has the same response when consuming an ingredient to address a specific health issue. The genetics of each individual are intimately tied to the metabolic response to a specific ingredient. With the help of artificial intelligence, we will be able to identify some genetic markers for which their modulation will help us to identify which ingredient or combination of ingredients would deliver the best health benefit at the individual level.

NIE: Talk about the science and market for ingredients geared to urinary health.

May: By far the most well-recognized ingredient for women’s urinary health is cranberry powder. Traditional women’s urinary health supplements have been focused on UTIs (urinary tract infections), but more recently urinary incontinence is becoming a robust category with botanicals like pumpkin seed. Focus is shifting to define different incontinence categories (i.e., stress incontinence and urge incontinence) and how supplements can help normalize function within these categories.

Seipel: The Seipel Group’s Urox Bladder Control ingredient is the only herbal with published, placebo-controlled research to show it reduces urinary incontinence in women. Urox has undergone 14 clinical trials to show it is also effective for urinary urgency, day and night frequency and recurring UTIs in up to 90 percent of women.

Mechanism of action research shows Urox improves bladder muscle compliance, reduces an oversensitive bladder lining, promotes more complete bladder emptying and promotes proper brain-bladder communication to stop the brain telling the bladder it needs to empty before it is full.

Approximately 70 percent women do not tell their doctor or even their partner about their problems with bladder control. Supplement companies have a large and growing opportunity to offer solutions for these women with the inclusion of an ingredient such as Urox in their range.

Leclerc: One woman out of three will experience a urinary tract infection in her lifetime. Among these women, more than 20 percent will develop resistance to antibiotics, which is still the treatment of choice, and ultimately will enter the high-relapse group.

Whole cranberry fruit and real cranberry juice (not cocktails made of only 25 percent of real cranberry juice) have shed some hope to address the issue for these highly relapsing groups by preventing the bacteria causing this pathology to attach to urothelial mucosa, the first step necessary for the development of the symptoms and the infection.

NIE: What about the science and market for biotics geared to women’s health?

Riera: The science and market for biotics geared toward women’s health is robust and continually evolving. For beauty and skin, L. sakei probio65 is our beauty-from-within strain isolated from traditional kimchi to support skin health. This can be consumed as a capsule or powder (stick) or applied topically as a cream or lotion. It is a probiotic that can be added to emollient skin care formulations to balance, hydrate and soothe the skin to help relieve skin itchiness. When consumed, it helps modulate the gut-skin axis, supporting the maintenance of a healthy microbiome, a factor in skin health.

Weed: As we learn more about the role biotics play in the gut-brain axis and microbiome, I expect that we will see strong growth for them in the women’s health segment. Nutiani HN001 is one of the most extensively researched probiotics, backed by more than 45 human clinical trials with clinical evidence of its ability to serve the female body by reducing the proliferation of vaginal pathogens, supporting pregnant women at risk for gestational diabetes mellitus and promoting a healthy mood for nursing mothers during the post-partum period.

Another interesting probiotic is M-63 which, when used by nursing mothers, has the capacity to utilize human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) to support infant gut microbiota.

NIE: Same question regarding botanicals—or other ingredients—and related science, for women’s health.

Kennedy: Ingredients that are herbal and traditional are witnessing a growth in demand for all types of subcategories. One such ingredient from Glanbia Nutritionals that fits this demand is Curowhite, a white curcumin product that offers better bioavailability and stability in a colorless milder tasting platform. It provides the same health benefits of regular curcumin and at the same time eliminates processing challenges present with conventional curcumin. It can help with boosting immunity, being an effective antioxidant as well as an effective anti-inflammatory ingredient making it effective for women during menstruation and offering active day-to-day support as well as menopausal care.

Bornet: Pycnogenol is one of the leading branded ingredients for women’s health supported by a vast catalog of research providing important benefits for women throughout all life stages including healthy aging, menstrual discomfort, endometriosis, perimenopause and menopause, skin care and vein health.

Pycnogenol is available as a stand-alone supplement in a variety of dosages and also as a key active ingredient in targeted women’s health combination formulas.

Eng: Our R&D team engineered a unique ingredient for menopausal symptom-support products – NuFemme, a blend of 100 mg Eurycoma longfiolia and 400 mg Labisia pumila. In a clinical study to support its label claims, 119 women aged 41 to 55 participated in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. In the trial, 60 consumed 500 mg NuFemme while 59 took placebo for 24 weeks.

Women in the NuFemme group experienced higher rates of improvement over placebo in hot flash symptoms as well as Menopause Rating Scale and Menopause-Specific Quality of Life scores. Additionally, the NuFemme group showed a significant within-group increase in vitality at week 12 and week 24, whereas improvement in vitality scores was only observed at week 24 for the placebo group.

Seipel: Herbal remedies like black cohosh and red clover are researched for their potential to alleviate menopausal symptoms. Chaste tree berry (Vitex), known for its impact on the endocrine system, has been researched for its potential in managing menstrual irregularities and PMS. Adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha and rhodiola are gaining popularity for their stress-modulating effects, which can indirectly impact women’s hormonal balance. Ingredients such as our Urox for improved bladder control is one of an increasing number of women-targeted ingredients.

Weed: In addition to the functional ingredients we spoke about earlier, Avena sativa, maca root and ashwaganda all have positive implications for women’s sexual health. Fenugreek has long been used to support the production of breast milk.

These are common ingredients that many female consumers are familiar with and trust. We need to continue building that trust by developing more efficacious formulas with clinically researched ingredients that complement these staples.

Kamhi: Herbal ingredients that have been shown to be support women’s health outside of menopausal complaints include dong quai (Angelica sinensis), which has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years to help normalize menstrual irregularities. Dong quai may increase bleeding, so it shouldn’t be used during pregnancy or if heavy periods are a problem; red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) which has been dubbed “ The Vine of Female Vitality.” The leaf of the vine is the part that is most often used as herbal medicine. Traditionally, midwives and herbalists claim that it also helped tone the ligaments of the uterus to ease childbirth, reduce hemorrhage after birth and enrich colostrum, the immune-stimulating first milk of nursing mothers; and finally, wild yam (Dioscorea spp.) a traditional root food used by women around the world to help promote women’s wellness, including fertility issues, late periods and menopausal symptoms.

Kamhi: Several herbs are particularly useful for supporting a healthy urinary tract. These include cranberry, uva ursi and cornsilk, which help to decrease the activity of micro-organisms and help to maintain urinary tract health.

NIE: Talk about formulation or delivery advances in ingredients for women’s health.

Riera: The combination of probiotics with already popular and effective ingredients such as cranberry is increasingly popular to leverage the synergies between these ingredients. Also, there is now greater recognition among health experts that maintaining microbial balance is essential when treating urinary and vaginal bacterial infections with antibiotics. Probiotics are also used to help restore the vaginal microbiota following treatment with antibiotics and antifungals.

Leclerc: Eating cranberries every week is probably one of the easiest ways to protect women from developing a UTI. However with our busy lifestyle, the consumption of food supplements containing whole-fruit cranberry with a standardized dosage of proanthocyanidins (PACs) is more practical.

Capsules and tablets are a more traditional way of consuming the goods from cranberries, but recently the development of products in the form of soft gels, gummies and sachets enlarge the possibilities to combine cranberry with other effective ingredients like prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics.

Kennedy: Emerging evidence underscores the importance of a nutritional strategy for females throughout their lifecycle—puberty, pregnancy and menopause. FerriUp is a whey protein concentrate that naturally contains abundant levels of lactoferrin, vitamin B12 and 80 percent protein, providing a strong nutrient foundation that supports iron modulation, energy levels and immune health for women.

NIE: What are the sales outlook and market trends in this category?

Eng: According to 2023 SPINS data, sales of reproductive health products have been growing at 4.5 percent, while bone health achieved 3.2 percent growth and urinary tract health has seen an uptick of 3.8 percent.

Leclerc: With women more informed about new effective and less invasive options (in terms of side effects) combined with the aging population in which women’s health issues are arising we do believe this category should have a double-digit growth for the next three years.

Riera: We’re seeing that online engagement has experienced a significant surge, particularly in Canada, where reviews skyrocketed by 440 percent. This increasing awareness within the category allows for a positive sales outlook.

Seipel: Menopause wellness is a “guaranteed” growth market with a surprising lack of supportive supplements, products and even medical services. According to the North American Menopause Society, approximately 6,000 women in the U.S. reach menopause every day. Global data is projecting the number of women 50-plus years old to almost double by 2050 (over 90 percent growth).

In our industry, we are seeing the success of supplement brands exclusively dedicated to the relief of menopause symptoms or conditions specific to women 50-plus. Our industry has always provided efficacious, effective single-ingredient supplements for the common symptoms of the menopause transition. What we have not seen as much are comprehensive menopause formulas or product lines launched under the major brands that provide symptom support for post-menopause for conditions that linger.

May: Menopause will remain one of the largest segments in women’s health. A shift is happening in the menopause market where specific experiences that affect a woman’s quality of life are driving product development. Historically menopause has been treated and managed as a disease, when truly it is a natural progression that women experience. It is not something to try and stop or “cure,” but rather a set of symptoms that women look to alleviate. Not all women experience menopause the same way.

There is a push in women’s health to have supplements formulated for these separate specific concerns like hot flashes, urinary incontinence, nocturia or night sweats and not just a general menopause formula designed to treat it all.

The second category with significant increase is beauty, with the primary focus on hair, skin and nails. Within the beauty supplement category there is growth across all age categories. Women are open to combination products that include both topical and oral supplements to improve appearance. The appetite for effective beauty-from-within products is ever-increasing.

NIE: What are your projections for the women’s health mega category?

Riera: Consumers are increasingly seeking health products that align with their well-being goals, prioritizing efficacy and safety. The importance of scientific evidence within the women’s health space should not be understated—65 percent of menopausal women who find supplements appealing say that scientific research backing and validating claims is important.

There’s also a growing preference for holistic solutions that address women’s health concerns—women are increasingly turning to vitamins and supplements to support wellness in specific health areas, and according to FMCG Gurus, over half of peri-, post- and menopausal women find the concept of natural health products, vitamins and supplements appealing to boost their overall well-being.

Kennedy: Beauty and fashion have always been female-focused. Add in early life nutrition, and these are the primary spaces where the female body and optimizing health have been the focus. However, in terms of the requirements of women’s health, those needs have been somewhat ignored. An extreme example is sports nutrition, where male performance, both from academic knowledge, as well as product offerings, has been the core of the market. “Female focused sports nutrition (SN) brands are successfully bringing taboo health challenges out from under the table but those looking to cater to female athletes should harness technology to provide the power of knowledge,” said industry expert Nick Morgan, founder of Nutrition Integrated. NIE

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