Investing In Immune Ingredients

by Eric Munson | September 2, 2025

Sales of immune health ingredients remain strong and are expanding to all demographics.

Immune health is one of the fastest growing health categories and continues to grow stronger.

According to Research and Markets, global sales of immunity health supplements grew from $67.39 billion in 2024 to $72.77 billion in 2025. The category is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.84 percent, reaching a valuation of $106.02 billion by 2030.

Alternatively, the global immunity boosting food products market (i.e. superfoods, fortified beverages, herbal supplements, probiotic-rich foods, etc.) was valued at $1 trillion in 2025 and will grow at a CAGR of 7.9 percent to reach $2 trillion by 2034.

“Much of this is fueled by COVID concerns, but also new research tying immune health and autoimmune syndromes to age related health issues, including cognitive health, fatigue, anxiety and depression,” said David Wales, president of American Biosciences (Blauvelt, NY).

“The immune health category has experienced consistent growth in recent years. What began as a reaction to the pandemic has evolved into a lasting change in consumer behavior,” added Maria Stanieich, senior marketing manager at New York-based Kyowa Hakko USA. “In our recent consumer survey, 40 percent of U.S. consumers reported using immune support supplements in the past year, and more than 75 percent of those individuals said it’s part of their long-term wellness routine.”

State of the Market

Immune health remains one of the most dynamic segments in the supplement market and is expanding to consumers of all ages.

“Parents seek safe, research-backed options to help their children maintain a healthy immune system, while adults and older populations are increasingly looking for targeted support as their immune needs evolve,” said Jordi Riera, chief business officer of Kaneka Probiotics (Houston, TX).

Vitamins and minerals are easiest to pinpoint for growth in this category, but the gut health segment is projected to be the fastest growing over the next decade because of the critical role gut health plays in optimizing the immune system, according to Andy Hewitt, marketing manager at Iowa-based Proliant Health & Biologicals.

“The innovation and clinical backing that we’ve seen continue in trademarked ingredients has grown significantly as well, helping consumers target their specific needs while providing the efficacy that consumers expect,” he said.

According to Nirmal Nair, founder and CEO of Sempera Organics (Morgan Hill, CA), the immune health category continues to evolve post-pandemic, shifting from reactive to proactive wellness.

Consumers increasingly want products that support everyday resilience, not just seasonal defense. There is a strong demand for natural, multifunctional solutions—especially those that combine immune support with benefits for gut health, energy, stress and cognition, he explained.

“At the same time, innovation in product formats is accelerating. Consumers want immune-support ingredients in convenient, enjoyable formats—like functional beverages (shots, RTDs, infused waters), stick packs and sachets, and even immune-enhanced baked goods, bars and cereals. The innovation window continues to widen, creating numerous opportunities for manufacturers,” Nair said.

Today’s consumers are taking a more holistic approach to health and are combining supplementation with better eating habits, regular exercise and lifestyle changes, and expect product formats that meet them in their routines, according to Stanieich.

“For formulators and product developers, this represents a clear opportunity: the market favors products with clinically studied ingredients, clear labeling, and proven performance. That’s why we believe branded, science-backed ingredients are gaining traction—because trust, transparency, and real-life usability are driving purchasing decisions in the immune health space,” she said.

Consumer Concerns

Immune-conscious consumers now span across generations from Millennials seeking daily wellness and vitality to Boomers focused on healthy aging.

Consumers are being more discerning and want products that can help maintain a resilient immune system while being supported by credible science and clear mechanisms, according to Riera.

“Parents look for gentle, trusted options for their families, while older adults are drawn to targeted solutions designed to address the specific immune and digestive challenges that accompany aging. Across all groups, there is a strong preference for probiotics with clinical data, transparent benefits and the versatility to fit seamlessly into daily routines,” he explained.

Nair added consumers also want immune support products designed for long-term use because immunity is no longer just a seasonal concern. Many people are more aware of the risks of overstimulating the immune system. Some immune “boosters” may also trigger immune activity even when no challenge is present, which can be harmful over time.

“Consumers want immune supplements and other medical options to work fast, dramatically and reliably,” Wales said. “Some consumers will only take supplements when they are already sick, and others will take supplements on a regular basis to help prevent illness.”

According to Hewitt, the demand for efficacy continues to grow as consumers look to their health care providers for recommendations and guidance on what has been proven to work. It is important to understand the connection between gut health and the immune system as more consumers seek to solve the root causes rather than the symptoms.

“Consumers are championing their own personal well-being and looking for solutions that align with their specific needs but have clinically backed ingredients and formulations that can help them confidently target specific conditions or areas of improvement that they have identified,” he said.

According to Stanieich, consumers don’t want a pill or tablet that creates another line on their to-do or grocery list, they want functional benefits that are integrated into the types of products they already know and enjoy.

“People are also more label-savvy than they were five or ten years ago. The growth that the immune health category has seen has come with higher expectations,” she said. “Especially as those types of ingredients make their way out of the medicine cabinet and into foods and beverages. They want to know that what they’re buying is safe and efficacious. Buzzwords only go so far when you’re dealing with highly informed consumers.”

Ingredient Developments

There is a growing interest in ingredients that go beyond basics, such as vitamin C and zinc. Botanicals, postbiotics and precision prebiotics are gaining traction.

“The biggest development in immune-related supplements is clearly the growth in probiotics,” Wales explained. “Lots of media and other buzz, but health benefits are not immediate in most cases, and require use on a regular basis, which does not appeal to consumers who only take supplements when they are already sick.”

“Prebiotics and probiotics have evolved in their applications, and with their continued traction in foods and beverages (e.g. Pepsi’s new prebiotic cola), the supplement category is able to use this increase in market awareness and adoption to showcase their efficacy and how they’re meeting the demand from consumers,” Hewitt added.

Riera said a deeper understanding of the microbiome has transformed global views on immune health.

“Research into the gut-lung axis and the gut-immune connection has shown how probiotics may influence not only gastrointestinal function but also broader immune outcomes,” he said. “This shift has moved the conversation from generic ‘immune boosting’ toward precision solutions that focus on supporting immune balance, gut barrier integrity and overall resilience.”

According to Nair, functional mushrooms are also gaining popularity. A key driver is the growth of American-grown mushroom ingredients that meet quality, safety and traceability standards that brands demand.

“Historically, most mushroom ingredients have been sourced from China, raising concerns around tariffs, label claims and contamination risks,” he explained. “The expansion of domestic production not only addresses these concerns, but it also lays the groundwork for U.S.-made mushroom extracts that offer small effective serving sizes and excellent formulation characteristics. This opens the door to a new wave of innovation across supplement and functional food categories.”

People are increasingly recognizing that immune health is closely connected to other key body systems, such as gut health and skin health. For example, maintaining a healthy gut can play a big role in supporting the immune system and managing oxidative stress can play an important role in overall immune function, according to Stanieich.

“There’s growing interest in how the body’s natural detoxification processes support immune resilience, showing that immune health is really part of the balance of whole-body wellness. Because of that, brands and formulators are looking for ingredients that offer multiple benefits,” she said. “This kind of broad, science-backed support is exactly what today’s formulators and consumers are looking for, as immune health becomes a key part of everyday wellness.”

Sebastian Balcombe, MS, founder and CEO of Specnova (Tysons Corner, VA) said vitamin C is a commonly used ingredient in supplements, but the problem is it has poor stability in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Specnova wraps vitamin C in its patent pending LipoVantage liposomal technology, which offers a protective barrier to improve bioavailability, stability and permeability.

“Many natural product ingredients get broken down into non-bioactive metabolites as they go through the GI (gastrointestinal) tract, either in the low pH of the stomach, or the more alkaline areas of the small intestines,” he explained. “For example, while vitamin C is stable in the low pH of the stomach, it fragments into four different metabolites in the much higher pH of the small intestines, three of them are non-reversable, which means they cannot come back and become ascorbic acid. You can lose a large percentage of the vitamin C dose that you ingest in the small intestine, which leaves much less available for absorption into the blood.”

Providing Ingredients

There are a variety of natural ingredients that can help support immune health.

Metatrol is a gluten-free, fermented germ extract manufactured by American Biosciences that is shown to support mitochondrial function and mitochondrial regulation of gene expression.

“Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with immune dysfunction. The biochemical energy which drives white blood cells blood cell function is provided by mitochondria, and mitochondrial regulation of gene expression enables the immune system to adapt to specific immune targets, turning on, and turning off specific immune responses,” Wales explained. “Research with Metatrol shows in supports oxidative metabolism and immune mediated oxidative stress that target infectious and non-infectious pathogens. Since mitochondrial health is also central all cells, many Metatrol users report results in just a few days and a general sense of well-being.”

Sempera’s Immunity Core is a precisely formulated blend of seven organic mushroom species consisting of reishi, turkey tail, shiitake, maitake, chaga, royal sun and lion’s mane.

“Studies show these mushrooms are natural powerhouses rich in beta glucans, triterpenoids and other bioactive compounds that help regulate immune responses, enhance immune cell activity, and exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties,” Nair said.

Kaneka provides several probiotic ingredients for immune health, such as L. plantarum DR7, AB21 and KABP Mature Immune Defense. According to Hewitt, a core element of gut health is developing a flourishing environment of good bacteria in the system, but people often overlook the more critical steps of removing bad bacteria first.

Proliant’s Immunolin binds and removes inflammatory antigens through the digestive system before they can set off the inflammatory response that leads to problems, such as bloating, diarrhea and abdominal pain. By removing these antigens, it allows the gut barrier to be restored, creating an environment where good bacteria can thrive and create balance for the immune system, according to Hewitt. “The human body can produce approximately 5 grams of IgG per day. When we are sick or injured, our bodies take the naturally produced IgG from other body systems, leaving the GI tract vulnerable to the inflammatory pathogens we’re constantly in contact with. Using Immunolin in a daily regimen allows you to consistently keep IgG levels in mind to help reduce the effect of harmful pathogens.

In a study on Specnova’s VitaSomal C, plasma levels increased 27 percent (Cmax) more than non-liposomal vitamin C, which translated to a 20 percent increase in vitamin C concentrations in the immune system’s white blood cells and leukocytes over 24 hours when compared to non-liposomal C, Balcombe explained.

Balcombe noted that in addition to bioavailability, dosing size is also a problem. A very large dose of vitamin C will very likely be excreted as the body can only use so much at a time. Specnova developed a new delivery system called NovaQSpheres beadlets that extend the release of the ingredients, including vitamin C, over a span of eight to 12 hours.

“This slow release of vitamin C allows the body time to absorb the ingredient and receive the benefits, extending the benefits beyond traditional vitamin C,” Balcombe said. “In a recent study using simulated intestinal fluid it was found NovaQSpheres VitaSomal C had an initial release of 25 percent in first hour and 60 percent after four hours, and an increase in release up to 90 percent after eight hours that followed. Combining liposomal vitamin C with an extended release beadlet offers a dual action delivery system of superior bioavailability and stability.”

Research

It is important for manufacturers to set the standards for ingredient research and prove efficacy of their products because it’s what consumers want.

“To do this, each company’s go-to-market strategy must include real human research that is placebo controlled and in healthy populations, unless they are looking to mitigate a specific symptom,” Hewitt said. “By targeting healthy populations for their research, they can showcase a real benefit from using their product. Within that landscape, if your product’s success depends on a certain dose or bioavailability, that must also be highlighted as it is likely to be a market differentiator.”

Hewitt added the availability of products has gotten easier, but the increase in copycats and unsubstantiated label claims have made consumers weary of products that have real clinical backing. As a result, many trademarked ingredients have increased their investment in clinical research.

“The focus of innovation in immune health is shifting toward precision: life-stage–specific probiotics, strain-level mechanisms of action, and research into the gut-immune connection, including respiratory outcomes and healthy aging,” Riera said.

One of the biggest trends manufacturers are focusing on is “immune modulation,” which supports a balanced, responsive immune system rather than boosting it or overstimulating it.

According to Nair, there is a growing interest in the gut-immune axis and structure-function relationships of beta-glucans, particularly how they influence immune cell training and gene expression.

“At Sempera, we’re advancing this field by conducting clinical studies to validate health benefits of mushrooms long understood in traditional medicine,” Nair said. “We’re also expanding the scientific understanding of how mushroom bioactives impact not just immune and gut health, but also cognition and mood. In addition, we’re deepening our research into mycelial fermentation and the discovery of novel immunomodulatory compounds.”

According to Wales, American Biosciences invested millions in a research collaboration with the NCI Center at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, the results of which were published in the journal Nature: Scientific Reports. Now, research is expanding into infectious and chronic health challenges.

Final Thoughts

“The call for transparency and efficacy has never been more top-of-mind for consumers, and rightfully so,” Hewitt said. “There have always been opportunists in the industry that are trend-chasing but given the crackdown that seems to be happening on an almost daily basis, clinically tested and science-backed ingredients continue to stand the test of time. Providing up front transparency about manufacturing and product development practices along with making clinical data easily accessible for consumers can go a long way to instill confidence and gain ongoing consumer trust.” NIE