The Indian nutraceutical market is witnessing significant growth & hence nutraceutical companies will play a huge role in combating health issues.
Another important factor to note is that increased consumption of potential nutrients as well as micronutrients such as vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D & Vitamin A that have contributed to the pharma industry, tremendously. Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the urban as well as semi-urban populations in the country have become very particular regarding leading healthier lifestyles.
While the healthcare industry in India has witnessed drastic advancements in the fight against the pandemic, vitamin as well as mineral supplements have been the go-to as a 1st defense against the virus. A progressive surge of twenty-eight to thirty per cent has been observed in the demand for supplements since April 2021, with a huge focus on vitamin C, zinc & protein products as well. People at lower end of the pyramid today are becoming highly cautious owing to awareness & would want to take sufficient measures for themselves.
Health implications One of the major drivers for the nutraceuticals market is the prevalence of chronic disease, and this is coupled with a huge number of consumers who are looking at their diet to help manage symptoms. For example, as per a recent report, the number of probiotic products reached 1800 in the year 2022 from hundred in 2016 owing to increasing awareness of chronic GI disorders coupled with the understanding that a healthy gut microbiome is highly crucial for neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory as well as psychological wellness and the management of chronic diseases via the use of nutraceuticals is an evolving area of research.
Cardiovascular diseases CVDs are a major cause of death globally today and nutraceuticals can be applied in some of the areas such as decreasing cholesterol, reduction of plaques, as well as lowering blood pressures. Natural antioxidants such as coenzyme Q or even ubiquinone help in protecting cells & organ systems against reactive oxygen species as well as coenzyme Q10 supplementation that is regarded as a preventative measure for cardiovascular diseases. It is reportedly observed that it is one of the most consumed supplements, generating USD 1 billion in the annual sales in the US, globally. One such example of a bioavailable formulation of coenzyme Q10 is Indena’s Ubiqsome.
Neurodegenerative diseases Inefficient glucose metabolism is one of the signs of several neurodegenerative conditions. In order to combat this condition, enterprises are coming up with new solutions which use the
ketone system for fueling the brain. Cerecin’s tricaprilin is a triglyceride. This is capable of inducing ketosis as well as improving mitochondrial metabolism & is currently under phase 2 trials. Also, it is estimated that by the end of 2025, twenty-two million people will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease & nutraceuticals among several factors such as age, genetics, environment & lifestyle may be one of the best chances to prevent this epidemic.
Gastrointestinal disorders At present, Gastrointestinal health is one of the top priorities of the nutraceutical sector & the probiotics market is anticipated to reach USD 53 billion by the end of 2023. Scientists recently came to a consensus regarding the definition of fermented food. Here the word probiotic is supposed to be used when the fermented food contains live microorganisms which have been proven scientifically to possess health benefits.
How nutraceuticals is the future of Indian medication Gone are the days when patients bought medications blindly that were prescribed by their doctors even without checking the actual ingredients. Consumers today research the functioning of every ingredient in a supplement & increased sales of supplements in the days of the pandemic especially during the lockdown from core Tier II or III cities displayed rise in awareness from last year. People are aware that zinc, as well as vitamins stand out for having immunomodulatory functions & they help in preserving physical tissue barriers & these nutrients help in maximizing the immunity to either prevent or lower the risk of progression or prognosis of coronavirus from becoming serious. A higher ratio of the Indian population today is also dependent on Ayurvedic as well as herbal medicines apart from new-age nutraceuticals. According to reports around a hundred and fifty million people in the country are actively making nutraceutical consumption a part of their life & this provides the industry with an opportunity of making a mark in the international & national market. While the trends at present in the biological research field have depicted a strong link between health & diet, nutraceuticals can be defined as some of the concentrated extracts from food sources that offer health benefits such as prevention of diseases & promotion of general wellbeing for sufferers of chronic diseases.
The road ahead Nutraceuticals hold the potential of reshaping how we perceive food & medicine since they render an opportunity for diversification of food medicines however, require more research, new technology, clinical trials, innovative product formulations as well as stringent and more uniform regulation. Apart from all the uncertainties, the nutraceuticals sector is always evolving & bubbling with novel ideas. According to a recent report, the nutraceuticals market is anticipated to be USD 319.6 billion by 2025. Although there are several giant companies in the nutraceutical markets including GlaxoSmithKline, BASF, Nestle and many others, there are also smaller firms such as Sirio, Indena, Arjuna Natural etc.
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