Why are gummies so popular?

In all core commercial sectors of health and nutrition, it’s vital that businesses can respond to evolving consumer trends. One of the notable changes, particularly prevalent in the nutraceutical space, is the continued rise of the gummy delivery format.

The rising demand for gummy supplements in the health and wellness market has been remarkable, driven by the demand for convenient everyday wellbeing. First seen with the meteoric rise of multivitamins, the category continues to expand and include other areas of health and nutrition.

This growth is reflected in market projections; market research firm Mordor Intelligence projects a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for gummy supplements at 7.66% to 2028, reaching a global value of $13.6Bn. Further evidence is found by a Nutrition Business Journal report, which showed that gummies took more than 20% of the total supplement market share in 2022.

With the evolution of functional ingredients, formulators have more opportunity than ever to create consumer-led products, and this creates potential for gummy products that bring convenience and scientific backing together. But what’s driving this growth? Why are health and nutrition consumers increasingly embracing gummy formats, and where do the possibilities lie for formulators?

Taste and mouthfeel

One of the most prominent reasons consumers are gravitating towards gummy formats is taste, which cannot be achieved through pills or capsule. Gummies offer much more flexibility in terms of taste characteristics and can deliver proven functional ingredients with distinct flavour and texture profiles. The use of taste can make the supplement easier for consumers to take, making it an ideal choice for supplement designed for daily ingestion.

Accessibility and convenience

The ease of consumption associated with gummy supplements is vital in understanding the consumer appeal. Unlike traditional supplement forms, gummies require no water for ingestion, eliminating the need for a glass of water at each dose.

This instantly boosts their convenience and portability, making them ideal for on-the-go individuals who wish to maintain their health and nutrition regimen without interruption. Furthermore, this simplifies the supplementation process, improving accessibility.

Targeting a broader audience

As health and nutrition brands expand their operations to a global level, the appeal of gummy supplements extends beyond the traditional supplement market. With more options for branding and marketing, gummy supplements can tap into a wider consumer base than many ‘traditional’ supplement formats.  

Innovation in formulation

Advancements in formulation technology have allowed companies to create gummy supplements that not only taste great but also deliver effective results. The key lies in functional ingredients that are backed by comprehensive scientific studies. Today’s gummy supplements can contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial ingredients, mirroring the diversity of their pill and capsule counterparts. This innovation has made gummies a credible and competitive option in the health and nutrition sector.

Transparency and clean labelling

In an era where consumers are increasingly conscious of what they put into their bodies, gummy supplements provide new opportunities for transparency and clean labelling through the nutraceutical supply chain.

Due to the inclusion of flavours, preservatives and gelling agents, there are more opportunities to include natural flavours, colours, and sweeteners. This can align with clean label principles, which places greater emphasis on fewer, but more ‘natural’ ingredients in products.

Versatility

One of the most significant benefits to gummy supplements is that they can be extremely flexible as a delivery format. They’re perhaps most recognised for use in delivering vitamins and minerals, but their uses can extend to other ingredients such as herbal extracts, amino acids and more. Today, for example, this can also include gummies formulated with prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics. This versatility enables formulators to create multifunctional supplements that address specific health concerns. For example, gummies can combine vitamins and minerals with antioxidants and botanical extracts to support overall wellness, energy, or immune health. This blending of ingredients then enables consumers to access a broader spectrum of health benefits in a single, convenient dosage form.

Furthermore, gummies could play a vital role in meeting the rising demand for gut health solutions. Gummies can be formulated to include biotics, such as prebiotics and probiotics, making them particularly well-suited for digestive health applications. Strong scientific research in the gut health field shows further potential, through the pivotal role of the gut microbiome in supporting key areas of health, such as cognitive health and immunity.

Probiotic gummies, for instance, can provide a simple way to introduce beneficial gut bacteria to the diet, promoting a balanced microbiome and better digestive function. Similarly, gummies can be developed with prebiotic fibre as a key ingredient, nourishing beneficial health-promoting bacteria already present in the gut microbiome. As a substrate, prebiotics are particularly stable, which makes them ideally placed for the gummy format.

Excitingly, as gut health science accelerates, this greater use of biotics could mean the development of gummy supplements with more targeted and specific health outcomes. For example, Bimuno® GOS, the most studied prebiotic ingredient of its kind, could be used for its studied influence on immune health.

Health and nutrition brands have long understood the consumer appeal of gummies, but the potential of the format has never been wider. The combination of convenience and scientific backing makes a compelling case for formulators and should be on the radar for health and nutrition formulators around the world.

Looking to create your new line of prebiotic gummy supplements? Click here to contact our team and learn more about the science behind Bimuno GOS.