Functional Dietary Supplement Markets Are Thriving, With One Exception

An analysis of functional dietary supplements found some interesting sales and product trends. Sales of bone and joint supplements to baby boomers and post-menopausal women are expected to hit $9 billion globally this year, even though the numbers on established products like glucosamine and chondroitin are falling. Filling the void are alternative ingredients, including MSM, 5-Loxin, collagen, and plant-derived glucosamine. Except in Western Europe and Asia, where “beauty-from-within” products are on the rise, anti-aging supplements represent mostly an opportunity in the U.S. Sports nutrition has gone mainstream, becoming a $7.4 billion market dominated (72 percent of sales) by protein powder, Probiotic functional foods will be worth $50 billion by 2021, and probiotic dietary supplements are growing even faster and should hit $5 billion by 2021. [ Image credit: ©  Wikipedia.]