Immune Health and Nutrition

A well-maintained immune cache equals healthier returns

There is a sizeable educational component to marketing natural immune health aids, as the mechanisms can be quite specific in their biochemistry, and not every consumer understands the difference between boosting immune function and keeping the defenses in balance for healthy seasons all year long.

"Education is, of course, the very base of preventive medicine, particularly, when the product is of an effervescent format, which guarantees 100-percent absorption of all its components," said Saffari, whose company makes Immune Forté, an effervescent formula featuring vitamins, minerals, Echinacea, ginger and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

"As consumers become more aware of the role their immune system plays in their overall health, other more symptomatic results opportunities arise," said Cheryl Sturm, director of marketing, Embria. "Digestive health, sleep and energy issues, stress-related ailments, year-round upper respiratory issues and many other conditions can be linked directly to immune performance."

Unlike a multivitamin, which is generally a long-term tool to flesh out nutritional status, immune products are judged based on how well the consumer avoids illness—such as a cold or flu—or how well symptoms are kept in-check. David Shaw, president of Quantum Health, explained consumer expectations for cold and flu products are informed by their experience with drug store OTCs, which work as they claim regardless of brand. "If the claim is that it will shorten duration and frequency, such as with zinc lozenges or elderberry, than a consumer expects to see overall relief within a few days," he quipped. "If there is no easily recognizable benefit, the consumer is likely to conclude that all zinc or elderberry products are bogus."

Wales noted consumers benefit most from products offered in the same form and dosages as products proven to work in research studies. "AHCC in research is same as that sold in health food stores," he explained. "With some other immune products, there is a difference between the research lab sample and the one sold in stores."

For all these reasons, it is important for retailers to stay up to date on the science behind the most popular immune products, including essential nutrients, botanicals and specialty supplements.

"The immune health category is full of ‘me too’ products, that have not been shown to work with valid research," Myers said. "If consumers work closely with a trusted retailer to better understand those products that have been proven effective in research, they are likely to find a product that is well suited for themselves and their family."

Buchman agreed, urging retailers and consumers to look for brands that stand on research and are knowledgeable about the complexities of phytochemistry. "Natural products retailers tend to recommend products that they know work because they’ve tried them," she said, noting this keeps the less effective products off the radar screen for consumers. "More specifically, I would encourage consumers to recognize that plants change throughout the season and produce a vast array of compounds throughout the year," she said.

In the case of echinacea, one of the most popular immune herbs, Gaia recommends preventive care focus on Spring-harvested echinacea tops concentrated to polysaccharides and arabinogalactans; and for quick response or for onset conditions Fall-harvested echinacea roots concentrated to alkylamides and/or isobutylamides.

Despite the scientific complexities and seasonal market volatilities of this segment, immune products are still a strong category in the natural products marketplace. "Immune products should continue to show consistent and steady growth over the next few years," Myers assured. "We don’t foresee the immune category being a high-growth category, similar to what fish oil and CoQ10 have done over the last few years, but we anticipate that we’ll continue to see steady growth in immune health supplements." She added the immune health category is strong and its growth from year to year will be somewhat dependent upon the strength of customer’s immune needs in any given year.

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