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Consumer use of appetite suppressant drugs are just one of the realities natural ingredient suppliers consider in this category.
As obesity continues to rise worldwide, weight-loss products are becoming increasingly popular.
In the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 42 percent of adults are obese. Furthermore, about 65 percent say willpower alone is not enough to lose weight and keep it off.
As a result, a new class of drugs called semaglutides has taken the world by storm. They are commonly sold under brand names such as Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy.
However, semaglutides often have side effects, high costs and limitations, leading to a growing demand for natural alternatives that are safer and more sustainable.
The State of the Market
According to Grand View Research, the global weight loss supplements market size is expected to reach $71.59 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.7 percent from 2024 to 2030.
“The fact is the weight management ingredient market has continued to grow over the past several decades,” said Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, RH(AHG), chief scientific officer at Nutraland USA (Irvine, CA) and host of The Vitamin Professor podcast. “This is not surprising since worldwide adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, and adolescent obesity has quadrupled.”
Jordi Riera, chief business officer at Kaneka Probiotics (Houston, TX), added obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent in the U.S. There is also pioneering research identifying an association between gut dysbiosis and altered metabolic function, leading to an increased consumer interest in probiotics.
“Love them or hate them, Ozempic and GLP-1 drugs have proven to be a massive success in the weight management category,” said Hannah Ackermann, RD, vice president of marketing at Comet Bio (Schaumburg, IL). “They have shown that consumers are not only interested in but are willing to pay large amounts of discretionary income for products that provide tangible results.”
According to Stephen O’Hara, founder and CEO of United Kingdom-based OptiBiotix Health Plc, people are starting to realize many weight-loss options are not sustainable, leading to weight loss fluctuating up and down.
“Since the middle of last year interest in products which reduce hunger and food cravings have increased due to the interest in the anti-obesity drugs,” O’Hara said.
Christel Lemaire, marketing manager at France-based Microphyt, agreed with Bruno that weight loss is a fast-growing market. She also agreed with O’Hara that weight-loss products are not sustainable, adding it requires more than reducing calories.
“However, the reality is that there aren’t any shortcuts for long-term weight loss and healthy body management. Losing significant body weight and keeping it off takes more than reducing calorie intake,” Lemaire said. “It requires a rebalancing of metabolic wellness that enables individuals to shed fat and maintain a healthy body weight. It also requires adapting the body to an active lifestyle, which stresses muscles, bones and the cardiovascular system.”
Michael Anthonavage, vice president innovation at Vitaquest International (West Caldwell, NJ), added that consumers are more concerned about their weight and overall health than ever. He also said weight management is being viewed more holistically.
“The nutritional industry is leveraging scientific discoveries and new modalities to adjuvant pharmaceutical interventions, as well as offering value-added solutions to customers who both want to improve their experiences with weight management and limit the side effects of the journey to a healthy weight,” Anthonavage said. “It greatly expands the horizons and possibilities of the consumer.”
According to Rob Brewster, president of Ingredients by Nature (Montclair, CA), there are two major categories of consumers—the “quick-fix shoppers” and the “whole body wellness shopper.”
“The current Ozempic period has brought a surge of purchases for natural ingredients like berberine, cleverly marketed as ‘Nature’s Ozempic,’” Brewster said. “However, more clinical research is needed on this popular ingredient.”
Sevanti Mehta, president of Unibar Corporation (Houston, TX) added Google data shows consumers searched the terms “weight-loss supplements,” “weight-loss pills,” “best meal replacement shakes” and “best weight-loss supplements” more than 10,000 times.
“With all the buzz surrounding appetite-suppressant drugs, consumers are turning to safer alternatives such as protein and fiber to help deliver similar appetite-controlling effects,” Mehta said. “Additionally, we’re seeing consumers look for thermogenic weight-management solutions to help them keep off the weight once they have completed their pharmaceutical regime.”
Semaglutides and the Natural Industry Reaction
Ozempic, known generically as semaglutide, was approved in 2017 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in adults with type 2 diabetes. Currently, semaglutide is only approved for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy. Rybelsus tablets are used to lower blood sugar levels for type two diabetic patients. Semaglutides are also used to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke in certain patients. The popularity of semaglutides have created a response and opportunities in the natural products industry.
Anthonavage explained that semaglutides are a class of pharmaceutical drugs called GLP-1 agonists. They were originally designed for type 2 diabetes to help control appetite, resulting in better blood sugar control, improvements in hemoglobin H1C and significant weight loss.
“One of the mechanisms of action for GLP-1 agonists works by inducing satiety, which causes a reduction in overall caloric intake, not just food that is bad for you,” Anthonavage said. “As a result, users experience protein loss, which is fundamental for health and performance. As we age, protein assimilation naturally becomes compromised due to less efficient absorption through the gut resulting in lower muscle mass, loss of stamina and muscle weakness.”
O’Hara added, “GLP-1 agonists mimic the hormone, GLP-1, which exhibits a glucose-lowering effect via the stimulation of insulin in response to food intake. GLP-1 agonists delay stomach emptying, which stimulates the feelings of fullness and suppresses appetite, facilitating reduced food intake and weight loss.”
Ackermann said the gut communicates to the brain to influence hunger and eating behavior through subconscious signals and waves of nerve cells. Neurons in the gut become activated in response to sugar, fatty acids and amino acids. These nerve cells, known as neuropod cells, collect information about nutrient content and relay it to the brain via the vagus nerve. Neuropod cells trigger brain areas associated with food-seeking behavior.
“GLP-1 has been in the spotlight recently due to the development of incretin-based therapies for diabetes and weight management, which include the GLP-1 (semaglutide) drugs Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro,” Ackermann said. “These drugs mimic a glucagon-like peptide that regulates appetite in the brain, leaving people feeling satiated for hours.”
According to Bruno, the popularity of semaglutides and other GLP-1 agonists has led to a major effort within the natural products marketplace to develop natural GLP-1 products. O’Hara added his company has seen a 500 percent increase in sales.
“Unfortunately, a number of such products don’t really have any meaningful efficacy with regard to appetite suppression/weight loss,” Bruno said. “The natural products market would do better to focus on nutraceuticals demonstrating weight loss/fat loss efficacy in general than attempting to make it another GLP-1 agonist product.”
Lemaire said semaglutides have become a blockbuster drug category, but their high costs and side effects are creating more opportunities for natural products. In many cases, individuals regain most of their lost weight after stopping such drugs.
“The shortcomings of semaglutides are an opportunity to highlight the traditional strengths of dietary supplements—safe and natural—when consumed as part of a holistic approach to healthy weight management that encompasses diet and lifestyle,” Lemaire said.
Mehta elaborated on The Vitamin Shoppe’s new holistic telehealth service Whole Health Rx, which aims to provide GLP-1 products to consumers.
“Not only will they be offering GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, but they’re also helping consumers optimize their weight-loss journey by providing dietary supplements that address the side effects of these drugs.” Mehta said. “From protein supplements to help preserve muscle mass to probiotics for GI (gastrointestinal) irritation, retailers and dietary supplement brands are finding success when working to offer symbiotic solutions to consumers.”
According to Brewster, consumers want ease and convenience. He agrees with Lemaire that limitations and side effects of semaglutides have opened new opportunities for natural products.
“There is excellent opportunity to provide clinically backed ingredients for healthy weight management, metabolism and blood glucose support,” Brewster said. “Ingredients like berberine, psyllium husk, vitamin B12, caffeine, green tea extract, and more recently, eriocitrin have become go-to ingredients to support a healthy weight.”
Ingredient Innovations
Ingredient suppliers continue to investigate promising nutraceutical solutions for weight maintenance.
“As the weight management space has expanded, it’s no surprise that probiotics have gained the attention of consumers,” Riera said. “The gut microbiota’s ability to help regulate lipid metabolism and promote cholesterol excretion has long been acknowledged in the scientific community.”
One such probiotic is Kaneka’s LipiGo, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae extract that can support safe weight loss when used along with a calorie restricted diet and physical activity, according to Riera. There is also research on Kaneka’s Lactobacillus plantarum KABP-51, showing positive reductions in body weight, body fat and waist circumference.
One of the more promising nutraceuticals for weight loss is black ginger extract (Kaempferia parviflora), a traditional herb from Thailand. Human clinical research has shown the polymethoxyflavones in black ginger extract can increase energy expenditure through the activation of brown adipose tissue, according to Bruno. Nutraland offers a black ginger extract ingredient called ACTIZ!NG.
Prebiotic fibers such as Comet’s Arrabina also contribute to improved insulin response and satiety. According to Ackermann, when bacteria ferment prebiotic fibers in the large intestine, it leads to the release of not only naturally produced GLP-1, but also another appetite-decreasing hormone called peptide YY (PYY).
“These smaller molecules can independently suppress appetite and are associated with lower body weight and improved glucose regulation,” Ackermann said. “Because the additional release of GLP-1 and PYY takes place hours after a meal, it effectively reduces cravings between meals and diminished the overall desire to eat during the subsequent meal.”
OptiBiotix manufactures SlimBiome, a mineral-enriched prebiotic fiber complex that offers a healthy, natural and safe approach to weight management. It reduces food cravings by regulating insulin response to maintain blood glucose and promotes gut microbiome diversity and the growth of healthy probiotic bacteria, improving gut health, O’Hara said.
“I created SlimBiome with leading KOLs [key opinion leaders] as a new concept in weight management. The concept being that by reducing hunger and appetite you take in less calories and in doing so lose weight naturally,” O’Hara said.
Microphyt offers PhaeOptim, which supports a comprehensive approach to weight management by improving physiological factors. Some of the many benefits include better adherence to diet, enhanced aerobic capacity, improved cardiovascular health and supported bone health, Lemaire explained.
Eriomin from Ingredients by Nature is a proprietary blend of citrus flavonoids mainly comprised of eriocitrin. Human clinical trials have shown it may support healthy blood glucose levels by boosting GLP-1, supporting its role in insulin secretion, glucagon suppression and blood sugar balance, according to Brewster.
Unibar launched UniP3 Pea Protein, a vegan protein offering a source of iron and all nine essential amino acids. It builds muscle mass and helps consumers feel fuller. Unibar also has CapZfuel, which is derived from Capsicum annuum to help the body use its existing fat as fuel, conserve muscle mass, ensure fat loss and improve energy, Mehta explained.
“The industry will start moving into a better understanding of the gut-brain axis, the gut-skin axis, stress capacity and coping, and cognitive behavior health,” Anthonavage said. “The natural supplement industry is ripe with cool innovations and natural forms of GLP-1 induction and biotics to stimulate healthy weight management using the body’s innate resources.”
Manufacturers and Research
It is crucial for manufacturers to look at research and science to make sure ingredients and products are formulated correctly.
According to Mehta, the weight supplement market is “riddled with quick fixes, overpromises and adulterated products.” He said, more than ever, manufacturers are looking for robust research and clean ingredients for their products.
“Today’s weight-management products must meet consumers at the crossroads of addressing pharmaceutical side effects, helping with long-term weight management, and making it convenient to incorporate these natural solutions into their daily routines,” Mehta said.
According to Lemaire, product manufacturers are interested in research supporting ingredients that will empower consumers to manage their weight and improve metabolic wellness.
“Manufacturers want ingredients backed by published human clinical studies and offering great efficacy for the end consumer,” Brewster said. “They also want to understand the ingredients’ versatility, dosage and bioavailability.”
Ackermann added there is growing interest in gut health and prebiotics. However, she said many popular prebiotic fiber options require high inclusion levels to be effective. These higher rates render many supplement, food and beverage formats impractical. Many also contain oligosaccharides, which can lead to tolerability issues.
“While CPG food manufacturers and retailers, including Walmart, are nervous that weight-loss drugs have reduced food consumption, these medications are likely not a sustainable weight-loss option for most Americans … plus the cost is out of reach for many Americans,” Ackermann said.
Riera said there is “no one best method” for weight management so Kaneka’s strain portfolio is designed to handle a range of health areas such as gut, cardiovascular and brain.
“Our ‘bottom-up’ approach to probiotics, where specific strains are identified, analyzed to discover the mechanism of action, and then utilized in clinical studies to investigate their effects in specific health areas, has led to the development of effective, science-backed products, which is a priority for manufacturers innovating in the nutraceuticals space,” Riera said.
Bruno said manufacturers are primarily interested in human clinical research on weight loss because it best supports “structure and function claims.”
“As always, manufacturers can utilize clinically relevant doses based on human research,” Bruno said. “Not only will that make it more likely that the product will be effective, but to my previous point, it will also provide appropriate support for structure/function claims.”
Understanding the Market
“As an industry, we should empower consumers by providing products that improve multiple aspects of health related to weight,” Brewster said. “By doing so, we can help them maintain a healthy weight and enhance their overall well-being in the long run.”
Anthonavage added to better the serve the market, it is important to understand it.
“For a long time, heart health was only addressed by changing your cholesterol, or changing your lipid profile,” Anthonavage said. “Now, we realize that obesity is a big part of your heart problems. The GLP-1 landscape has upped the game in terms of total health.” NIE
