Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements Leave Consumers Still Feeling the Pain

In the vitamins, minerals, and supplements sector, there is one topic that overrides all the others in consumer discussion: pain relief.


The Unmet Need of Pain Relief

Over 13% of consumer discussion concerns pain relief, but it’s still only addressed by 8% of products on the market, revealing a sizeable unmet need in this sector.

Benefits in the vitamins, minerals, and supplements ecosystem, comparing products in the market vs. consumer discussions (US Data April 2017 – April 2019)

The issue has grown rapidly over the last two years, rising by 50% and showing no signs of slowing down. At the same time, 22% of key opinion leader discussion on this topic is focused on pain relief. It’s clear that pain relief presents a wide-open window of opportunity in the vitamins, minerals, and supplements sector, commanding and retaining a significant portion of consumer and key opinion leader discussion. 

Consumer discussions around “pain” over time in vitamins, minerals, and supplements ecosystem,(US Data April 2017 – April 2019)

Turmeric and Pain Relief

Drilling down deeper in the “pain relief” topic reveals that two of the most-discussed ingredients are turmeric and curcumin, a chemical compound that is the main active substance in turmeric.

Top ingredients associated with “pain” in consumer discussions in the vitamins, minerals, and supplements ecosystem,(US Data April 2017 – April 2019)

As people increasingly turn away from prescription and OTC pain relief, due to their perceived adverse side effects and fears of addiction, natural pain relief options are in high demand. Turmeric has become one of the most popular natural pain relief alternatives. Some small-scale studies have even found that turmeric is as effective as ibuprofen for pain management. To this end, turmeric is often incorporated by consumers into their smoothies and juices to provide a pain-relieving product.

While turmeric continues to grow in consumer discussion by approximately 26% since 2017, turmeric’s presence in consumer discussion that also mentions “pain” has outpaced the growth of just turmeric over the same period by a growth of 62% since 2017.

Consumer discussion mentioning “turmeric” AND “pain” in the vitamins, minerals, and supplements ecosystem (US Data April 2017 – April 2019)

Turmeric and Pain Relief Products

Turmeric is frequently consumed for pain relief in the form of shakes and smoothies, but that’s not the full extent of the product offering. Turmeric products are also sold online as pain-relieving supplements, with Vimerson Health, BioSchwartz, Qunol, and Nature’s Nutrition leading the way in consumer discussion about turmeric-based pain relief. All four companies received very high ratings and positive reviews for their products. Consumers particularly mention pain relief for arthritis and joint pain, as well as for emotional mood improvement and reducing discomfort from allergies and inflammation.

It’s important to note that these companies are all relatively small and new players in the vitamins, minerals, and supplements sector, yet they’re considered the leading brands for turmeric based pain relief. 

Who will Rule the Natural Pain Relief Scene?

It’s clear that the major vitamins, minerals, and supplements brands haven’t yet picked up the ball for turmeric and other natural pain relief products, but there’s still plenty of room for them to enter the market. It remains to be seen if one of the big companies will join the party and grow to dominate the natural pain relief segment, or if one of the aforementioned niche brands will expand to seize control of the scene. 

Written by Joseph Goldschein

CPG/F&B Business Consultant at Signals Analytics

Joseph has worked at Signals Analytics first as a Data Analyst, and now as a Business Analyst, across various industries including Baby Care, Fabric Care, and Coffee. He received his B.A. in Economics from Yeshiva University.

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