Speaking as part of a women’s health-focused panel at the NutraIngredients-hosted conference held from Nov. 12 to 13 in London, Lucy Goff said a significant problem for supplement brands is the inability to openly discuss menopause in marketing materials without being wrapped by advertising authorities for referencing what they consider to be a disease claim.
“In America, when we use patented, peer-reviewed ingredients, we can use structure-function claims to educate consumers as to the health benefits of the product,” she said.
“In Europe, we can’t say anything, so the consumer has gno idea what we can do for them. We can’t mention the word sleep, we can’t mention stress. The laws need to be that if an ingredient house can say something at a B2B level and we are using that ingredient at that dose, then we should be able to use a structure-function claim when speaking to the consumer in order to communicate that benefit.”
She noted that if one European country changes its stance, then others would likely follow suit but that she has tried to lobby the UK government but with no real impact.
“As a single brand, it’s not working, but maybe its about us all joining forces and targeting one government to change this,” she said, adding that “maybe the UK is the biggest opportunity—it’s broken away from Europe but is still in Europe’s regulation.”
Consumer priorities
Discussing the Lyma supplement’s higher price point of 235 euros for a one month starter kit and 200 euros for refills, Goff pointed out this amounted to around £5 a day. She said this was a small price to pay for improved health, especially when it comes to improved sleep and reduced stress, in the minds of many consumers.
“It’s about what you prioritize,” she said. “People will forego other expenses in order to have these benefits.”
She added that the price point is not related to marketing or packaging but due to the scientifically validated ingredients.
“I think the problem is the majority of the supplements market is just generic ingredients,” she said. “Some might work, some might not, but there’s no scientific validation for the ingredient you’re taking a lot of the time.”
Alice Ko, investment partner at Joyance, discussed key consumer concerns across Europe, the United States and Asia, noting that while health concerns might be similar across the globe, supplement choices differ.
“In America, a lot of consumers are more interested in energy and empowerment measurements, using supplements that will give them a noticeable before and after effect,” she says.
In contrast, she noted that there is more of a focus on preventative health in Europe and particularly in Asia, where people will adapt their entire daily routines and diets in support of their health.
White spaces
Alexandra Boelrijk, global vice president of R&D at ingredient supplier Kerry Ingredients, said that the company is very interested in fertility care. Many more women are experiencing issues in this area, particulary in those choosing to have babies later in life.
The firm is also specifically focused on how the microbiome might support fertility-related health issues.
“We are interested in the female microbiome and its impact on hormones,” Boelrijk explained. “There’s a lot of opportunity there with different biotics and still a lot that we don’t know about it.”
She noted that little difference can be seen between the microbiomes of boys and girls before they reach puberty, but once their hormones begin to shift, so do their microbiomes. Then there are several shifts in the microbiome across a woman’s life stages.
Boelrijk referred to the estrobolome—a collective term for the genes in gut bacteria that have the ability to metabolize estrogen—as a potential opportunity for intervention.
“The estrobolome helps to recycle estrogen in the body, and when women go through the menopause, their microbial diversity becomes lower and this creates risks in terms of inflammation and many health issues. And later in life, diversity becomes less and less.”
The panelists agreed that it is important not to exclude men from communications about women’s health.
Goff pointed out that men go through a hormonal shift called andropause—a gradual decline in testosterone levels in aging men that can cause a range of physical, emotional and sexual symptoms—which could be viewed as the male version of menopause.
“The majority of our customers are peri, menopausal or postmenopausal women,” she said. “Andropause is a bit like the female equivalent of menopause where men go through similar symptoms and maybe people will call it a mid-life crisis, but I think by acknowledging male mid-life issues, it’s a way of supporting female mid-life issues. It’s not just about women. Everyone in mid-life experiences a change.”
