Special edition: Women’s health

Surfer, beach and woman with stretching, smile and vacation with getaway trip, workout and training. Person, Japan and adventure with ocean, waves and exercise with warm up, muscle and wellness
Women's health roundup (Getty Images)

Women’s health focused news updates include the latest research, NPD, market insights, regulatory restrictions and untapped opportunities.

This special edition explores the topic with in-depth insights covering:

From taboo to trending: The evolution of the women’s health supplement market

Most estimates value the global women’s health market at somewhere between US$57 to US$60 billion, up from around US$48 billion in 2020.

UK-based retailer Holland & Barrett has seen a 22% year-on-year uplift in sales for women’s health products, including pregnancy, fertility, menopause and hormone support supplements.

Our market overview pulls together data and insights from a range of market analysts and industry players.

Women’s health NPD: Sleep support, hormone balance and targeting the estrobolome

Driven by growing demand for life-stage precision nutrition and reflecting the breadth of women’s well-being needs, new product launches target sleep and stress, hormone and estrobolome regulation, urinary and digestive health, immune support, pregnancy and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptom management, and healthy skin, hair and nails.

Founder urges women’s health brands to lobby against red tape

The founder of premium women’s health supplement brand Lyma signalled an opportunity for UK brands to contest health claim restrictions during last week’s Nutra Healthspan Summit.

Speaking during a women’s health focused panel at NutraIngredients’ conference in London (Nov 12-13), 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. In Europe, we can’t say anything,” she told the audience of longevity industry experts.

Catching up with supplements for women: A round-up of the latest science

Women exhibit distinct physiological and metabolic profiles that contribute to sex-specific health challenges including greater susceptibility to iron-deficiency, accelerated bone loss after menopause, hormonal imbalances, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its related fertility issues, as well as mood and sleep disturbances.

Differences in hormone levels, body composition and gut microbiome composition can also influence how supplements are dosed, absorbed and metabolized in the body.

This roundup article delivers some of the latest research featuring obese, pregnant, stressed, sleep-deprived, breastfeeding, athletic, sarcopenia-prone, pre-menstrua, menopausal, and health-conscious but iron-deficient women.

Understanding the estrobolome: An untapped area in women’s health?

Under-researched but of the utmost importance, the estrobolome “puts women’s health center stage” when it comes to gut health, according to microbiome experts.