The end of the year is the ideal time to reflect and reacquaint ourselves with the many articles that consumed our days in 2025. Each member of the global NutraIngredients editorial team picked their favorite articles of the year. We hope you enjoyed reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them!
Nikki Hancocks, Editor – Europe
Climate change, quality loss, and adulteration: Summit calls for sustainable botanical supply chains
“I had the pleasure of attending the International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA) in Naples, Italy, this September,” Nikki said. “The event was preceded by a particularly insightful workshop focused on climate change and the industry’s sustainability challenges.
“It was fascinating to discover the stories behind the individual botanical ingredients, their origins, and how their production has evolved to meet shifting environmental conditions and consumer demands. The speakers’ passion for addressing climate change and driving sustainability within the sector was truly inspiring, and it was an honor to publicize their work.”
Olivia Haslam, Deputy Editor – Europe
Has the industry missed a big trick with lion’s mane?
“My favorite article of the year is one that I feel captures how exciting it is that we will always have so much more to learn in our industry,” Olivia explained. “The exploration of the potential of lion’s mane beyond cognitive health shows just how much untapped possibility still awaits discovery, and events such as our Active Nutrition Summit continue to highlight these emerging insights and push the industry forward.
“Having had the pleasure of hosting the Summit this year, it’s inspiring to see and be part of the start of these conversations in real time, and whether it’s functional mushrooms or any other area of nutritional science, it fills me with hope and optimism to imagine what nutrition-led breakthroughs lie ahead to better human quality of life and planetary health.”
Tingmin Koe, Editor - APAC
Five market hotspots for start-up partnerships, according to Haleon
“I wouldn’t say that I like covering stories based on panel discussions, but this was an exception,” Tingmin said. “In fact, it was one of the best sessions that I have attended. The panel discussion was captivating from the start, right till the end, at least for me.
“What stood out was the clarity of the entire session—there was a clear and logical flow to the questions asked, which helped attendees understand the main points and message that the panellists were trying to convey.
“Most importantly, many of the panelists spoke candidly and had a deep understanding of the subject matter. The session also opened my eyes to how MNCs like Haleon approach innovation, the R&D pitfalls to avoid, what they value in start-up partnerships and their take on the current consumer and innovation landscape across Asia-Pacific—truly insightful and valuable takeaway points for me! “
Hui Ling Dang, Deputy Editor - APAC
How brands can target price-conscious consumers across age groups—expert
Hui Ling picked an article from January that explored how brands are being urged to adopt strategies such as localization and customer targeting to address the needs of consumers who are currently holding a “very cautious outlook” towards their near-future spend.
Building on extensive comments from Mario Braz de Matos, co-founder of Singapore-based branding consultancy Flying Fish Lab, the article explored how consumers appear to harbor a lingering “higher cost-of-living consciousness.”
“I thought the article offered interesting insights into consumer behavior that are especially relevant in an age of rising costs,” she said. “It would have been a useful piece for brands and marketeers who read our site.”
Danielle Masterson, Editor – North America
“I was already aware of the Nordic region’s reputation as a prominent hub in the probiotic industry, so when I was presented with the opportunity to cover Probiota in Copenhagen, I knew I wanted to explore Denmark’s bustling microbiome space,” Danielle explained.
“I reached out to Dennis Sandris Nielsen, a professor in food microbiology, gut health and fermentation, who teaches gut microbiome in nutrition and health courses alongside Associate Professor Henrik Roeger at the University of Copenhagen. A few weeks later, I was sitting in their classroom learning about gastrointestinal physiology as they equipped the next generation of gut microbiome experts.
“While I love throwing on a hoodie, grabbing a cup of tea and writing a good story with a cat atop my lap, nothing hits quite like going to a scene 4,200 miles away. Being able to walk around the campus, sit in on a course, and speak with students and faculty allowed me to capture the atmosphere and bring the story to life.
“Experiencing a world-leading hub for microbiome research firsthand really deepened my appreciation and understanding of Copenhagen’s probiotic industry—and I hope after watching this story that viewers feel that way too.”
Cassandra Stern, Deputy Editor – North America
Industry pushes back on meta-analysis concluding collagen supplements show no benefit for skin aging
“This year’s collagen debate picked up again after a new meta-analysis reported no confirmed benefit for visible signs of skin aging, drawing quick attention from U.S. manufacturers and suppliers,” Cassandra explained. “The review pointed to inconsistent study designs, dosing and measurement methods, which continue to make it hard to compare results across trials.
“I particularly enjoyed the industry research for this article and had several enlightening conversations with stakeholders who told me the findings won’t slow consumer interest, but they are prompting a closer look at how brands build and frame their substantiation, especially as teams start planning claims and documentation for 2026.”
Asia Sherman, Editor, NutraIngredients+
Supplements in the health care practitioner channel: A gate-kept growth opportunity
The reporting for this article began with an exploration of the rapidly expanding market for dietary supplements distributed through healthcare practitioners (HCPs) such as naturopaths, nutritionists and functional doctors, and culminated in interviews with leading brands and practitioners shaping the sector.
“Earlier in the year, we noticed a growing conversation around practitioner-driven supplement recommendations, particularly as trust in clinicians increasingly drives consumer choices,” Asia said. “This prompted a deeper look at brands like Designs for Health, Pure Encapsulations, Xymogen, Thorne Research and Protocols for Health, all of which prioritize radical transparency, rigorous quality control and clinically backed formulations tailored to individual patient needs to earn practitioner trust.”
The piece traces the practitioner channel’s evolution from the pioneering work of Dr. Royal Lee and the founding of Standard Process in 1928, through the rise of holistic medicine and the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) in 1994, to today’s technology-enabled platforms like Fullscript that support personalized protocols and patient adherence. Emerging trends such as GLP-1 support, metabolic health, sports performance and longevity are highlighted alongside foundational wellness categories like immune support, cognitive function and gut health.
“Overall, the reporting offered a comprehensive view of how practitioner-focused brands operate in a complex regulatory and consumer landscape, balancing scientific integrity, patient safety and innovation,” Asia added.
Another favorite: Kanna: ‘The Chearer of the Spirits’ and ‘noblest Restorative’, which provided insights into the fascinating history and commercialization of South African botanical Mesembryanthemum tortuosum (syn. Sceletium tortuosum).
Lauren Nicolle, Senior Reporter, NutraIngredients+
Are creatine gummies a viable delivery format?
“Creatine has seen a resurgence this year. It has quickly become a mainstream supplement, likely owing to new research which shows its benefits may extend beyond athletic performance,” Lauren said. “However, creatine’s chalky texture and low solubility offers a poor user experience in powdered form, leading many brands to launch alternative formats, from chews and gummies to effervescent tablets and liquid drops. Creatine gummies are among the most popular, but consumers are growing increasingly scrupulous.
“Last year, natural product manufacturer NOW reported that half of the creatine gummies it tested failed to meet label claims. Fitness influencer James Smith then tested a further nine brands and found that only one met its label claim. Smith’s claim that many creatine gummies are simply ‘expensive sweets’ prompted me to explore this issue further. I wanted to know whether gummies were a viable delivery format for an ingredient that is sensitive to water, whether testing methods are always accurate, and if creatine gummies were here to say. Food biochemist Crystal Webber provided some fascinating insights into the complexities of the production process, while Nick Morgan, managing director of Nutrition Integrated reaffirmed that despite the challenges, gummies are likely to remain popular, but greater consumer scrutiny is to be expected.”
Claudia Adrien, Senior Correspondent, NutraIngredients+
ProDigest on using ‘robot guts’ to tackle human variability in weight management
The ever-growing market for weight loss solutions goes beyond drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro. The reporting goal for this video segment was to explore what scientists at ProDigest, a Belgium-based company specializing in complex gastrointestinal research, were learning about the wide-range of potential options for weight management.
“ProDigest supports preclinical trials for companies and organizations around the world,” Claudia said. “Its research is shedding light about the interplay of prebiotics and the microbiome, for example, while addressing differences between people when it comes to controlling weight.”
Understanding these differences requires the use of advanced tools, or ‘robot guts’, as ProDigest scientists like to call them. In particular, the company’s SHIME, or Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem, a bench-sized model of the human gastrointestinal tract, can be fed a product to study formulations and doses and its impact on the microbiome, leading to better weight management outcomes.
“That kind of examination of the connection between weight and the gut’s innerworkings has implications for both individual and broad-scale solutions that can influence the development of supplements,” Claudia said. “Those supplements may be stand-alone or complement existing drugs. Either way, it is an exciting time for product development that addresses the global obesity epidemic.”
Stephen Daniells, Editor-in-Chief
NMN back on Amazon but FDA’s citizen petition response seen as a mixed bag for supplements
“We’ve been following the NMN news closely since it first exploded into the industry’s consciousness a couple of years ago,” Stephen said. “It’s been a rollercoaster, but the ingredient enjoyed a good day this autumn when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finally replied to a Citizen Petition from the Natural Products Association (NPA) and the Alliance for Natural Health USA (ANH) on the status of NMN, declaring the vitamin B3 form to be lawful for use in dietary supplements.
“Shortly afterwards, Amazon started listing NMN dietary supplement products again (the tech giant removed NMN dietary supplements from its virtual shelves at the start of 2023). However, while the response was seen as a victory for NMN, the agency’s response to the Citizen Petitions has led to more questions than answers among stakeholders.
“It was fascinating to talk to several different experts as we picked apart the agency’s response. I enjoyed long conversations with Scott Bass and Loren Israelsen revisiting the writing of DSHEA and the intent of the drafters relating to new dietary ingredients and drug preclusion, as well as Rend Al-Mondhiry (partner at Amin Wasserman Gurnani), Rob Fried (CEO of Niagen Bioscience), and Graham Rigby (president of AHPA), who shared different perspectives on the response. While this may have drawn a line under NMN, it feels like many of these other issues will run and run.”
