In 2025, Douyin’s annual e-commerce transactions for health foods increased over 50% year-on-year, with the total number of global users growing by 37%. Additionally, the transaction value rose to its highest ever level last year, surpassing RMB30bn (USD4.4bn).
These figures were shared by Huang Zhi Qiao, Operations Manager of Overseas Business (Health Foods) at Douyin, during her presentation at Healthplex Expo 2026 held in Shanghai from June 15 to 17.
Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) is the total monetary value of goods sold through an e-commerce platform or marketplace over a specific period.
Notably, there are 60 brands whose GMV exceeded RMB 100m (USD14.8m), including Swisse, Move Free, OXYENERGY, Vita Green, and OLLY; and 320 brands whose GMV exceeded RMB10m (USD1.4m). More than 70% of the top-performing brands’ leading sales channel is said to be Douyin.
Among new merchants in 2025, 25 exceeded RMB10m (USD1.4m) in GMV and six exceeded RMB50m (USD7.3m). New brands highlighted in the presentation include Healthyard, DR. ROSER, and VORSE.
Growth drivers
According to Huang, the interest-based commerce boom on Douyin can be attributed to three main drivers: an increasing number of consumers buying high-value overseas health products, more young people are purchasing health foods, and the strong purchasing power of the silver generation in urban cities.
Specifically, the core consumer groups buying high-value overseas health products are the senior middle class, new white-collar workers, and modern moms.
“We see that more and more young people—be it people who just started working or Gen Z—are paying attention to overseas health food products, which will be a key area of competition for brands in the future,” Huang said.
“Meanwhile, the silver generation is buying products with the highest individual price overall, and accounts for the highest proportion of transactions.”
In addition, Douyin observed that the needs of each demographic are constantly changing. For instance, Gen Z are looking for products to relieve stress and support, the middle-aged group is more focused on beauty-from-within and anti-ageing, and older adults are investing in brain health, cognitive function, and bone and joint health.
Trending ingredients and products
Huang believes that interest-based commerce like Douyin has a strong advantage when it comes to introducing new ingredients, especially those that require consumer education, to the Chinese market.
She pointed out the example of ergothioneine, which performed “phenomenally” in 2025, with sales of products containing the ingredient exceeding RMB200m (USD29.4m).
“We have many expert content creators and streamers on Douyin to educate viewers on new ingredients and awaken consumer needs. As ergothioneine has been a trending ingredient in the health foods industry, there has been a lot of work done to back claims and optimize products, which further boost its appeal.”
There remains room for growth for ergothioneine by widening its target audience. “When ergothioneine products first entered the channel last year, a specific group of consumers was targeted. This year, we can broaden our reach to other key consumer groups like the silver generation and people who are willing to pay for premium products.”
Furthermore, in the first quarter of 2026, the overseas health foods category has seen several emerging trends, including the increasing popularity of ingestible beauty products like Swisse Beauty Skin Regeneration+, and occasions that create new demands, such as sun protection in the summer season.
Opportunities to seize
Technological advancements have enabled active ingredients to be delivered at a higher bioavailability while being affordable at the same time. Such developments translate to greater cost-effectiveness, making health foods more accessible than before.
At the same time, new technologies have allowed “ingredient upgrades” that address evolving consumer needs, such as ovarian health and liver health, said Huang.
“We have to pay more attention to the silver generation. As chronic diseases become more prevalent, companies should capture the needs of this consumer group by doing more scientific research to back product claims, and to provide basic and long-term nutrition to consumers through Douyin.”
At its core, Douyin is a short-form video platform, and it is urging brands to double down on efforts in content creation in the year ahead.
Huang explained that opportunities are abundant for reels or short video content, such as interviews with health experts and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, while live broadcasts are complementary to boost the impact of short-form content.
“Short videos are the foundation of marketing. First, you need to sow the seeds through content, then magnify your reach through live broadcasts and utilization of top livestreamers, and finally perform advertising acceleration via our platform campaigns. The entire chain is already very mature on Douyin.”
