Nutraceuticals and the pharmaceutical market: a growing sector of food supplements

During the pandemic, unlike the pharmaceutical sector, the food supplement sector grew by 0.8% in 2020. In particular, in the first 8 months of the year, sales of vitamins and minerals to strengthen the immune system and take care of one’s well-being increased by 4%. And this, despite the fact that The nutraceutical sector (a neologism that comes from the crâsis between “nutrition and pharmaceutical products” and which indicates the discipline that deals with all the components or active ingredients of foods that have positive effects on health, prevention and treatment of diseases ¹ ) is in any case down overall by 1.1% compared to 2019. ²

It is also interesting to note that in addition to supplements and in line with the changes triggered in our lives by the different phases of the pandemic, the consumption of sedatives and sleeping pills as adjuvants to manage anxiety and so-called confinement disorders has also increased by 22.7%.

This figure also seems to be confirmed by the latest survey by New Line Market Research for the sector association that is part of the Italian Food Union belonging to Confindustria, which shows a 23.5% increase in the consumption of supplements for nighttime rest and mental well-being.

The same research also shows a strong growth in the consumption of vitamins (+47%) and supplements to strengthen the immune system (+68%). On the other hand, there is a decline for probiotics and mineral salts , which until last year were the best-selling supplements in physical pharmacies.