by Matt Weik
Here’s a brief lesson on why you should take risks when it makes sense and constantly watch trends and consumer wants and needs. About five years ago, I was given an opportunity to partner with another gentleman in the industry who was starting a gummy supplement line. I gave it some good thought, looked at the trends and demand, tried the products myself, but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the risk as I didn’t fully believe the future would be gummy supplements. Boy, was I wrong!
According to various sources online, gummy supplements raked in around $6 billion in 2020 (and that was during a pandemic when people were conservative with their spending). Fast-forward to 2025, and various market research groups believe gummy supplements will grow to around a $10 billion industry.
Gummy Supplement Trends
There are several giants in the industry who are making big moves and doubling down on gummy supplements in their portfolio. Some of those brands include Pharmavite LLC, Nature’s Way Products, LLC, Zanon Vitamec USA Inc., Softigel, Pfizer Inc., Church & Dwight, Inc., The Honest Company, Inc., Bayer AG., SmartyPants Vitamins, Bettera Wellness, and a company I’m all too familiar with, The Nature’s Bounty Co.
For the most part, many brands out there have launched their own version of gummy supplements ranging from multivitamins, vitamin C, elderberry, prebiotics, probiotics, CBD, and many others. The range of gummy supplements is made specifically for children all the way up to seniors.
These gummy supplements have been flooding supermarkets, specialty stores, retail pharmacies, and obviously online sales channels. The overall trends show that each of these segments will continue to grow at a rapid pace between now and 2025.
When looking at gummy supplements, they come in all shapes and sizes. Not to mention a wide variety of colors and flavors. Some of the most popular flavors used in gummy supplements include cherry, lemon, raspberry, and orange.
Not many ingredients are needed to make gummy supplements either. In fact, some people make their own gummy supplements at home, such as gummy amino acids that people consume throughout the day, pre-workout, intra-workout, and even post-workout to fit their needs. When it comes down to it, the main ingredients commonly found in these products are gelatin, water, sugar, corn starch, and any colors you wish to use for visual appeal.
So, what’s the big deal with gummy supplements? What makes them so popular? Ultimately, it’s their ease of use. If you are someone who refuses to or simply can’t swallow pills without gagging, gummy supplements are a fantastic option and solve consumers’ pain points.
Allied Market Research released details of this super-hot trend and found that 38% of American adults surveyed have a hard time swallowing pills and getting them to stay down. Additionally, think about children. Not many children would be able to swallow a pill for its health benefits. Therefore, gummy supplements would be a huge asset to parents who not only want to focus on and improve their own health but also the health of their kids.
With the pandemic that hit in 2020, more and more brands are launching immunity-boosting gummy supplements. This can be anything from a complete formulation to individual vitamins and minerals. CBD gummies are also exploding. Regardless, the sales of these types of gummy supplements will probably continue to increase as more people look at ways to improve their health and immunity.
A Shift from Gelatin?
With the uptick in the population turning to a more vegan and vegetarian-friendly lifestyle and diet, many brands across the globe are making the shift from gelatin to a 100% vegetarian gummy. Many people would scratch their heads and wonder what’s wrong with gelatin, as they’ve been consuming it since they were children. For those who don’t know where gelatin comes from, it is essentially made from pig and cow bones and hides where the collagen produced is formed from boiling them at high temperatures.
From what I’ve been reading and watching from the trends, it seems like over the course of the next few years, more and more brands will be switching from gelatin to a vegetarian (gelatin-free) gummy.
Are There Potential Drawbacks to Gummy Supplements?
The answer to this question really comes down to personal preferences and what you are “ok” with putting in your body. Many gummy supplements include sugar or sugar alcohols to improve the flavor profile. If you are trying to stay away from products that contain added sugar, this would not be ideal. And if you are sensitive to sugar alcohols, some gummy supplements may not be ideal for your situation and cause some gastrointestinal discomfort.
The food coloring used in gummy supplements has been an issue discussed over the years as well. Why? It’s because studies have been exposing that food coloring can cause some adverse effects on kids. If you provide your child with a gummy vitamin or other product, those colors could be causing them harm.
Another issue is that they taste great. While that doesn’t seem like a drawback, for those who can’t resist temptation, they may find themselves consuming more than the recommended amount, which can lead to vitamin or mineral toxicity.
With all of this said, gummy supplements are not going anywhere (at least not anytime soon) unless something completely new and revolutionary comes to market. If you have a hard time swallowing pills, gummy supplements may be your best option to improve your health and fill in any nutritional gaps you may have from your diet.
