Immune Health and Stress Management: Adapting to Demand for Benefits

In recent years, the link between physical and emotional wellbeing has become more widely recognized; in particular, the connection between stress and sleep and how these can negatively impact overall health. But how? Turns out that the two are intimately intertwined. Immune health can suffer when you’re chronically stressed, and vice-versa. According to the Cleveland Clinic, stress causes your body to produce more of the hormone cortisol, which in turn can reduce your immune system’s effectiveness over time.[1] What’s more, stress can impact even more than immune health. Other conditions commonly associated with stress, like digestive discomfort, can be affected as well.

As understanding deepens of the importance of maintaining wellbeing, it comes as no surprise that more than 70% of consumers are concerned that stress and anxiety are influencing their health.[2] Along with this comes increasing demand for products that positively support health and mental wellbeing, creating opportunity for supplements manufacturers to grow in this space.

Demand for immune support—and more

While immune health is the number-one benefit consumers seek when purchasing healthy lifestyle products,[3] mood and stress support is also top-of-mind. Consumers who are proactive about their health are driving demand for products with paired positionings around both immunity and brain health claims (such as stress and sleep). In fact, 1 in 3 products with an immune claim also featured a brain health claim in 2020. Of these brain health claims, stress has been the most used terminology in product descriptions.[4] Notably, as many as one-third of global consumers are especially interested in botanicals to help improve mood. Of these botanicals, ashwagandha is highly sought for stress support.[5]

Global launch trends of foods, beverages and supplements featuring ashwagandha listed as an ingredient are up 116% CAGR for the five years ending Q1 2022.[6] Of these launches, supplements are a top format, with 86% of total launches worldwide.[7]

Convenience in all-in-one products

In today’s culture of convenience, consumers are increasingly turning to options that address the root cause of a health need. A common sentiment is that everything we consume, eat or drink has to serve a purpose— actually, more than one. FMCG Gurus has reported that three in ten global consumers have sought products with added health-enhancing ingredients since the pandemic, and 64% of these say they will continue to do so.[8]

Ingredients that provide benefits that complement immune health are making their appearance in multi-benefit products, many with adaptogenic and antioxidant properties. The benefits offered by these types of products support conditions that are conducive to maintaining Immune health.

Categories that pair well with Immune health benefits include support for:

• Stress and sleep – As noted, consequences of occasional stress can include impaired sleep and a weakened immune system.
• Healthy aging – Antioxidant properties are strongly associated with helping to support health, especially among older populations.

Wellmune^® Adapt is a proprietary blend that combines Wellmune® and Vitamin C for natural immune health with Sensoril® to help the body adapt to stress, further supporting healthy immune system function. Wellmune^®, a baker’s yeast beta 1,3/1,6 glucan, is a natural ingredient clinically supported to help prime the immune system to respond to a threat, while Sensoril^®‘s research-supported benefits help the body adapt to stress, further benefitting immune health by reducing cortisol.

Wellmune is backed by over a dozen clinical studies and has been shown to help:

• Support general immune health
• Maintain overall physical health
• May help the body adapt to stress
• Promote healthy energy levels and mental clarity

Sensoril ashwagandha has 16 clinical studies + ongoing clinical research to support:

• Stress
• Sleep
• Mood
• Energy
• Focus

Sensoril is also a unique, standardized, high-purity, patented formulation with 100% water extraction (solvent free and high (> 90%) water solubility.

Where can consumers find Wellmune Adapt?

Wellmune Adapt is especially suited for applications like these:

• Capsules and tablets
• Gummies and chewables
• Powdered mixes
• Liquids and liquid shots
• Soft gels

 

[1]Cleveland Clinic, What Happens When Your Immune System Gets Stressed Out? Accessed 2023.

[2] Euromonitor, 2022

[3] Kerry Global Consumer Survey, Digestive and Immune Health, 2021

[4] Innova Market Insights, Innova Trends Survey 2020

[5] Innova Trends Survey 2021

[6] Innova Market Insights

[7] Innova Market Insights

[8] FMCG Gurus 2021