Shields Up!

by Mike Straus | September 2, 2025

Here are some of the latest innovations in immune support supplements.

The immune health supplements market is on a tear, with an increasing consumer demand for preventative care supplements driving significant growth. This sector is expected to grow at 10.5 percent CAGR through to 2035, eventually reaching a value of $84 billion, according to Future Market Insights. With the COVID-19 pandemic having created substantial interest in immune-boosting supplements, consumers of all ages are looking for ways to give their immune systems an added jolt. This demand is giving rise to new formulations and delivery innovations as suppliers and brands try to keep up with consumer preferences, while emerging science continues to validate the efficacy of these products. Here are some of the major trends driving the immune health sector today.

Immune Support Market Thrives

The immune support market is currently thriving, with immune health becoming a year-round concern for consumers. Mushroom supplier Sempera Organics’ Founder and CEO Nirmal Nair in Morgan Hill, CA said that immune health is now a daily wellness essential, with consumers seeking natural, proactive solutions. Nair noted that immune health now ranks among the top functional claims globally, with nearly 20 percent of new food and beverage launches in North America spotlighting immune support.

“The immunity market is thriving because immune health is no longer just a seasonal concern,” Nair said. “Consumers are seeking natural, proactive solutions and want those benefits delivered in familiar and enjoyable formats—everything from coffees and teas to wellness shots and functional beverages. These emerging formats are competing with traditional supplements like capsules, powders and gummies. Functional foods and drinks with immune claims are gaining serious traction.”

Liz Smith, RN, co-founder of supplement brand Natural Path Silver Wings in Nashville, TN, explained that proactive immune support is now a year-round priority for consumers rather than just a winter trend. Immune supplements shoppers, Smith said, are buying herbal ingredients like elderberry, echinacea, medicinal mushrooms and oregano oil, among others. Smith noted that Natural Path Silver Wings offers a three-in-one immune support formula that includes colloidal silver, echinacea and oregano.

While immune health is a year-round priority, Alina Hornfeldt, co-owner at supplement retailer Mastel’s Health Foods in St. Paul, MN, said that the major market upswing typically happens in September with the start of the school season. Hornfeldt explained that during the summer months, consumers are typically outside much more, meaning they’re getting more vitamin D, eating fresh foods and moving more, which helps them to stay well.

However, some consumers are already preparing for cold and flu season. Travis Lemon, a certified herbalist and the owner and operator of supplement retailer Tulsi in Huntington, WV, said he’s noticed that more customers are coming in asking for immune health supplements. Lemon added that there’s also been a slight uptick in immune health supplement sales year-round.

TriNutra Business Development Director Liki von Oppen-Bezalel, PhD, in Harrison, NY, noted that the growth of the immune health market is being driven by a variety of ingredients, including vitamins, minerals and botanical supplements. von Oppen-Bezalel also noted that consumers increasingly understand that a robust immune system is closely linked to stress management and microbiome balance, and as such, immune health products are now taking a more holistic approach to immune protection.

Emerging Formulations Focus on Potency

Today’s immune health products are more potent than ever before, with finished-product manufacturers leveraging more of each ingredient to pack a bigger punch. Katie Reneker, founder of elderberry brand Carmel Berry Company in Carmel Valley, CA, said that the uptick in the immune health market during the COVID-19 pandemic led many companies to jump on the elderberry bandwagon, resulting in a variety of elderberry products with watered-down syrups and minuscule amounts of elderberry included in formulations. Reneker noted that Carmel Berry uses fresh-pressed elderberry juice with minimal processing in its formulations, thereby preserving the full spectrum of immune-supporting compounds. The company’s Eldie Gummies are particularly bioactive, delivering superior potency in an easy-to-take gummy format.

“We’re seeing a surge in combination formulas and functional foods,” Reneker said. “However, the potency, or actual amount of elderberry included in these formulas, is generally extremely low. Companies are capitalizing on elderberry as a buzzword, but not delivering on quality or potency. No scientific research matters if the quality of elderberry in the product is inferior; our Eldie Gummies don’t dilute this potency with fillers or unnecessary additives.”

Nair said that there’s an evolution currently underway in which ingredients are driving market trends, with functional mushrooms being a prime example. Mushrooms have gone from niche to mainstream in a remarkably short time, Nair noted, and now they’re cropping up in everything from hydration mixes to sparkling waters to adaptogenic coffees and more. Mushroom coffee brand Four Sigmatic in Santa Monica, CA, for instance, offers a whole range of immune-boosting products from coffees to teas to powdered beverages to elixirs. The company’s Gut Health Mushroom Blend powdered drink, for example, contains five different functional mushrooms, plus probiotics, to support gut function and boost immunity. Four Sigmatic Gut Health Mushroom Blend features a mix of organic chaga extract for immune system support, cordyceps fruiting body extract to provide energy, lion’s mane for a brain boost, rose hips to provide vitamin C and heat-resistant probiotics to support digestive health.

Delivery Innovations Make Supplementation Easier

The immune supplements market is seeing a surge in innovative delivery systems, going beyond traditional pills, capsules and powders. Nair said that consumers want immune support in convenient, enjoyable formats that fit their daily routines. As such, emerging delivery systems like drink mixes, functional beverages and even snack-based supplements are on the rise.

“Delivering immune-supporting ingredients like mushrooms in these formats isn’t easy,” Nair said. “Solubility and taste have long been barriers, especially for natural ingredients. With our FlavorFixed technology, for example, we’re able to offer mushroom powders that blend more easily and taste smoother. We’re also advancing extract technology to deliver cleaner taste, faster dispersibility, and broader application in ready-to-mix and ready-to-drink formats. These breakthroughs make it possible to bring immune-supporting mushrooms into everyday products without compromising on taste and experience.”

Hornfeldt noted that while gummies aren’t new, she is seeing that more shoppers are excited to use them as the stigma around gummies falls away. She said that liquids are also becoming more popular, with microsomal delivery gaining popularity among both store staff and customers. Meanwhile, von Oppen-Bezalel said that while ready-to-drink shots are on the rise, traditional pill formats are still the go-to for consumers.

Consumers Seek Clean Label, Science-backed Products

Immune health products with clean labels and scientific backing are the most popular supplements in this niche, according to experts. Lemon said that his customers appreciate hearing when a formula has clinical backing or has been well-tested, in addition to hearing that other customers have had a good experience with certain supplements.

Consumers also prefer supplements with transparent sourcing. Slawomir Gromadzki, MPH, is a nutritionist with supplement retailer HealthAid America in Sunnyvale, CA. Gromadzki explained that shoppers are after sustainable solutions in more ways than one:

“Natural channel shoppers prioritize clean labels, science-backed ingredients and transparent sourcing,” Gromadzki said. “There’s also rising interest in immune balance and the gut-immune connection, not just temporary boosts.”

Gromadzki said that consumers are increasingly seeking out personalized solutions tailored to their specific needs. These buyers are also looking for cross-functional products, for instance, products that support both immune health and sleep. Furthermore, Gromadzki noted, sustainable packaging remains an important priority for consumers.

In addition, Nair said that customers are increasingly doing their homework when buying immune health supplements. Consumers want to see real science and ingredients they relate to. They’re turning over packages, reading ingredient lists and asking whether supplements actually work.

“That’s why mushrooms are hitting the sweet spot,” Nair said. “They’ve been used for centuries in traditional medicine, and now there’s a growing body of clinical research confirming their immune benefits—especially beta-glucans and other bioactive compounds. That combination of heritage and modern validation resonates with consumers.”

Research Confirms Benefits of Immune Support Supplements

The immune health market is one where substantiation matters significantly. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a substantial number of warning letters from Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Food and Drug Administration after a variety of immune health brands violated advertising rules, sometimes even resorting to disease-treatment claims. As such, it’s important for ingredient suppliers, finished-product brands and retailers to understand the research behind the ingredients and supplements they promote.

Thankfully, an emerging body of research is confirming that a variety of immune health supplements do indeed have benefits for the immune system. Furthermore, research is demonstrating nuances between various immune health products and showing the mechanisms of action behind immune support supplements. Smith, for instance, noted that with colloidal silver products, higher silver parts per million is the benchmark for stronger immune support.

“There are weaker 10 ppm ionic colloidal silver products on the market which are electrically processed and can have limiting immune support strength,” Smith said. “On the other hand, naturally occurring atomic colloidal silver is the optimal manufacturing preference since it’s not electrically processed.”

Smith noted that another important factor in colloidal silver’s immune support efficacy is the particle size of the silver in question—the smaller, the better. Colloidal silver must range between 1 and 100 nanometers in order to be effective, she said.

Reneker, meanwhile, pointed to a variety of studies demonstrating the efficacy of elderberry in reducing the length and severity of colds and flus. She also noted that there’s a wealth of research being conducted on the link between elderberry intake and cognitive health, with promising preliminary results.

Nair explained that science is now catching up with what traditional healers have known for ages: That functional mushrooms are packed with immune-supporting bioactives. Nair noted that Sempera Organics’ branded Immunity Core blend features seven of the most researched mushrooms in medicinal mycology, with each species being rich in beta-glucans, triterpenoids, phenolics and glycoproteins.

“These compounds have been shown in both preclinical and clinical studies to enhance natural killer cell, macrophage and T cell activity,” Nair explained. “They’ve also been shown to support both innate and adaptive immunity, and to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.”

von Oppen-Bezalel noted that research is continuing to demonstrate the efficacy of natural ingredients for immune health, with black seed oil in particular showing strong results. Scientific data indicates that black seed oil possesses a variety of therapeutic benefits, including its ability to support a balanced inflammatory response, enhance mitochondrial activity, deliver antioxidant capacity, and act as an antimicrobial agent.

“TriNutra has conducted numerous in-vitro and clinical studies on ThymoQuin and its ability to support the gut microbiome and modulate immunity as a standalone ingredient,” she said. “One published study investigated endurance runners’ exercise stress to challenge the gut microbiome resilience and temporarily suppress immune vigilance. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that ThymoQuin acted as a natural immune modulator on upper respiratory tract complaints in endurance runners following the stress of training and competition.”

Another promising trend in the immune health space, von Oppen-Bezalel said, is the combination of different ingredients to create synergistic effects. One published study found that the combination of ThymoQuin and vitamin D3 improve immune function and helped to support a health inflammatory response; the study, which included an in-vitro component and an animal study component, found that while ThymoQuin increased levels of Mfn-2 and PCG-1 alpha, the addition of vitamin D3 enhanced these effects.

von Oppen-Bezalel also said that TriNutra has published two human clinical studies on the combinations of ThymoQuin with omega-3 fatty acids and ThymoQuin with astaxanthin, with each study showing that the combination improved immune system vigilance. She noted that as research on the link between stress and immune health grows, more consumers will seek out unique health solutions:

“People are becoming more aware of how chronic stress and unregulated cortisol levels can negatively impact their immune health. As a result, they will seek tailored solutions that fit their unique lifestyles. Additionally, we anticipate a rise in multifunctional products that combine ingredients for immune health with those supporting gut health, mood, focus, cognitive function and more. As long as suppliers and brands support their products with clinical data, the immune health category should continue to expand.”

Immune Support Products to Diversify

The immune health products market has seen rapid expansion since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than seeing immune support as a winter trend, consumers now view immune health as a year-round priority, with September and the start of the school season marking an uptick in immune health interest. Immune health shoppers are also interested in a greater variety of ingredients, like herbals, medicinal mushrooms, colloidal silver, black seed oil and more.

“We’re entering an era of smarter immune support solutions that are more targeted, more personalized and more experiential,” said Nair. “People want natural products that offer multifunctional benefits, like immunity plus gut or cognitive support, and they expect them to be enjoyable to take. That’s why the future lies in seamlessly integrating clinically validated ingredients into a wide range of supplement formats as well as functional foods and beverages that fit into daily routines.”

As the immune health market continues to grow, there will be more opportunities for tailored multi-functional formulations that have scientific backing. Retailers can capitalize on the growing demand for immune health supplements by stocking a diverse range of single-ingredient and multi-ingredient products supported by clinical trials. With cold and flu season arriving soon, retailers should prioritize immune support supplement sales in the near term.VR