The market is strong for heart health products.

Heart health is an area of continued growth and study. In 1924, when the American Heart Association (AHA) was founded, there was little encouraging news regarding heart health. To this point in history, most individuals were prescribed bedrest and faced an inevitable death sentence.

My, how times have changed.

Today, the world is full of high-tech options—everything from open heart surgery, transplants, heart pumps to pacemakers and prescription medications—to help individuals who struggle with heart problems. There is also a myriad of options for the possible prevention of heart disease, as well. With so many new advances though, is there room for continued growth in this subsector of the natural supplement market? If so, what trends are there in heart health products, and which delivery methods or ingredients are most popular now? And how can retailers best help their customers who are searching for “just the right” heart health products?

What’s the Market Outlook for Heart Health Products Now?

Trisha Sugarek MacDonald, BS, MS, is the senior director of research and development at Bluebonnet Nutrition Corporation based in Texas. The AHA estimates that nearly 83.6 million Americans have one or more cardiovascular disease conditions, said Sugarek MacDonald, and it’s a major health concern for both women and men, one that often exhibits few symptoms. Also, heart problems are multifactorial, she explained, which means there are several areas to focus on.

Sugarek MacDonald stated that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it’s estimated that between 2009 and 2030, 24 million individuals will die from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Along with the heartbreaking loss of loved ones, heart disease also causes a significant financial toll on both the country and individuals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease costs the U.S. about $219 billion each year in health care services, medications and premature death. Sugarek MacDonald stated, “These numbers will continue to grow, especially in the developed world, due to the increased rates of type 2 diabetes, obesity and other lifestyle-related health issues.”

These are hard statistics to read, but thankfully there are many proactive steps individuals can take which could improve their heart health. The first step, as Sugarek MacDonald noted, is lifestyle changes. The best natural health products in the world—or medications for that matter—won’t be as effective if someone isn’t willing to make healthy changes in their lives. The AHA recommends eight areas of lifestyle modification to improve heart health. These include a healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, quitting smoking, and maintenance of one’s blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and weight. Sometimes, though, an individual is doing “all the right things” and still struggles with heart health. What to do then?

Thankfully, there are many natural health products for heart health that may improve one’s situation.

Jay Levy, national sales director at Wakunaga of America Co., Ltd., is encouraged by the growth in this market now. “The demand for heart health supplements remains strong. “In fact, currently the global heart health ingredient market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.5 in the forecast period—2022-2027. However, according to Research and Markets, a data consultancy company, this growth isn’t simply due to an aging consumer base in the U.S.,” Levy said. “Instead, they note that ‘heart health supplements market revenue is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR propelled by staggering demand from Millennials and emerging markets.’”

Wakunaga, based in California, produces Kyolic Blood Pressure Health Formula 109 and other natural health products. “Blood pressure is a well-founded concern. In fact, well-designed studies continue to link chronically elevated blood pressure to a higher risk of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, peripheral arterial disease and aortic aneurysm,” said Levy.

Chief of Scientific Affairs and Education at EuroPharma, Inc., in Wisconsin, Cheryl Myers, stated that because of the seriousness of heart disease in the U.S., she expects there will always be a demand for natural products which may promote heart health. “According to the CDC, heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States, claiming a life every 36 seconds,” Myers noted. “The right changes in diet and exercise, with an assist from high-quality supplements, can help reduce that terrible statistic.” Still, Myers acknowledges that it will be an ongoing battle. “I think we all have our work cut out for us on that front, but it is absolutely a worthy effort,” she said.

Ramona Billingslea, marketing manager at Betsy’s Health Foods, a retailer in Texas, said she has found that the demand for heart health products in the store has remained “pretty steady.” “Heart health is definitely one of the main concerns people coming into our store want to talk with us about, especially now that so many of us are under stressors coming at us from all directions,” said Billingslea.

The pandemic too played a role in heart health. Jolie Root is the senior nutritionist and educator at Carlson Labs in Illinois. She stated that COVID-19 prompted many consumers to prioritize their immune and heart health. “The pandemic revealed the impact that weak heart conditions—comorbidities—may have increased disease susceptibility and severity,” said Root. “Prevalence of heart disease is high across the world. Since health is front of mind for most people, as a preventive measure and the goal to live longer and healthier lives amidst the pandemic, the sales of heart health supplements remain strong.”

#Trending Now in Heart Health Products

Billingslea stated that some “old favorites” remain popular with customers, as well as some newer players. “Besides the ongoing popularity of CoQ10 for heart health shoppers, we are also seeing an emphasis shift toward the importance of [vitamins] D3 and K2 to healthy cardiovascular systems,” Billingslea stated. “As our customers age, they are also concerned about vein wall health and, of course, cholesterol.”

While many customers understand the importance of a healthy omega balance in regard to heart health, explained Billingslea, there are always some who don’t. Betsy’s Health Foods staff welcome the opportunity to teach about this connection when customers are looking for heart health products.

“Blood pressure support remains a sort of elusive sub-category, as most people don’t think about supporting their bodies for this area until they actually start having problems, which usually means they need to be on a medication for blood pressure,” Billingslea stated. “That’s when we can offer support for nutrients that the medication may deplete in the body, as well as emphasizing the importance of overall health and low stress levels to heart health.”

At LifeSeasons in Utah, Education Coordinator, Shelby Smith, stated that there are several popular ingredients in the heart health market that the company is most interested in now. “We love CoQ10 to support cardiovascular health, red yeast rice to support healthy cholesterol levels, magnesium glycinate to promote a healthy heart rate, and hawthorne berry to encourage stable blood pressure levels,” said Smith.

The interest of Millennials in heart health is a trend that many didn’t see coming. Millennials, said data captured by Davidson Branding, are the most health-conscious generation, with 32 percent claiming to focus on healthy eating. That’s ironic since this generation is also considered the least healthy now. According to an article, “A Young Generation’s Health is Failing,” via Cape Cod Healthcare, Millennials had 21 percent more cardiovascular illness than Gen Xers at the same age. This, said cardiologist, Elissa Thompson, MD, is due to poor lifestyle choices for the most part. Eating out too frequently, eating too many animal products and animal fats, and not moving enough are to blame. “I think they need to think about what they’re putting in their mouths,” Thompson said in the article. Thankfully, she pointed out, heart disease can be reversed.

As well as the important lifestyle changes noted previously, natural heart health products may also help give a boost to one’s cardiovascular system. Another trend that’s gaining traction is the area of study between heart health and probiotics, said Levy. “Research suggests that lactobacillus probiotics, like those strains found in Kyo-Dophilus Max Probiotic, can have a positive effect on cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure.” Levy pointed to a study on this topic found in the Journal of Functional Foods, one of multiple published on the topic.

Emotions too play an important role in heart health. A new trend in self-care may offer more than mental health benefits. “One statistic I’ve seen says that people who are unhappy in their jobs are 20 percent more likely to have heart disease,” said Myers. “And there are a lot of heart-unfriendly habits that can develop as a result of stress: overeating, drinking to excess, lack of sleep and risky behavior.”

Though not a new ingredient in the marketplace, magnesium glycinate may be gaining popularity. Smith noted that while this isn’t typically the first thing someone thinks of to promote heart health, it may be a good idea to look at it more closely. “There is some great research showing the importance of magnesium in the body,” said Smith. “Low magnesium can lead to higher stress levels, unhealthy blood pressure, irregular heart rate, and more. Studies show that magnesium glycinate may be one of the most effective forms of magnesium supplementation for some of these concerns,” Smith explained, pointing to a 2018 study.

Delivery Methods, Ingredients, and New Research in Heart Health Products

Studies in the area of heart health and products which may support it continue to emerge. Root stated, “Last year a massive study showed a long-term, substantial rise in risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Even a mild case of COVID-19 can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year after diagnosis.” Root pointed to a study published earlier this year in Nature Medicine.

“Researchers found that rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from COVID-19 than in similar people who hadn’t had the disease,” noted Root. “What’s more, the risk was elevated even for those who were under 65 years of age and lacked risk factors. We are likely to see increases in numbers of people at all ages with troubling heart issues because of the physiological effect of the Sars CoV2 virus,” she said.

As far as ingredients that may best support heart health, garlic continues to be a “go-to.” Levy stated that Wakunaga produces a product specifically geared toward promoting healthy blood pressure. “Kyolic Blood Pressure Health Formula 109 combines Aged Garlic Extract with nattokinase and L-theanine,” Levy said, which potentially supports healthier blood pressure levels. “High cholesterol also remains a top concern for consumers,” said Levy, “… for those with truly unhealthy levels, there are safe and effective alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs like the phytosterols combined with Aged Garlic Extract as found in Kyolic Formula 107 for cholesterol support.”

While Smith noted previously that red yeast rice is used often for heart health, it does have some drawbacks. Smith points to information from the Mayo Clinic regarding this. “New studies show that red yeast rice has a positive effect on cholesterol levels, but it can lower the amount of CoQ10 in the body, which can lead to other health concerns and symptoms,” Smith said. “Experts recommend taking these two ingredients together, which is why we have both in the LifeSeasons cholesterol support formula, Choles-T.”

MacDonald stated that in addition to the ever-popular ingredients red yeast rice, plant sterols, and CoQ10 that are part of Bluebonnet Nutrition’s top-selling CholesteRice Vegetable Capsules, the company is excited about some new players in the field. “… one exciting new ingredient that is a part of our Targeted Choice Blood Pressure Support formula is OPtain120TM—a standardized extract of 50 percent onion (Allium cepa) and 50 percent pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima),” said Sugarek MacDonald. Since ancient times people have used onions to boost stamina and support general health in India, the Middle East and Europe, she explained.

Popular new ingredients and those which are more familiar are plentiful in products that may promote heart health, Root stated. “The omega-3s EPA, DHA and DPA,” said Root, are highly recommended. “The known benefits of omega-3 fatty acids on resting heart rate and heart rate recovery after exercise provide new clues to how these important fatty acids can preserve cardiac health,” she said. “Heart rate benefits join other cardioprotective effects of omega-3 fatty acids, including supporting healthy triglyceride levels, healthy blood pressure levels, protecting against chronic inflammation and platelet aggregation, to at least partially explain why omega-3s are good for the heart.”

In addition to these, Root also considers CoQ10, magnesium, taurine, carnitine, ceylon cinnamon and aged garlic extract, to be beneficial, along with an increased emphasis on a whole foods plant-based diet rich in flavonoids.

Along with ingredients that are currently popular, Myers noted another trend in the heart health product arena: the authenticity, delivery form, and research behind health products is increasingly important to individuals. All of these are under more scrutiny these days, Myers noted, and that’s a positive move in her opinion. “For one thing, having certified, unadulterated ingredients in any product is a sure guarantor of positive results. There have been far too many headlines about labels claiming certain levels of a given nutrient turning out to be completely false,” she noted. “That’s one reason I’m proud of our own testing and verification processes for each and every ingredient in our product line.”

Additionally, Myers explained that the availability of clinical study results makes it easier for customers to determine which nutrients, and in which forms, really work. “Of course, that doesn’t mean that education isn’t important—far from it—but it does mean that any supplement manufacturer out there not only has to supply top-notch educational materials to stores and their customers, but they have to be willing to walk the talk when it comes to proving claims and backing them up.”

How Can Retailers Best Promote Heart Health Products?

Billingslea stated, “We aren’t as big on handing out manufacturer information as we were in past decades before we started emphasizing our store brand. In the competitive market we live in when it comes to customers, it seems like a big enough risk even selling another brand than our own,” she explained. “We can’t blame manufacturers for selling their product direct to consumers, but we really strive to keep our prices competitive with what they offer.”

The main thing Betsy’s Health Foods needs from manufacturers, said Billingslea, is on-demand training videos or handouts geared toward staff. This helps team members learn a product’s key selling points, she said, as well as a strictly enforced MAP policy.

For EuroPharma, supporting retailers of natural health products is an important part of its business practices. Myers noted that creative product displays and signage, especially around making healthy lifestyle changes, are especially important. “… kind of ‘a new you starts from inside’ theme, for instance, that incorporates heart supplements as part of the marketing,” Myers stated could be especially effective. “… we pride ourselves on supporting retailers with promotions: through award-winning literature and sales materials, customized educational sessions, frequent webinars, and personalized customer service,” Myers said. “If any retailer has a request, we are absolutely willing to meet their needs.” The company’s roots, Myers stated, are in retail as its founder, Terry Lemerond, started in the health food industry as a store owner. Myers said it’s “imprinted in our company DNA to be ready to help.”

MacDonald suggested that busy retailers be as efficient as possible for equally busy customers. “Select a wide-ranging and appropriate targeted supplements for heart health and divide the product section into subcategories,” said MacDonald. These might include a category for maintaining low homocysteine levels with products like niacin, B6, B12, folic acid and trimethylglycine, another for supporting blood pressure, such as milk-derived tripeptides, cocoa extract, niacin, grape seed extract, vitamin C, omega-3, flaxseed proteins, magnesium and so on.

Heart health is an area expected to continue to experience growth as more individuals become aware of the positive steps they can take which may prevent or reverse heart disease. VR

For More Information:

Bluebonnet Nutrition Corporation, www.bluebonnetnutrition.com
Carlson Labs, www.carlsonlabs.com
EuroPharma, Inc., www.europharmausa.com
LifeSeasons, www.lifeseasons.com
Wakunaga of America Co., Ltd., www.wakunaga.com

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