What can supplement retailers expect in the vision health segment now?

When getting up in the morning, most people take for granted the sights around them. Seeing the alarm clock, the tree swaying outside one’s window or the cat at the end of the bed are just everyday occurrences. That isn’t the case for a significant part of the world’s population, however. Globally, it’s estimated that at least 2.2 billion people have vision impairment, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). At least half of these incidences could have been prevented or have yet to be addressed. The most prevalent vision problems include uncorrected refractive errors, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Corneal opacity and trachoma are two other common vision problems.

When it comes to eye health, many individuals are eager to protect their vision. They want to be proactive in the care of their eyes. Many also want to know what new solutions are available. Can a retailer help them to choose the “just right” vision health product? How can they know what to look for when shopping for products which may support their eyes? Manufacturers of vision health products are eager to help. These companies have their fingers on the pulse of what’s trending in the world of vision health now, how those trends are expected to change over time, new delivery methods and studies, and how to best support busy natural health retailers.

Vision Health Now: What’s the Marketplace Like?

In the past, the vision health category was dominated by Baby Boomers. That’s changing. As new groups become more interested in vision health, the vision health submarket is continuing to grow. Education Content Writer, Dana Dye, at Life Extension, based in Florida, stated that she’s encouraged by the uptick in interest in vision health now. “The market for eye health products started to expand in 2019 and has maintained a steady growth since,” Dye noted. Though she explained that the category is still primarily defined by an older demographic seeking to address age-related vision changes, a new demographic has emerged. A younger generation is interested in, “ … protecting eye health from blue light and help relieving common minor eye discomforts related to long hours on digital devices,” stated Dye. “Lutein is still a primary ingredient within the category, yet herbal formulations are starting to gain momentum.”

Sébastien Bornet, vice president of global marketing and sales at Horphag Research (Switzerland), noted, “During a presentation at Vitafoods in October of 2021, Mintel reported eye health as a top-five ingredient category that the market researcher is watching in 2022.” He concurs with Dye’s findings: “Once a market occupied by aging consumers, the impact of technology and screens has drawn younger generations to the eye health discussion.”

At ChildLife Essentials in California, Technical Writer Vicky Mak stated that this is a category poised to continue growing in 2022 and beyond. “According to Mordor Intelligence … the global market for eye health products is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.5 percent within the next five years,” Mak said.

What’s New and #Trending in Vision Health?

Everywhere you turn these days, there’s a lot of information about what’s hot, what’s not, what’s trending, and what’s fallen out of favor. In the world of vision health, there are some particular things that seem to be on most people’s radar.

Ramona Billingslea, manager at Betsy’s Health Foods, headquartered in Texas, stated that she is seeing a bigger emphasis on blue light exposure support. She believes this is a growing category. “Could it be that with all our electronic use, we’ve prematurely aged our eyes, creating a need for more variety in eye health supplements?” Billingslea asked. “As one of those who has reached her 50s, I am certainly glad to see an increase in interest for the vision category.”

NOW is a manufacturer located in Illinois. Senior Nutrition Education Manager at NOW, Neil Edward Levin, stated that he too has noticed this trend regarding blue light exposure. “We are seeing ingredients and formulations targeting screen—phone, computer monitor, TV–users with tired eyes, gamers looking for enhanced reaction times and more comprehensive products with specialized ingredients to support the macula,” said Levin. “Glare, night vision, contrast, and visual processing speed are problems associated with modern electronic use that can be worsened by not wearing proper sunglasses and eating poor diets lacking carotenoid pigments.”

Mak, too, noted that an increase in screen time is proving harmful to the eyes of individuals. “The pandemic in the last few years has driven a worldwide increase of screen usage among people who attend work and school. Increased screen usage has been shown to negatively impact eye health, especially in those who are more easily susceptible to worsened vision, such as children, adolescents and geriatric populations,” Mak explained.

“Within North America, the growing spread of awareness about these issues and the rising prevalence of health-conscious attitudes propelled a significant demand for natural, effective solutions that support eye health,” Mak noted. “Many turn to dietary supplements that contain vital nutrients and functional ingredients that are well-studied for their benefits in promoting healthy visual function. As of now, North America holds the greatest share in the eye health products market and is predicted to grow substantially over the next five years.”

One negative trend that Billingslea has noted is that most customers seem to seek out vision health products only after a problem arises. “Unfortunately, many people only worry about supporting eye health once they start having a problem instead of realizing that our eyes can benefit from support throughout our lives,” she said.

Across the board, there continues to be a growing interest in self-education around health products. Because of this, more individuals, stated Bornet, are looking for science-backed formulations. “Manufacturers are incorporating more science-backed natural ingredients to meet this growing demand. Pycnogenol is highly effective as a stand-alone supplement for the eyes and is also available in combination with other high-quality ingredients to support eye health,” Bornet stated. “An example of such a combination is Mirtogenol, a natural, patented and evidence-based combination of Pycnogenol French maritime pine bark extract and Mirtoselect bilberry extract.”

Delivery Methods, Ingredients and New Research in Vision Health

Levin stated that the company’s clinically tested product, NOW Macular Vision, features XanthoSight, a marigold-derived ingredient consisting of lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin. These are believed to promote optimal eye health, visual performance and cognitive function, said Levin. “Unlike lutein and zeaxanthin, meso-zeaxanthin is not typically obtained through the diet—there may be some in whole fish, with their eyes intact—nor available in most eye support products,” Levin said.

At Life Extension, Dye stated that gummies are an area of increased growth and a popular choice for consumers looking to improve their vision health. “We have developed our Gummy Science Digital Eye Support formula, which maintains healthy macular pigment density, your eyes’ defense against blue light from digital device screens,” Dye stated. “Our Digital Eye Support formula provides the clinically studied Lutemax 2020, a patented marigold extract that provides eye-healthy carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin,” she stated. “These benefits are provided in a vegetarian, sugar-free, berry-flavored gummy.

“Cyanidin-3-glucoside supports the regeneration of rhodopsin, a retinal compound that converts visible light to electrical signals that reach the visual centers of the brain, particularly during dimly-lit conditions,” Dye stated. A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study revealed that supplementation with black currant anthocyanosides lowered dark adaptation threshold values–a measure of the adjustment of the eye during low levels of light exposure–according to Dye. This study and others she said, are supportive of the potential benefits of MacuGuard Ocular Support with Saffron & Astaxanthin, which Life Extension produces.

According to an article in Nutrition Journal, studies indicate that oxidative damage plays a significant role in AMD, though more research needs to be done. The article points out that supplementation with food and/or supplements such as lutein and zeaxanthin may be beneficial. These supplements might protect the retina as well as potentially delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration. AMD is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the elderly population in the U.S. and the Western world. “As the proportion of the elderly in our population increases, the public health impact of AMD will become even more severe,” stated the article.

The macula portion of the eye is responsible for central vision and contains protective pigments called carotenoids, said Levin. “The pigments in this area are composed of three yellowish carotenoids: lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin, which play an important role in protecting vision by filtering out and absorbing cell-damaging blue wavelengths of light.” He noted that this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). “Low levels of carotenoids in the eye can be caused by dietary insufficiency—not enough naturally colorful plant foods, such as spinach or summer squash, supplying these carotenoids or a lack of ability to convert lutein into meso-zeaxanthin, in addition to the aging process stressing our eye structures and increasing our need for the filtering protection of carotenoids,” Levin explained.

There is growing interest in the connection between the high-energy blue light and free radicals, which can lead to hazy vision and glare sensitivity, which may reduce night vision and increase bright light recovery time, said Levin. Lutein plays a functional role in the eyes to protect against these free radicals. It also serves as a substrate, Levin believes, to make meso-zeaxanthin in the macula by enzymatic conversion. “ … taking meso-zeaxanthin orally can help us bypass that conversion step,” he said. NOW Clinical Strength Ocu Support may help individuals seeking nutritional protection for the eyes, Levin added. “Each serving has 10 mg of available lutein from FloraGLO, a critical pigment of the macula, lens and other ocular tissues … NOW has included green tea extract, alpha-lipoic acid, and grape seed extract in this 23-ingredient eye formula to maximize its free radical scavenging potential.”

A study published in Molecular Vision looked closely at the effects of Horphag Research’s Mirtogenol on ocular blood flow and intraocular hypertension in asymptomatic subjects. The results of the study were substantiated, said Bornet, which was an exciting finding for the company.

For ChildLife Essentials, the growing interest in gummies—especially for children—is a positive one. “We found that fun chewable formats, such as gummies and gummy-like formats like our Healthy Vision SoftMelts, are popular with children,” said Mak. “Unlike conventional gummy supplements which tend to be packed with sugar, Healthy Vision SoftMelts can deliver healthy amounts of functional ingredients while still retaining the same delicious taste and ease of consumption/snackability that appeal to children,” Mak explained. “To help encourage optimal eye health in growing children, ChildLife Essentials Healthy Vision SoftMelts offer essential nutrients vitamin A, carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, and bilberry fruit, all of which are key ingredients that can promote healthy eye function and maintenance,” said Mak.

Best Tips for Busy Retailers in Promoting Vision Health Products

Now more than perhaps ever, natural supplement retailers are looking for helpful ways to promote products to their customers and answer the myriad of questions they’re faced with on a daily basis. How can manufacturers of natural vision health products help?

Bornet recommended that retailers, “Invest in research, demonstrate efficacy and value, provide more education and listen to feedback. Consumers are interested in eye health, and they want to be sure the investment they are making in a purchase will deliver on the benefits they seek.” Horphag Research, he noted, provides customers and retailers both with tools to educate themselves. He also encourages consumers to look for science-backed studies and information. For example, “Pycnogenol has been widely studied for the past 40 years, with more than 160 clinical trials and 450 scientific publications, ensuring safety and efficacy as an ingredient,” he noted. “More consumers are looking for specific nutrients shown to benefit eye health and ingredients backed by science, like Pycnogenol. Manufacturers are incorporating more science-backed natural ingredients to meet this growing demand,” said Bornet.

From a retailers’ perspective, Billingslea noted there are key pieces of information that make their job of selling health products easier. One of these is having information on the bottle or box be as clear as possible. Additionally, Billingslea noted, “We also make good use of education materials, including webinars for our staff, so we can learn about the products and know how best to help customers and how to communicate with our customers about the product,” she explained. “Understanding how the eye itself functions can help us understand the kinds of support that might be needed.”

Vision health continues to be an area of much study and interest. It’s likely that this submarket will only continue to grow in the coming years due in large part to an aging population in America and the concern over eye health as it relates to screen usage. VR

For More Information:

ChildLife Essentials, www.childlifenutrition.com
Horphag Research, www.pycnogenol.com/home/
Life Extension, www.LifeExtension.com
NOW, www.nowfoods.com

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