The ‘New Black’ of Lifestyle Consumers: Functional Food & Beverages
Monday, August 16th, 2010**By Anh Thu V. Tran, MS, MD- Medical Director and Nutrition Consultant, Cyvex Nutrition
From getting kids off to school and getting to work, attending board meetings, making soccer practices and dance recitals, we are all in constant motion. Unfortunately, most of us are strapped for time and find it difficult to stay fluid with the current as we fall behind in meeting nutritional needs or wish to reach optimal health by consuming nutrition to meet daily requirements. Either way, as we become more knowledgeable of how effective a balanced and/or optimal diet is to our health, the demand for a quick and easy solution to keep up with our lifestyles is a must. The “do-it-yourself” mentality influenced by the recession has produced wellness-focused consumers. From low-calorie/low-sugar, sugar-free, naturally-sweetened, and all natural, functional beverages are the new black, as lifestyle consumers are wearing the latest creations from the inside out.
With an annual expected growth rate of 6.1 percent from 2007 to 2012, the United States has the largest functional food and beverage market in the world worth almost $700 billion in 2008. In 2009 alone, U.S. sales of functional foods and beverages reached almost $40 billion, up 2.7% from previous year with $21.6 billion from beverages, making it the largest functional segment. Traditional beverage companies have expanded their products by adding functional ingredients and/or introducing functional products to their line. Functional drinks among dieters and/or weight lifters have always been around, but it is the new trend of optimizing time and nutrition in a bottle that drives this market forward. Recent studies demonstrate consumers are more likely to purchase a product that claims health versus nutrition benefits (Verbeke W et al., 2009). Scientific evidence and crafty formulations help consumers readily accept new ingredients as well as the more popular ones which owe their success to appropriate delivery and clear communication of health benefits.
In response, functional beverages are tailored towards specific gender, age, and body type/weight. The safety, optimal doses, interactions, and long-term benefits have more research necessary to be determined, but many of the added ingredients have been linked to some science-based health claims. As consumers become more health conscience, the demand and market value for health promoting products will continue to increase as should more focused research behind these products to determine the mechanism of action to optimize their formulations. A recent study comparing 3,100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs, and supplements of total antioxidant content demonstrates the start of such work to further elucidate the health benefits of antioxidants (Carlsen MH et al., 2010). However, more research in this direction is a must to keep up with the market. From a metabolic, antioxidant, alertness/cognitive, immune, digestive boost and anti-aging potential to replacing the routine multivitamins supplements, functional beverages as a segment is keeping up with the current by aiming to aid health as well as quench thirst.
References:
Carlsen MH et al., “The total antioxidant content of more than 3,100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs, and supplements used worldwide,” Nutr J; 2010, 9:3.
Verbeke W et al., “Consumer appeal of nutrition and health claims in three existing product concepts,” Appetite; 2009, 52:684-92.
Author’s bio: Dr. Anh Thu V. Tran is the Medical Director & Nutrition Consultant for Cyvex Nutrition, PGY-1 Resident with UC Davis Family Medicine Residency Network, and Founder of Strive to Live Well. She holds a M.D. from St. George’s University, a M.S. in Nutrition from Loma Linda University, and a B.Sc. in Biology & Women’s Studies from UC Irvine.
