Unboxed: 10 nonpill immune system-supporting supplements

Immune-support supplements—from letter vitamins to bodacious botanicals—always see an uptick in sales during the so-called cold and flu season. (Or is it really the vitamin D-deficiency season? A discussion for another day.) During particularly egregious health scares, like the H1N1 virus of 2009, there’s a decided pop in sales.

And this year’s COVID-19 pandemic? As Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s doctor and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, might say: Fuggedaboutit.

Nutrition Business Journal estimates 2020 sales of cold, flu and immunity sales to grow more than 50% in 2020, to just north of $5 billion in sales. It also predicts this sales spike—from about $3.5 billion in 2019—to continue, with sales continuing its upward trajectory for 2021 and beyond.

Immune-support supplements, in short, are the new normal.

Brands are slapping “immunity” on product labels, with a formulation tweak, as fast as they were including “CBD” in supplements during 2019.

The top individual ingredients, according to Nutrition Business Journal, are multivitamins, followed by vitamin C and combination herbs, then homeopathics, probiotics and elderberry. (“Other” makes up 20%.)

The trend away from tablets and capsules continues in the immunity space. Yes, of course consumers can still pop pills. But for those looking for different, easier, better or just different ways to consume health-promoting supplements, supplements makers are delivering the goods. Here’s 10 new additions that add extra talking points with your customers.