Focus On Healthcare & Supplements: 9 August

by Emma Weinbren (emmaweinbrenwrites@gmail.com)

Publishing: 9 Aug 2025

Advertising deadline: 25 July 2025

Submissions deadline: 18 July 2025

Tame brain fog with lion’s mane mushrooms, loss weight with “natural GLP1” supplements, pep things up in bed with shilajit, reduce stress with ashwagandha… whatever ills you, there’s probably a supplement that’s marketed as a way of sorting it out. But do the claims made by supplements brands really stand up to scrutiny? What claims carry most weight with consumers? Do the ills brands claim to cure actually exist? How is the sector regulated? In short, do supplements do what the marketing spiel says on the tin and is what they say is in the tin really there?

Health claims: This feature will pay close attention to the kinds of claims brands are making about the benefits their supplements offer. Do they stand up to scrutiny? What rules govern the claims they can make and closely do brands and retailers stick to them? How are they enforced?

Beauty claims: Another area of interest is the growing number of healthcare products and supplements that claim to offer benefits to people’s appearance, such as collagen for younger looking skin, nails and hair, and “natural GLP1” supplements for weight loss. Which claims carry most weight for consumers and do they stand up to scrutiny?

Marketing: This feature will explore how brands are choosing to market their products and the rules that govern the marketing of healthcare products and supplements. To what extent are they using social media and influencer marketing? We’ve all seen outlandish health claims on social media; how is social marketing activity policed?

The menopause and peri-menopause: There’s been an explosion in product launches aimed at women going through the peri/menopause. Which brands and retailers are pushing the category in this direction? How much is it worth? Which products are selling best? And do the claims made by brands and retailers really carry weight?

The andropause: Players are also launching products containing substances such as shilajit (a resin scraped from rocks in the high Himalayas), ashwagandha and L-arginine aimed at men going through the andropause, or so-called “male menopause”. What is this? And do the claims makes sense? And do the products actually contain what they claim?

Retail share: This feature will explore how different retailers are managing the category in terms of ranging, promotions and balancing brands and own label product assortments. How are brands working with retailers to create excitement in the fixture? Which retailers are in strongest growth and why?

Innovation: The past year has seen plenty of innovation in healthcare and supplements. This feature will explore the latest trends and how this is playing out in terms of product innovation. We will profile four new products or ranges,