Market Updates

‘Emotional Anchoring’ Emerging as Lead Consumer Demand for Supplement Industry: Survey

A survey by Chemi Nutra found that 83% of consumers want supplements that will help them 'feel like themselves again.'

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By: Mike Montemarano

Associate Editor, Nutraceuticals World

Photo: anatoliy_gleb | Adobe Stock

Nutraceutical ingredient company Chemi Nutra found in a recent survey that consumers are seeking out supplements that can help them feel grounded during major life transitions.

In a 548-person survey among consumers going through major changes including injury recovery, postpartum, GLP-1 supported weight loss, and age-related changes, consumers expressed that how they feel in their bodies is just as important as what they can do with them, the company reported.

“Our research confirms that consumers want more than performance, they want presence,” said Michael Petteruti, president at Chemi Nutra. “They’re looking for supplements that help them feel emotionally steady, motivated, and connected to themselves during change.”

Most (71%) of consumers said they were experiencing a major life transition, but only 28% said today’s supplements are designed for them.

Even more (83%) want supplements that help them “feel like themselves again.” This outranked demand for energy, focus, or recovery as top goals.

About two-thirds (68%) said that staying motivated after a major life shift has become harder.

According to Chemi Nutra, emotional states such as flatness, anxiety, and restlessness significantly increased interest in supplements that support calm, grounding, and focused motivation.

This new sought-after mood benefit can be described as “emotional anchoring,” which carries people through physical and identity transitions. “It’s not about temporary stress relief,” the company reported. “It’s about helping people feel whole, steady, and ready to engage with life again.”

This is demonstrated by how appealing consumers found certain health claims if they were attached to supplements; rather than bouncing back to peak performance, consumers want to feel anchored and steady in where they are. The top phrase consumers found most appealing was “focus” (54%), followed by “feel like you again” (48%), “calm” (41%), “ready” (31%), “drive” (27%), “mood” (26%), “mind” (23%), “no crash” (17%), and “show up” (16%).

“Emotional anchoring is the bridge between mindset and medication. This could be especially beneficial for GLP-1 users, prenatal, postpartum individuals, and those facing age-related change,” said Petteruti. “This is an evolution in cognitive and performance nutrition and we are here to help you support the consumer voice.”

Across the entire population, the top emotional challenges experienced during transition are anxiety or restlessness (44%), tiredness (44%), low motivation (41.1%), feeling flat or off (40.5%), and trouble focusing (33.3%).

But each of these life transitions comes with unique emotional need states, Chemi Nutra noted; GLP-1 users feel a loss of joy in rituals like eating or socializing, while postpartum is characterized by emotional flatness or anxiety despite physical recovery, and midlife consumers redefine their strength, purpose, and selves.  

Chemi Nutra’s portfolio of ingredients well-suited to meet emerging demands for supplements that can provide these sorts of benefits include AlphaSize, an Alpha-GPC ingredient that is a choline compound with cognitive benefits; Serinaid phosphatidylserine, a phosphatidylserine ingredient which supports healthy cortisol balance and cognitive resilience; and Mediator, a phosphatidic acid ingredient formulated for muscle mass and strength which offers metabolic stability during transitions.

To read the full report, click here.

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