While COVID concerns stills abound, people are growing more interested than even in their own wellbeing. This interest includes consuming more essential fatty acids, or EFAs. Your private label supplement brand can benefit as much as your customers benefit from what your product(s) have to offer. Let’s discuss why.
The Shopping Shift
Marketing Manager of Betsy’s Health Foods in Texas spends a lot of time educating customers on different types of EFAs and which ones might best fit their needs. “Sometimes, customers come in looking for EPA products because of a doctor’s recommendation. In most of these cases, they know how much fish oil the doctor recommended, but not necessarily a particular product.” Chris Gearheart, member of communications and engagement professional at GOED (Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s) agrees. He suggests that retailers benefit from sharing point of purchase marketing collateral on the benefits of both EPA and DHA. “Shoppers are familiar with omega-3s but need additional education on the benefits, particularly the omega-3-related health outcomes with the deepest science, which are heart health, brain health, eye health and prenatal/maternal health.”
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Keep Customers Informed
The more info you provide on your labels and website the better. Today’s consumers wants to know what they should be taking and why. Sam Wiley, CEO of Wiley’s Finest, an Ohio-based vitamin and supplement store, shares with Vitamin Retailer “There’s been a marked shift to online purchases and larger sizes of favorite formulas over the past few months as shoppers want to limit or eliminate the number of stops.” Help the health-conscious keep their pantries filled with all the essentials… literal essential fatty acids. Make sure you include clear structure/function claims telling customers what EFAs can do for their overall health. A website allows potential customers to learn about your brand and why yours is the one to trust. When you’ve chosen a trusted source, you can display that your products are:
- Made in the U.S.A.
- GMP-compliant
- Manufactured in an FDA-registered facility
What Exactly Are EFAs
Essential fatty acids are broken down into two main groups: plant-based and food-based. To list but a few benefits, EFAs help reconstruct inflamed tissue, transport oxygen, and modulate blood pressure. Since EFAs cannot be produced by the body, they must be consumed through either food or supplements.
Under the Sea
If you love seafood as much as I do, then you can get all your essential fatty acids via salmon, tuna, mackerel, etc. If you are vegan or simply don’t enjoy fish, you can still enjoy the benefits of EFAs by eating flaxseeds, soybeans, walnuts, and other plant-based foods.
Omega on the Rise
Two of the best-selling EFA supplements right now are omega 3 and omega 7. Associated with a reduced risk of macular degeneration, omega-3 fish oil can help maintain healthy eyes. It can assist in raising HDL “good” levels of cholesterol, while providing the potential to lower high blood pressure. While reducing the production of some substances released during the body’s inflammatory response, omega 3 also aids in keeping arteries smooth and protected from damage, preventing plaque buildup that could restrict and harden arteries.
Like omega 3 fatty acids, Omega 7 helps lower a blood marker of inflammation and reduces plaque in the arties, in turn decreasing inflammation all throughout the body. Omega-7 fatty acids may support customers’ weight loss efforts, as they can improve fat metabolism by utilizing fat for energy instead of storing it, preventing the formation of new fat molecules, and decreasing appetite.
EPA and DHA
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), both omega-3s, are important to all stages of life and development. Yes, that is a very general statement and what you need to know is this: EPA plays a huge role in a healthy inflammatory response, heart health, central nervous system function, and eye health. DHA can do as much as improve or even prevent chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and cardiovascular disease. It can also help those with rheumatoid arthritis.
The COVID Concern and Future of EPAs
A May 2020 study found that worldwide, 77% of consumers plan to take a more proactive approach to their health due to the virus, and of the 77%, 30 % plan to increase their intake of omega-3s. While there is no known cure, nor can any dietary supplement or vitamin prevent, treat, or cure COVID-19, there are plenty of people looking to fortify their current immune system health for whatever may come.
Grand View Research’s “Omega 3 Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report” shows that there is indeed an increase in EFA products that is expected to only rise 7.7% from 2020-2027. The global omega-3 market alone was worth $2.49 billion in 2019. Think of the growth now set in motion and the place your brand can have in this fast-paced movement.
Sources
- Choquette, Joy. "EFAs: Liquid Gold to the Body with a Bright Future in the Marketplace." Vitamin Retailer, August 2020, pp. 38-41.
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3
- https://www.weightandwellness.com/resources/articles-and-videos/omega-7-omega-3-omega-10-explained/#:~:text=Omega%2D7%20is%20a%20monounsaturated,improves%20pancreatic%20production%20of%20insulin.
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dha-benefits#:~:text=Your%20body%20can%20only%20make,brain%20function%20and%20eye%20health.