In the context of increasing life expectancy, healthy ageing will become a key issue across all age groups. Brands can address the health challenges that different age groups are more susceptible to by developing health supplements, as well as food and drink products, tailored to their health management behaviours and attitudes. In doing so, they can help consumers build a solid foundation for long-term health.
Qianqian Ji, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This year’s Report continues to track consumers’ sub-health issues and health management behaviours, comparing these findings with data from previous years. In addition, this year’s report places particular focus on consumers’ attitudes towards and management of ‘healthy ageing’.
Within this Report, the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) analysis covers vitamins and dietary supplements in packaged food, drinks and health supplements categories.
Collapse All
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- Definitions
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market factors
- New product trends
- Consumer insights and opportunities
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THE MARKET
- Market factors
- In the context of increasing longevity, healthy ageing will become a key issue
- Chinese consumers prioritise quality of life over longevity, with physical and mental wellbeing as the core focus
- Graph 1: motivations for adopting a healthy lifestyle (select options), 2025
- Anti-ageing centred on physical and mental wellbeing is a long-term effort requiring both systemic and precise approaches
- New product trends
- Functional claims remain stable, with both minus and plus claims rising in tandem
- Graph 2: claim types with the fastest growth in food, drinks, vitamins and dietary supplements, 2021-26
- Cardiovascular-benefiting minus sub-claims are growing at varying rates
- Graph 3: fastest-growing sub-claims within minus claims, 2021-26
- Plus claims emphasising protein and fibre continue to grow, with differentiated storytelling and portfolio strategy becoming key……
- Graph 4: fastest-growing sub-claims within plus claims, 2021-26
- ……for example, using amino acids as a focal point to unlock new storytelling and innovation opportunities
- For brands, energy boosting, cardiovascular health, stress relief and sleep support are key growth areas within functional claims
- Graph 5: fastest growing sub-claims within functional claims, 2021-26
- From a consumer perspective, stress/emotional management, cardiovascular health and metabolic enhancement are the fastest growing emerging areas
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumers’ health management behaviours and expectations around healthy ageing
- Vision, digestive and sleep issues have consistently ranked among the top three concerns for three consecutive years, while emotional issues have risen for three consecutive years
- Graph 6: sub-health issues, 2024-26
- Different age groups have distinct health vulnerabilities
- Graph 7: sub-health issues, by age, 2026
- Healthy diet and routines as the means, and physical-mental-social wellbeing as the foundation, shaping a new paradigm of healthy ageing from within
- Graph 8: expectations around healthy ageing, 2022 vs 2026
- Healthy eating remains the gold standard of health management, with the role of health supplements and health check-ups becoming more prominent
- Graph 9: changes in health management behaviour, 2026
- Graph 10: changes in health management behaviours – doing more of the following, 2025 vs 2026
- Healthy eating supports everyday health maintenance, while health supplements are used to fill sub-health gaps
- Graph 11: sub-health issues, by consumers engaging more in the following health management behaviours, 2026
- Consumers under 30 are active adopters of healthy eating, while those aged 50+ require additional support
- Graph 12: consumers who report doing more healthy eating, by age, 2026
- Graph 13: consumers who say they most hope to have healthier dietary habits, by age, 2026
- 30-39s have a greater need for health supplements to offset unhealthy diets
- Graph 14: unhealthy lifestyles (select options), by age, 2026
- Graph 15: changes in health management behaviours – consumers who have taken health supplements, by age, 2026*
- Improve health literacy among 40-49s to increase their acceptance of healthy eating and health supplements
- Graph 16: consumers who report learning more about health, by age, 2026
- Summary: focus on age-specific health vulnerabilities to develop nutrition products that align with consumers’ health perceptions
- Develop light, food-inspired nutrition solutions for sleep, digestive and emotional needs
- Sleep and digestive health are the foundation for achieving healthy ageing
- Graph 17: sub-health issues, by expectations around healthy ageing, 2026
- Enhancing emotional wellbeing is a hidden value lever for achieving healthy ageing
- Graph 18: sub-health issues – cross analysis, 2026
- Graph 19: sub-health issues, by expectations around healthy ageing, 2026
- Plus approaches preferred over minus approaches, and awareness of specific ingredients is higher than that of specific functional benefits
- Graph 20: healthy eating habits, 2026
- Link light diets to consumers’ aspirations for a slower pace of life
- Graph 21: healthy eating habits, by expectations around healthy ageing, 2026
- Develop ‘balanced plate’ food and drink incorporating whole grains, high-quality protein, and fruit and vegetables to support emotional wellbeing
- Graph 22: sub-health issues, by healthy eating habits, 2026
- Unlock natural sleep-supporting compounds in whole grains, high-quality protein, and fruit and vegetables to enhance product health value
- Graph 23: ingredients associated with healthy ageing, by sub-health issues, 2026
- The role of high-quality protein in enhancing physical function needs to be better communicated to over-40s
- Graph 24: healthy eating habits, by expectations around healthy ageing, 2026
- Graph 25: consumers who agree that ‘eating more foods with high-quality protein’ helps maintain physical health, by age, 2026
- Highlight the bioavailability and precise formulation of amino acids to communicate product functionality
- Graph 26: ingredients associated with healthy ageing, by expectations around healthy ageing, 2026
- Draw on the methylation diet concept to develop blended food and drink products and light-format health supplements
- Develop remedial health supplements centred on metabolic enhancement to offset unhealthy lifestyles
- Health supplements act as a powerful remedial tool to counter multiple sub-health issues and unhealthy lifestyles
- Graph 27: sub-health issues, by consumers engaging more in the following health management behaviours, 2026
- Graph 28: number of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, by consumers engaging more in the following health management behaviours, 2026
- 30-39s and those in Tier 1 cities are key target audiences for health supplements
- Graph 29: changes in health management behaviours – consumers who have taken health supplements, by age, 2026*
- Graph 30: changes in health management behaviours – consumers who are taking more health supplements, by city tier, 2026
- Target unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles as key lifestyle levers for health supplements
- Graph 31: unhealthy lifestyles, by consumers who engage more in the following health management behaviours, 2026
- Graph 32: unhealthy lifestyles, by sub-health issues, 2026
- Consumer expectations of supplement efficacy: supporting physiological processes outweighs blocking mechanisms
- Graph 33: sales of health supplements and dietary supplements with the following claims on Tmall and Taobao, March 2025-February 2026
- Foundational nutrition underpins metabolic enhancement, with cell-level anti-ageing ingredients emerging…
- …and extending these benefits into brain health and fatigue relief
- Graph 34: health improvement needs – cross-analysis, 2026
- Graph 35: ingredients associated with healthy ageing, by sub-health issues, 2026
- Develop age-specific variants centred on precision; adopt a systematic approach to communicate multi-dimensional cell-level anti-ageing benefits
- Develop healthy food and drink products that support cardiovascular health and align with expectations for easy, effortless healthy eating
- The prevalence of the ‘three highs’ remains stable, while concern remains persistently high
- The prevalence of the ‘three highs’ remains stable, but concern remains persistently high
- Graph 36: proportion of consumers with ‘three highs’ conditions, 2024-26
- Graph 37: attitudes towards cardiovascular issues, 2026
- Brands need to build a systemic heart-brain health proposition
- Graph 38: consumers who report concern about the following cardiovascular issues – cross-analysis, 2026
- Sleep and vision issues are key health entry points for communicating heart-brain support
- Graph 39: sub-health issues, by consumers who are concerned about but have not taken action to prevent or treat the following cardiovascular conditions, 2026
- Consumers aged 30-39 and 50+ the most concerned about cardiovascular health issues
- Graph 40: number of cardiovascular diseases consumers are concerned about, by age, 2026
- Develop food and drink that make healthy eating easy, reducing reliance on health supplements
- Graph 41: consumers who report doing more of the following health management behaviours, by sub-health issues, 2026
- Graph 42: expectations around healthy ageing, by sub-health issues, 2026
- Effectively combine functional cardiovascular benefits with indulgence in food and drink
- Explore alternatives to conventional sugar and fats while enhancing satiety…
- Graph 43: unhealthy lifestyles, by consumers who are concerned about but have not taken action to prevent or treat the following cardiovascular conditions, 2026
- …and leverage additive nutrition to deliver both ‘healthier’ and ‘less unhealthy’ benefits
- Build a new narrative around whole grains and fruit and vegetables, grounded in a balanced diet…
- Graph 44: healthy eating habits, by consumers who are concerned about but have not taken action to prevent or treat the following cardiovascular conditions, 2026
- …for example, by highlighting dietary fibre and vitamins and minerals, and combining them with plant protein
- Graph 45: ingredients associated with healthy ageing, by healthy eating habits, 2026
- Dietary fibre remains the dominant ingredient, while claims around selected vitamins, minerals and specific unsaturated fatty acids are increasing
- Graph 46: nutrients with either high penetration or fast growth in food and drink products containing grains, 2021-26
- Graph 47: nutrients with either high penetration or fast growth in food and drink products containing vegetables or fruit, 2021-26
- Draw on traditional wellness wisdom while using modern technology to create multi-layered sensory experiences
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APPENDIX
- Methodology: consumer survey
- Abbreviations
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