This report offers an overview of trends in the global and Japanese vitamins and supplements market (VMS market) alongside analysis of Japanese consumers’ attitudes and behaviours towards supplements, in order to identify market opportunities.
The VMS market is expanding against the backdrop of a global ageing population and an increase in lifestyle-related diseases, as well as heightened interest in self-care solutions. The Japanese consumer survey reveals that price, evidence of efficacy and safety are barriers to consumer use of VMS products. The key to boosting usage of supplements lies in improving experiential value – solutions that make it easy to keep taking products, or that offer an immediate sense of the benefits – and responding to age-related changes in what consumers want from a supplement.
The global VMS market is expanding against the backdrop of increased interest in healthy lifespan and ageing care, and a focus on self-care. Innovation is coming through in new formats – such as gummies and sprays – and high absorption formulas that incorporate liposomes or nanotechnologies. As governments move to strengthen safety in this sector, brands must stay compliant with the latest regulations while designing solutions that win trust and get consumers on board.
Yuri Terakado, Research Analyst – Food and Drink, Japan
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Executive summary
- Overview and scope of this Report
- Global market overview
- Macro factors affecting the VMS market
- Global trends in the VMS market
- Overview of the Japanese market and consumers
- Three trends to watch in Japan’s VMS market
- Four consumer insights
- Three solutions to lowering the barriers to supplement use
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Global market overview
- VMS market size and regional overview
- Global VMS market size
- Trends in new VMS product claims
- Graph 1: trends in new VMS product claims, 2020-25
- Macro factors affecting the VMS market
- Ageing populations and a rise in chronic disease
- Financial pressure from healthcare costs and the cost of living
- Tighter regulations mean stricter safety and labelling
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Global trends
- Global trends in the VMS market
- 1. Consumers take another look at vitamins, minerals and key nutrient intake
- A reevalutation of essential vitamin and mineral intake
- Renewed focus on vitamins, minerals and electrolytes
- Products on the market
- Catering for demand for muscle maintenance and body recomposition brought by an ageing population and widespread usage of GLP-1 receptor agonists
- Creatine as an all-purpose supplement wins over an expanding user base
- Products on the market
- The rising new formats that change the concept of what a supplement can be
- Products delivering supplements in different ways
- Cute patches to boost vitamin intake and users’ mood
- 2. Purpose-specific supplements for everyday support spread through the market
- Brain boosting supplements for everything from concentration to preventing dementia are becoming commonplace
- Braincare supplements
- Attention on methylene blue and lithium may lead to opportunities with natural origin ingredients
- Growing demand for everyday eye health support and growth for the eyecare supplement market
- Eyecare supplements
- Expanding use of peptides in purpose-specific supplements
- 3. Ageing care enters an era of solutions at the cellular and metabolic level
- Anti-ageing supplements on the rise
- Graph 2: anti-ageing supplements market revenue, 2024-30
- Supplements for cellular energy generation like NAD+ and NAD+ boosters are driving the market
- Supplements for cell metabolism
- Attention on zombie cells and ingredients for cell repair and recovery
- Supplements for cell health
- Multifaceted approaches with simultaneous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action
- How brands are combining antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients
- 4. Greater optimisation for gender and life stage
- Expansion of the market for gender- and lifestage-specific supplements
- Market expansion for kids’ supplements
- Growing demand and an evolving market for supplements for middle-aged and older men, and the male menopause
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Japanese market overview
- Japan’s VMS market is growing
- Japan’s population ageing, busy lifestyles and diversifying health needs form foundation for VMS market growth
- Graph 3: nutritional supplements market revenue, 2024-30
- Beauty claims have traction in Japan’s new VMS products, while more also address ageing-related health concerns
- Graph 4: health claims* in new VMS products, 2020-25
- Tightening regulations
- Consumer values shift towards safety and trust as a greater priority
- Navigating the challenge of regulatory compliance
- Peace of mind, safety and clear evidence are a growing priority
- Three trends to watch in Japan’s VMS market
- 1. A multi-faceted approach to extending healthy lifespan
- Growing interest in prevention through self-care
- Eye health support now also favours multi-active formula designs with high added value
- Eyecare supplements
- Santen Pharmaceutical supports eye health with an anti-glycation approach
- Support for fighting locomotive syndrome targets a combination of bones, joints and cartilage as well as muscles
- Expanding supplement format options tackle difficulties with consumption
- More formulas enhance absorption through liposomal and nano technologies
- 2. The rise of mental health, sleep and cognitive function support
- Dementia is the leading cause of death in Japan; over 30% of people aged 65+ will have dementia or MCI by 2040
- Graph 5: projected number of people with dementia and MCI, 2022-60
- Cognitive function support products are evolving
- Expansion in cognitive support products aiming to boost performance
- Products with cognitive health support claims
- Expanding market for stress and sleep quality supplements
- Products with stress relief and improved sleep quality claims
- 3. Expansion of the inner care and inner beauty markets
- Financial impact of ill health on society amounts to trillions of yen each year, prompting a government response
- Growing interest in holistic inner care to maintain wellbeing
- Products marketed for inner care
- Expanding choices for inner beauty products
- Inner beauty ingredients market activated by antioxidants and brightening effects
- Inner beauty products
- Emerging inner beauty products focus on cell metabolism and anti-glycation
- Products focused on cells, metabolism and anti-glycation
- A brand that promotes ageing and inner care not only to women but also to men
- K-Beauty has an increasing influence in the VMS market
- South Korean brands that have entered the Japanese market
- Response to overseas entrants with a design to Japanese specs
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Japanese consumer insights
- Four consumer insights
- 40% of consumers use supplements, with barriers including price, efficacy, hassle and safety
- Overall, only around 40% of consumers take supplements
- Graph 6: supplements used in the last six months, 2025
- Majority of supplement non-users report having no health concerns
- Graph 7: measures taken for health and beauty focus areas – don’t have this issue, so didn’t take any measures, by supplement usage, 2025
- High price and scepticism about efficacy are barriers to use
- Graph 8: reason for not taking supplements, 2025
- Hassle is a bigger barrier for under-40s
- Graph 9: select reasons for not taking supplements, 2025
- For supplement users, safety follows price as a top priority
- Graph 10: important factors when selecting supplements, 2025
- Some buy supplements even when money is tight
- Graph 11: supplement usage, by gender and financial situation, 2025
- 2. High awareness and concerns around health and beauty are driving up investment in self-care
- Top concerns users manage with supplements include improved appearance, fatigue recovery and gut health
- Graph 12: health and beauty coping status – Taking supplements (eg tablets, powder, capsules), 2025
- Graph 13: health and beauty coping status – Want to address but didn’t take any measures, 2025
- Supplement users are function-first with priority on nutritional value, while non-users prioritise clear purchase indicators like country of origin
- Graph 14: select factors* to consider when purchasing food and beverages**, by supplement usage and gender, 2025
- Supplement users are sensitive to changes and take active steps to manage their body and mood
- Graph 15: select attitudes and behaviours, by supplement usage and gender, 2025
- Personalisation for supplement users with combination of health management methods; simple, easy-to-start solutions for non-users
- Graph 16: health and beauty coping status – Taking medications (eg over-the-counter, prescription, herbal medicines), 2025
- Graph 17: health and beauty coping status – Others (eg exercise, diet, skin care), 2025
- 3. Men’s self-care peaks in the 30-39 group, but health awareness trails off from 40 onwards
- Men aged 18-29 are characterised by a tendency to prioritise muscle strength and immediate effectiveness
- Graph 18: measures taken by men – Muscle maintenance and building, by age, 2025
- Graph 19: men’s thoughts and behaviours regarding health – I would stop taking supplements straight away if I don’t feel the effects, % agree, by age, 2025
- 30-something men are willing to invest in health and beauty
- Graph 20: men’s select health and beauty coping statuses – Taken measures, by age, 2025
- Men over 40 who feel nothing’s wrong may be more open to support framed in contexts other than ageing
- Graph 21: select health and beauty coping status – Don’t have this issue, so didn’t take any measures, by gender and age, 2025
- Graph 22: men’s health and beauty coping status – Want to address but didn’t take any measures, by age, 2025
- Opportunities in men’s appearance care even beyond the 30s
- Graph 23: men’s select health and beauty coping status – Appearance improvement (eg skin, hair), by age, 2025
- 4. Young women prioritise speed and sensation, while older women focus on prevention and efficacy
- Women are more likely than men to express unaddressed concerns across all health focus areas
- Graph 24: health and beauty coping status – would like to improve, but haven’t taken any measures, by gender, 2025
- Women are highly aware of disease potential, peaking in 40s to 50s
- Graph 25: select thoughts and behaviours regarding health – I sometimes don’t feel 100%, even though I’m not actually ill, % agree, by age and gender,2025
- Women who are very concerned about health invest in supplements even on a limited budget
- Graph 26: select thoughts and behaviours regarding health – I sometimes don’t feel 100%, even though I’m not actually ill, % agree, by supplement user gender and financial situation, 2025
- Gummy formats may be encouraging VMS intake among women aged 18-29
- Graph 27: supplement usage among women aged 18-29, 2025
- Graph 28: gummy supplements – have used and will use again, by gender and age, 2025
- Demand for sensory self-care from female supplement users
- Graph 29: women’s select thoughts/behaviours around supplements, by age & supplement usage, 2025
- Women aged 18-39 who use supplements are more likely to prioritise self-expression in product selection
- Graph 30: women’s alignment of sense of self with brands, by age and supplement usage, 2025
- Graph 31: women’s relationship between purchase experiences and identity, by age and supplement usage, 2025
- Women in 40s to 50s have concerns they’re not acting on yet
- Graph 32: select health and beauty coping status – want to address but didn’t take any measures, by gender and age, 2025
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Opportunities in the Japanese market
- Three solutions to lowering the barriers to supplement use
- 1. Enhance understanding of prices and help consumers to keep coming back
- Narrow down ingredients lists to lower the price barrier, and enhance value propositions through ease of use and functional advantages
- Deepen consumer understanding of prices and value through ingredient high absorbability and long-lasting effects
- 2. Simultaneous support for the body and mind through enhanced experiential value
- Triple the appeal through fragrance and flavour for an instant burst of refreshment and relaxation, functional ingredients and oral care
- Appeal as a vehicle for self-expression with colour choices
- Enhance sense of exclusivity through design rather than content
- 3. Use more natural ingredients and deliver them in easy formats
- Dispel concerns about sugar content with sugar free formulas or allulose
- A convenient drink to boost intake of natural ingredients that are difficult to get through meals alone
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APPENDIX
- Consumer survey methodology
- Definition of generations
- Infegy Atlas – coverage and full list of search terms used
- Disclaimer
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