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Report
en_GB
2025 marks a new high for the UK OTC gastrointestinal remedies market, with value sales projected at £495m (+8.7% YoY). The positive growth figure can be attributed to, most significantly,…
UK
Health and Wellbeing
simple
UK Digestive Health Market Report 2025
"To brace for the holistic wellness shift, brands must adapt to stay relevant. Address lifestage and lifestyle needs, and engage via social media to empower."
UK Digestive Health Industry – Trends and Insights
2025 marks a new high for the UK OTC gastrointestinal remedies market, with value sales projected at £495m (+8.7% YoY). The positive growth figure can be attributed to, most significantly, the increasing prevalence of gut health problems, with 85% of UK adults experiencing digestive issues in the past six months. This underscores both a rapidly expanding market and a clear escalation in consumer demand for digestive solutions.
Despite demand, innovations in this space are scarce. GI remedies only accounted for 1.6% of health product launch activity in the last year, with only 12.5% new products. This puts the future growth of OTC GI remedies at risk, as they face the challenges of adjacent VMS and functional food and drink categories, with high consumer interests and plentiful innovations.
The biggest opportunity lies in untapped innovation potentials in targeted solutions. OTC GI remedy brands could target consumers’ lifestage and lifestyle needs, looking to VMS ingredients and formats for inspirations. For instance, incorporate additional PMS benefits for women experiencing ‘hormone bloating’, and highlight overnight use occasions with stress-relieving functions.
Amid a shift towards holistic management, it is vital that OTC brands stay relevant and reach their audience with reliable offerings and empowering messages.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
Market performance and 2025-30 outlook for OTC gastrointestinal remedies
The impact of the economic outlook, and additional market factors that drive or erode OTC GI usage
The prevalence of digestive health issues and key demographics to look to
Opportunities emerging from a growing preference for dietary/lifestyle solutions, and potentials for personalised relief
The influence of social media as a source of information and channel of empowerment
A shift toward preventative and holistic approaches in managing digestive health
The power of destigmatisation in unleashing sales potentials and engaging with the audience
Collapse All
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
The outlook for digestive health
Opportunities
Personalise digestive health remedies for lifestage and lifestyle
Build social media presence to engage and empower
Graph 1: interest over time, 2022-25*
Brace for a shift towards holistic management
THE MARKET
Snapshot – market size and forecast
Inflation eased a bit, but focus on value continues
Financial stress will sustain demand for digestive health solutions
Graph 2: British household financial confidence, 2021-25
A focus on fibre could erode OTC usage
Adoption of popular diets brings new opportunities
Increasing obesity opens up new ground
Uptick in winter virus could spur demand for treatments and prevention
Graph 3: weekly norovirus laboratory reports against 5-season average, 2025/26
Market size and forecast of OTC gastrointestinal remedies
Graph 4: market size and forecast for OTC gastrointestinal remedies, 2019-30
Market size and forecast
Treatments for upset stomach have room to grow
Big brand names maintain a strong sway
THE CONSUMER
Frequency of digestive health issues experienced in the last six months
Experience of digestive health issues is prevalent
Incorporate gender-specific benefits
Grocers can expand presence in the value GI remedy space
Graph 5: repertoire of digestive health issues experienced in the last six months, by financial situation, 2025
Target younger audience with multifunctional solutions
The influence of social media cannot be overlooked
Factors thought to have caused digestive health issues in the last six months
Position digestion as the cornerstone of overall wellbeing
Lifestyle-targeted solutions could appeal
Explore overnight usage occasions
Tap into tracking interests among women
Graph 6: factors thought to have caused digestive health issues in the last six months, by gender, 2025
Create call-outs to cater to diet trends
Treatments used for digestive health issues in the last six months
Complement portfolio with supplement offerings
Graph 7: treatments used for digestive health issues in the last six months – supplements, by generation, 2025
Potential for family oriented product positioning
Preventative treatment could appeal
A third delay taking medication for digestive health issues
Associations with different types of digestive health treatments
Attitudes towards targeted, multifunctional and supplements vary
Three out of ten did not use a digestive health remedy
Targeted remedies need to better communicate to men
Graph 8: selected associations with targeted digestive health remedies, by gender, 2025
Supplements bridge the gap between OTC and natural remedies
Multifunctional remedies need to improve palatability
Adjacent categories pave the way for pre/probiotic innovations…
Graph 10: digestive & detoxifying treatment and digestive VMS* launches with pro- and prebiotic claims, 2020-25
…and multi-faceted natural offerings
Differentiate with nutrition knowledge
Link digestive health with metabolism
Destigmatise through empowering campaigns
APPENDIX
Report scope
The market
Forecast methodology
Forecast methodology – fan chart
Market size and forecast of OTC gastrointestinal remedies
Market forecast and prediction intervals
Market segmentation
Brand share
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology
Repertoire analysis methodology
UK generation groups
Other data source methodologies
Mintel Spark
Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Nielsen Ad Intel advertising expenditure
Abbreviations
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