Imagine indulging in a piece of candy only to find out it’s chock-full of vitamins and nutrients. This is what the booming gummy supplement category promises, but is it too good to be true?
Gummies have become a staple in the supplement category. Data from Nielsen IQ shows that the market is growing, up 70 percent in dollar sales over the last four years with 111 percent growth in universal product codes. Over a one-year period, gummies alone accounted for nearly $1.8 billion in supplement sales.
“Gummies are always the preferred form factor, regardless of age,” said Mark Lacy, an investment banking director at Raymond James, who said consumers have a more positive connotation when thinking of gummies versus capsules.
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But those sentiments may be misplaced. Of course, it’s no secret that many gummy vitamins contain sugar. In most cases, it is crucial to have a sugar or alternative for the gummy to maintain its shape and of course, taste good. But some vitamins can have more sugar than regular candy itself.
Gummy vitamins typically contain anywhere between 1 gram and 8 grams of sugar per serving, usually two gummies. For comparison, two Haribo Goldbears contain a bit more than 2 grams of sugar. According to the American Heart Association, women should only consume up to 25 grams of sugar daily, while men should stay within 36 grams — both limits could easily be achieved with a handful of full-sugar gummy vitamins.
That being said, brands are still bullish on the format because consumers love them and they promote user consistency. Plus, alternatives have made it easier to develop sugar-free versions that have fewer calories and don’t spike blood sugar levels.
“Many people start their journey in gummies because they’re looking for a flavorful iteration,” said Simon Huck of Lemme. “We see a lot of people start with gummies and then they transition to capsules.”
At Lemme, which is available at Target and Ulta Beauty, the goal is to offer consumers an array of options, according to Huck, who added that many consumers will use a gummy vitamin as their daily sweet treat, mixing capsules and gummies in their routine. By mixing and matching capsules and gummies, customers can avoid consuming too much sugar, he said.
Concurrently, the company, along with many others in the space, is playing around with sugar alternatives, most notably allulose, derived from fruits like figs, which is featured in its new Lemme Curb chew. While allulose, which is FDA-approved, has been a successful alternative, experts are wary of some others substitutes, like sugar alcohols, which can be hard on the digestive system. Furthermore, some retailers, including Whole Foods, have banned allulose, as it’s a newer alternative on the market and therefore hard to predict the long-term impacts. Additional alternatives that brands are experimenting with include stevia and monkfruit, which sources say have become more innovative over the years.
Similar to Lemme, Hum Nutrition, available at Target, offers both capsules and gummies. According to the brand, capsules comprise the bulk of the business. Founder and chief executive officer Walter Faulstroh noted there are disadvantages when it comes to working with gummies. For starters, there are certain formulas that just won’t work in a gummy due to the necessary heating process. Faulstroh specifically pointed to digestive enzymes and certain probiotics.
In addition, the category is more driven by trends that may or may not last. At Hum, one such example was its apple cider vinegar gummy craze which Faulstroh said “completely imploded in terms of volume” after its initial boom.
“The gummy has been hugely successful for us, but we have seen a lot of ebbs and flows,” he said. “There’s more volatility within gummies… When they take off, they really take off in a very viral explosive way, but they also seem to have a bit more velocity when it comes to the downward trend.”
While supplement brand Ritual doesn’t currently have any gummies, founder Katerina Schneider isn’t closed off to the format, especially as sugar alternatives have gotten better over the years. However, to opt for a gummy, Schneider has certain constraints.
“We decided early on that that we are only creating products that are sugar-free,” she said, adding that the brand has experimented with gummies for certain formulas like its HyaCera, $54, supplement for skin hydration.
While Schneider recognizes the appeal of the gummy format, launching one would rely heavily on creating a version that is both sugar-free and as efficacious as a tablet or capsule.
“As a company, we’re not hanging our hat on just one technology,” she said. “We actually look at every target and need and what can we do better or smarter.”
Although more brands are open to experimenting with sugar alternatives, others, like Love Wellness, available at Walmart, Target and Ulta Beauty, have taken a no-gummy stance.
“What you don’t put into products is just as important as what you do put into your products,” said founder Lo Bosworth, an early advocate for sugar-free formats.
While the brand is a capsule- and tablet-only business now, it actually had a short-lived sleep gummy supplement that ultimately informed the decision to not offer this type of product. After bringing the gummy to market, Bosworth began exploring the category more and was disappointed with her findings.
“A lot of gummy vitamins can have between five to eight servings of sugar in them,” she said. “What if you’re a consumer who only takes gummy vitamins and you’re taking three different types of vitamins a day? The amount of sugar very quickly goes up.”
That epiphany led Bosworth to discontinue its gummy vitamin and use only capsules and tablets since, which have clear perks. Capsules typically allow for a larger dosage, as well as a blend of ingredients — gummies typically do better with single- or low-ingredient formulas that are shelf-stable. In addition, the heating required for gummies can often impact the dosage and bioavailability of ingredients, so capsules may be more effective.
In addition, Bosworth has taken to social media to share her take, using what she calls “gummy math,” essentially showcasing how the sugar content in supplements can add up.
While some brands are questioning whether gummies have a place in wellness, experts don’t see the category slowing down, considering consumer devotion to the format, the growing sugar alternatives coming to market and the growth of children’s supplements.
“As long as it can be moderated under the 5 grams of sugar per serving, I don’t see a reason why people would stop doing it,” said Lacy, adding that lower sugar versions and alternatives will gain traction. “It’s a win-win, where you get the preferred form factor with good nutritional value.”