Although the minerals category has taken a back seat to vitamins and specialty nutritionals in terms of consumers’ nutritional priorities since 2012, magnesium and potassium are among the high potential supplement opportunities for the next few years.

Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) estimated that mineral supplements will end 2014 with sales of $2.5 billion, up 4.5% over 2013. Expect even more media and health professional attention on these two minerals, which are both on the Institute of Medicine’s “Priority List” for 2014. Magnesium and potassium are both electrolytes, and as such will be of growing interest as the $30 billion sports nutrition/weight loss sector continues to move mainstream.   

Magnesium
Magnesium is projected to be among the fastest growing supplements through 2016, reaching $874 million in sales by that year, and reaching $679 million in 2014, +15.6% per NBJ. Magnesium supplements have enjoyed double-digit annual growth since 2005. 

In 2013, magnesium was the 13th best-selling supplement and the 8th most taken supplement, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition’s annual dietary supplement survey. The 2013 Gallup Study of Nutrient Knowledge & Consumption reported that 13% made a strong effort to get more magnesium in December 2013, up 5% vs. the previous year.

Magnesium is a co-factor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium is essential to heart health. Numerous well-designed studies have shown decreased risk of coronary heart disease, sudden cardiac death, and stroke in men and women in the highest quartile for blood levels of magnesium. Magnesium helps maintain a normal heart rhythm. 

Diets with higher amounts of magnesium are associated with a significantly lower risk of diabetes, possibly because of the important role of magnesium in glucose metabolism. Low blood magnesium levels may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes. According to the most recent evaluation of NHANES data, the majority of Americans (52%) fail to get their estimated average requirement for magnesium (Wallace et al, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2014).

Potassium
Potassium plays an important role in the proper function of cells, tissues and organs. It is also an electrolyte, a substance that conducts electricity in the body, and must be in balance with other electrolytes, including sodium, chloride, calcium and magnesium. Potassium is crucial to heart function and plays a key role in skeletal and smooth muscle contraction, making it important for normal digestive and muscular function. It also plays a key role in skeletal development in children and in bone maintenance throughout life, helping to prevent osteoporosis. Potassium also has a role in blood pressure control, in relationship with sodium. Its role in heart health could also be due to blood pressure lowering effects, thus reducing the potential for stroke.

Insufficient potassium is associated with poor bone health and muscular weakness, including heart failure and cramping.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines confirmed a vast majority of U.S. adults and children are deficient in potassium. There is need to focus on consuming potassium-rich foods, fortified foods and supplementation. According to the International Food Information Council’s 2013 Functional Foods Consumer Survey, 61% of consumers think they get enough potassium. However, the most recent evaluation of NHANES Dietary Survey from 2007-2010 confirmed that none of the nearly 17,000 Americans over the age of 4 participating in the national survey actually met their estimated average requirement for potassium. In December 2013, 18% of adults made a strong effort to get more potassium, +4% vs. 2012.

While potassium supplements are expected to reach $104 million in sales in 2014, +4.7% vs. 2013, they are limited in their effectiveness due to regulatory restrictions imposed in 1990 on dosage. Labels for potassium supplements in excess of 100 mg are required to include a warning about small bowel lesions and complications they may cause. There are also precautions for those with heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease, and multiple Rx drug interactions that risk hyperkalemia.

However, with Gallup reporting that nearly one in five (18%) adults made a strong effort to get more potassium in Dec. 2013, +5% vs. 2012, finding a way to easily and safely deliver this critical nutrient is a very smart idea. 

Potassium supplements might well represent a significant and unique opportunity when sold through physicians’ offices or by prescription in the pharmacy. In 2012, IMS Health reported that physicians wrote 87 million prescriptions for vitamins/minerals. This would help minimize risk of overdose while educating patients about their potassium requirements, avoid potential drug interactions, and would allow physicians to properly monitor the patient’s potassium levels. Potassium represents a very large need state and virtually untapped opportunity.

Market Potential
According to Sloan Trends’ TrendSense model, both magnesium and potassium are strong and growing Level 2 mass market opportunities on par with vitamin D. Magnesium enjoyed a burst in marketability in 2006, likely due to the attention given to this mineral in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The association of magnesium and heart health is just reaching mass market status. Magnesium and blood pressure and magnesium and bone health are perfectly poised for marketing in the health food/specialty channels and among very health conscious and/or condition-specific consumers. 

Functional Foods & Beverages
Magnesium and potassium are excellent choices for fortified foods and beverages, including sports nutrition products. Potassium is an electrolyte lost in perspiration during strenuous activity, is needed for muscle performance, and needs to be replenished. Many sports nutrition beverages have relatively low amounts of potassium (less than 50 mg/serving) and levels could be boosted to provide more opportunity to replenish lost potassium and contribute to adequate dietary intake. Although there are concerns for individuals at risk for consuming too much potassium and there are regulatory limits of 20 mg/ml potassium without a warning label, the far greater population need is for better access to potassium-rich foods.

With magnesium’s role in heart health and glucose metabolism, it is also a natural fit for fortified sports-related beverages and foods. Half of the population is failing to consume enough magnesium. Addition of this nutrient to a wide variety of beverages and foods is a good idea. 

Dietary Supplements
There should be more widespread publicity for adding magnesium to bone health supplements. A fresh look at magnesium could give the large and ailing bone health market another lease on life. FDA should be asked to reconsider the current labeling warning requirement for potassium and supplement makers should be looking for new and safe ways to deliver potassium in supplement form. Given the widespread deficiency state for almost all Americans and the vital role of potassium to health and sports performance, more attention to potassium is a must.   

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Dr. A. Elizabeth Sloan and Dr. Catherine Adams Hutt are president and chief scientific and regulatory officer, respectively, of Sloan Trends, Inc., Escondido, CA, a 20-year-old consulting firm that offers trend interpretation/predictions; identifies emerging high potential opportunities; and provides strategic counsel on issues and regulatory claims guidance for food/beverage, supplement and pharmaceutical marketers. For more information: E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.sloantrend.com.