Herbal Supplements Blend Tradition with Scientific Rigor

The herbal supplements market continues to build on decades of steady expansion as consumers increasingly turn to botanicals to support stress management, cognitive health, digestive wellness, sports nutrition, and healthy aging.

According to the American Botanical Council’s (ABC) annual Herb Market Report, U.S. retail sales of herbal dietary supplements reached a record $13.23 billion in 2024, growing 5.4% over the previous year and marking the second consecutive year of growth following a slight post-pandemic slowdown. The report suggested the market has returned to a pattern of sustainable expansion rather than temporary pandemic-driven demand.

Strong demand for products supporting cardiovascular health, cognition, and general wellness reflects consumers’ continued interest in healthy aging, while mushrooms, algae, and multifunctional ingredients continue to gain traction.

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Today’s herbal marketplace looks very different from what it did 5-10 years ago, industry leaders said. Consumers are entering the category earlier in life, seeking science-backed products while expecting greater transparency into sourcing, manufacturing, and ingredient authenticity. They’re also shopping with more specific health goals in mind.

“Rather than looking at herbs as one broad segment, we are seeing botanical ingredients play across more specific wellness needs, including stress, mood, sleep, digestion, metabolic health, liver support, heart health, beauty, immune support, and healthy aging,” said Rahul Roy, director of vitamin and specialty retail at data insights firm SPINS.

“The herbal supplements market is in a genuinely dynamic period,” said Shaheen Majeed, global CEO and managing director of Sabinsa. “We’re seeing a convergence of forces that have been building for years: a post-pandemic consumer who thinks more seriously about preventive health, an aging global population drawn to botanical alternatives, and a wave of younger buyers who evaluate products more closely than any generation before them.”

Demand Drivers

While immunity products fueled growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s herbal market is more centered on long-term wellness.

According to Graham Rigby, president and CEO of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), younger consumers are embracing herbal ingredients, expanding demand beyond traditional users.

“The herbal supplements market continues to experience growth driven by consumer focus on wellness in conjunction with heightened demand for supply chain transparency,” Rigby said.

The fastest-growing categories include stress management, sleep, cognitive health, sports performance/recovery, and beauty-from-within formulations.

Roy said the strongest growth opportunities are increasingly tied to benefit-led formulations rather than traditional standalone herbal products.

“Shoppers are looking for products that help with a specific need or routine,” he said. “Momentum comes from adjacent areas where botanicals can be tied to a specific health need.”

SPINS data show condition-specific supplement formulas reached $9.6 billion, growing 10.3% over a 52-week period ending June 14, 2026. Organ-support supplements grew 25.8%, heart and circulation supplements increased 21.4%, antioxidant supplements climbed 17.5%, beauty supplements rose 13.1%, and calmative/mood support supplements increased 6.9%.

Adaptogens remain among the strongest-performing ingredient segments, with ashwagandha continuing to anchor the category. Lion’s mane has become one of the fastest-growing mushrooms as consumers seek cognitive support and focus, while rhodiola is positioned as a source of “clean energy.” Saffron has also emerged as a popular ingredient for mood and sleep support, Rigby noted.

Several of those botanicals continue to post impressive retail growth. According to SPINS, berberine/barberry grew 35.9% within the single-herbal segment, reflecting strong consumer interest in metabolic health and blood sugar support, while saffron sales increased 69% as mood and emotional well-being became more prominent consumer priorities. Milk thistle and theanine also posted strong gains as liver health, stress, and focus remain top-of-mind for shoppers.

According to ABC’s report, mushroom supplements increased 76% in 2024 in the mainstream retail channel, while algae, moringa, mullein, and rhodiola posted notable gains in natural retail outlets.

Majeed noted that consumers today are purchasing herbs more intentionally than ever before. “What I find most significant is not just what is selling, but why,” he said. “Consumers, particularly the younger ones … want to understand the science behind an ingredient, not just the tradition.”

That shift benefits companies that have invested in standardized extracts, published clinical research, and branded ingredients that demonstrate consistent efficacy, rather than generic commodity botanicals.

Roy said consumers increasingly make purchasing decisions based on the health benefit a botanical delivers rather than the ingredient alone. “The herbal supplement market is moving from standalone herbal products into more targeted wellness solutions,” he said. “The strongest opportunities are where consumer interest and benefit-led positioning overlap.”

Setting the Quality Bar

As demand grows, so too does scrutiny surrounding botanical quality and authenticity. Adulteration remains a persistent challenge, particularly when strong demand and constrained supply drive up prices for high-value ingredients.

“The financial incentive to substitute, dilute, or fortify an ingredient with cheaper alternatives becomes significant,” Majeed said. “And buying commodity ingredients carries an inherently increased likelihood of quality failings, including adulteration.”

The industry has responded by adopting sophisticated analytical methods that extend beyond traditional testing. DNA barcoding, high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), LC-MS/MS fingerprinting, and next-generation genomic sequencing are becoming valuable additions to quality assurance programs.

For example, natural products leader NOW recently partnered with botanical genomics company LeafWorks to integrate next-generation DNA sequencing into its botanical identity testing workflow. The technology enables identification of multiple plant species within complex formulations while leveraging curated genomic reference databases designed specifically for commercial botanical products.

Rather than replacing existing analytical techniques, genomic testing adds another layer of verification to strengthen ingredient authentication in complex formulations.

Industry leaders also noted the importance of supplier qualifications, chain-of-custody documentation, and vertically integrated sourcing to improve consistency and reduce supply chain risks.

Those quality attributes are also becoming competitive advantages at retail, said Roy. Products featuring recognizable botanical ingredients, transparent dosing, standardized extracts, clinical support, third-party testing, and clearly communicated sourcing practices are better positioned to stand out in a crowded market.

“Transparency is becoming a buyer qualification, not a nice-to-have,” Majeed said. “Finished-product brands that have been burned by supply chain failures or adulteration scandals are asking much harder questions of their ingredient partners than they were even five years ago, and that is a healthy development for the industry.”

Innovation Meets Regulatory Scrutiny

Innovation in herbal supplements extends beyond new ingredients to include emerging manufacturing technologies such as precision fermentation, plant cell cultivation, and synthetic production methods.

While these technologies may improve supply reliability, environmental sustainability, and ingredient consistency, they also present new regulatory questions.

Rigby said AHPA continues to advocate for regulatory clarity surrounding FDA’s interpretation of dietary ingredients and when a New Dietary Ingredient Notification (NDIN) is required, particularly as manufacturing technologies evolve.

“We firmly believe that a clear, direct regulatory pathway must exist for innovative ingredients to ensure a safe, visible marketplace that provides consumer access to beneficial new products without forcing companies to bypass the dietary ingredient framework entirely,” he said.

Rigby also noted that regulatory identity and consumer labeling should remain separate considerations. Even when novel production methods generate compounds comparable to botanical ingredients, consumers deserve clear information about how those ingredients are produced.

“Sourcing practices and manufacturing methods matter deeply to the public,” Rigby said. “Therefore, dietary supplement labeling must remain distinct, transparent, and accurate so it does not confuse or mislead consumers regarding whether an ingredient is a traditionally harvested botanical or the product of a novel technology or manufacturing method.”

Majeed likewise believes clear regulatory expectations ultimately benefit consumers and responsible manufacturers.

“The long-term effect of tightening regulation will be a healthier, more trustworthy marketplace,” he said. “The short-term compliance burden will shake out some of the less scrupulous players, which is a reasonable trade.”

Sustainability and Supply Security

Climate variability, geopolitical uncertainty, and growing demand for popular botanicals have intensified discussions around sustainable sourcing and long-term ingredient availability.

Many suppliers have expanded investments in regenerative agriculture, organic production, and closer relationships with growers to improve both environmental stewardship and supply resilience.

Meanwhile, emerging technologies such as precision fermentation and plant cell cultivation may complement traditional agriculture by improving ingredient availability while reducing pressure on natural resources.

However, transparency will need to accompany technological innovation, Rigby noted. “The definitive opportunity — and challenge — for our industry will be successfully balancing cutting-edge technological innovation with authentic botanical stewardship,” he said.

“Consumers deserve access to state-of-the-art wellness options, but they also possess a fundamental right to know exactly where their products come from,” Rigby continued. “Maintaining this balance through clear safety standards, transparent supply chains, and honest consumer communication will be essential to sustaining public trust and ensuring the long-term vitality of the herbal marketplace.”

Majeed said plant cell cultivation is promising, particularly for high-value ingredients, “but as a complement to, not a replacement for, well-managed traditional agricultural sourcing.”

“For botanicals with deep traditional use and well-established safety profiles, the evidence base and consumer recognition built around the cultivated, whole-plant-derived form are themselves assets that cell culture cannot simply replicate,” Majeed said.

Sustaining Success

With consumer interest in preventive health accelerating, industry leaders expect herbal supplements to remain one of the strongest-performing segments within the dietary supplement market.

However, success will depend on more than identifying the next trending botanical. Instead, brands that clearly connect botanical ingredients to specific wellness benefits while supporting those claims with quality, transparency, and science will be best positioned to succeed.

“The companies that will define this market in 10 years are already investing in placebo-controlled human studies, in bioavailability characterization, and in the kind of transparent communication about what their ingredients can and cannot do that builds genuine trust with physicians, dietitians, and informed consumers,” said Majeed.

Roy agreed that trend will continue as retailers and consumers become more selective.

“The ingredient may get the shopper’s attention, but the benefit is what helps shoppers narrow down to their exact needs,” he said. “Products that feel too broad, too duplicative, or too dependent on a trending ingredient without a strong reason to buy will have a harder time standing out.”

Scientific validation, secure and authentic sourcing, transparent labeling, and responsible manufacturing are benchmarks by which products and companies are judged. At the same time, success will hinge on translating traditional herbal ingredients into clearly defined wellness solutions that resonate with today’s consumers.

For an industry built on centuries of botanical knowledge, the next phase of growth will depend on pairing that heritage with the evidence, quality systems, and benefit-driven innovation expected by today’s informed consumers.