In Case You Haven't Heard…

Abstract

A growing proactive health movement is driving consumers to treat food as a means to prevent, manage and possibly even reverse certain conditions, Food Business News reported Aug. 27. “What we see is an increase in the number of people who are trying products to make themselves better in the long term,” said Darren Seifer, a food and beverage industry analyst for The NPD Group, a market research company. Around 80% of consumers have adopted a “food as medicine” approach to eating, according to Nielsen, the data analytics company, and The NPD Group found a quarter of U.S. adults are actively trying to manage their health through food. Dairy, sodium and sugar are the most commonly avoided foods. While older adults may seek medicinal foods to treat physical ailments like aging joints or improve heart health, younger people are turning to food to manage issues like stress and anxiety. “Gen Z is starting to expect mental health as part of an overall health and wellness regimen,” Seifer said. “It's not just about parts of the body you can see or feel, it's also about the mind.”