Zambetti P. Global market growth for dietary supplements. Accessed at: http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com. Posted on: April 17, 2008 n/a.

Dietary and nutritional supplement sales continue to increase worldwide and were expected to reach $53.4 billion in 2007. While this is only a 4.7% increase over $51 billion spent in 2006, sales have risen 38.7% from 1997's $38.5 billion.

The Asian Pacific region leads 2006 global sales with $22.6 billion (44.2% market share), with China the major consuming nation. Calcium is the top seller in China and worldwide. Protein powder, often given as a gift in protein-poor China, is the second biggest seller. Other supplements, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) products, top $1.6 billion in China. Both China and Japan prefer combination formulas, with probiotics and prune (Prunus domestica) extracts also popular in Japan.

The North American market has sales close to $16.4 billion (32.2% market share), with the US the leading consumer. Fish oil, coenzyme Q (CoQ10), probiotics, glucosamine, lutein, zeaxanthin, SAM-e, phytosterol esters, and resveratrol are supplements on the rise in this region. Heavily-marketed noni (Morinda citrifolia) brought in over $260 million in sales. Negative media reports, perhaps based on flawed meta-analyses, led to declining sales of vitamin E, ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), echinacea (Echinacea spp.), garlic (Allium sativum), evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) oil, and ginseng (variety not specified). In the US, supplements claiming specific eye, joint, and heart health benefits for aging baby boomers account for almost half of all sales. Multivitamins, accounting for 58% of vitamin sales, remain leaders. Sports nutrition products grew 23% in 2006 and will top $12.7 billion by 2011. Weight control and glucose management products are also increasing in popularity.

Western European sales reached $7.4 billion (14.4% market share), with significant growth in several nations. "Niche products" do well in larger European markets, such as Germany, where minerals, tonics and echinacea are most popular, and Italy, where minerals and nutricosmetics – also popular in France – lead. Probiotics are growing in popularity in Italy, due to their contribution to managing Crohn's disease, linked to pasta consumption. Fish oils, a traditional supplement, lead in the UK, but other supplements are growing.

Latin American sales of $1.6 billion (3.1% market share) were dominated by multivitamins and vitamin C. Brazil is the leading Latin American market. Eastern Europe, with sales of $1.4 billion (2.7% market share), has seen a 313% increase in supplements since 1997, fueled by increased per capita spending. Minerals, fish oil, CoQ10 and glucosamine are regional leaders. The leading market is Russia, where dietary supplements overtook vitamins in sales in 2003. Poland is second-largest, with Romania, one of the fastest-growing markets, sixth.

Africa, the Middle East, and Australasia combined for $1.58 billion in sales in 2006 (3% market share). In Africa and the Middle East, multivitamins, vitamins B and C are market leaders.