This survey examined consumer awareness and actual conditions regarding nutritional ingredients among 1,236 men and women in their 20s to 70s who are conscious of health and nutrition and consume health foods at least once a week. It is the first wave of a longitudinal survey that began in 2026.

Regarding actual ingredient intake, protein and dietary fiber ranked highly in meals, while vitamin C and zinc ranked highly in health foods, confirming that each ingredient tends to be associated with either meals or health foods. For perceived deficiencies, minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc ranked highly, with women particularly strongly perceiving deficiencies, and methods of supplementation also differing by ingredient.

Awareness of ingredients and awareness of their effects did not necessarily coincide, and ingredients were broadly classified into specialized types linked to a particular effect and multi types spanning multiple effects. Images and expected benefits of ingredients differ by gender and age, with the value sought changing according to life stage, while differences in individual perceptions also appear in the preferred wording for amounts included.

Although ingredients themselves tend to be emphasized in ingredient selection, compatibility with dosage forms was also confirmed, such as iron with gummies, protein with powder, and collagen with drinks. In the ideal Perfect Supplement, combinations of closely related ingredients are preferred, and future intake intention exceeded current intake rates for all ingredients, suggesting unmet needs and room for future growth.

Survey Overview

To understand consumer awareness and actual conditions regarding nutritional ingredients, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,236 men and women in their 20s to 70s who are conscious of health and nutrition and consume health foods, namely supplements, protein supplements, or green juice, at least once a week. This survey is the first wave of a longitudinal survey that began in 2026.

First, regarding actual ingredient intake, protein and dietary fiber ranked highly in meals, while vitamin C and zinc ranked highly in health foods, confirming that each ingredient tends to be associated with either meals or health foods. In contrast, for perceived deficiencies, minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc ranked highly, with women particularly strongly perceiving deficiencies, and methods of supplementation also differing by ingredient.

Next, regarding the level of awareness of ingredients, awareness of ingredients and awareness of their effects did not necessarily coincide, and ingredients were found to be broadly classified into specialized types linked to a particular effect and multi types spanning multiple effects. In addition, competition among ingredients for the same purpose, or ingredient switching, was also confirmed, and the competitive environment by function has been visualized for vitamin D, zinc, and other ingredients.

Images and expected benefits of ingredients also differ by gender and age, and the value sought is not uniform even for the same ingredient. For example, among lactic acid bacteria, younger men have high needs related to sleep and stress, women in middle age have high needs related to improved bowel movements, and older people have high needs related to immunity, confirming that the expected benefits change according to life stage. In addition, differences in individual perceptions cause differences in the wording preferred for amounts included, suggesting the importance of understanding user backgrounds.

Meanwhile, although ingredients themselves tend to be emphasized in ingredient selection, compatibility with dosage forms was also confirmed in some cases. Specifically, iron is compatible with gummies for convenience, protein with powder for absorption rate, and collagen with drinks for immediate effectiveness, indicating that product forms are selected according to ingredient characteristics.

Furthermore, in the ideal Perfect Supplement, combinations of closely related ingredients are preferred, and the top 10 ingredients, including vitamin C, DHA and EPA, and collagen, were found to cover the needs of approximately 70 percent of health food users. In addition, future intake intention exceeds current intake rates for all ingredients, suggesting the existence of unmet needs and room for future growth.

This survey comprehensively examines awareness and actual intake of 35 major nutritional ingredients and provides detailed analysis by gender and age, as well as by eight clusters: Life Guard Type, Fem Type, Healthy Type, Strength Training Type, Skin Maintenance Type, Body Maintenance Type, Cost Performance Type, and Low Effort Type.

35 Major Ingredients

• Vitamin A (β-carotene)
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Folic acid
• Iron
• Calcium
• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Dietary fiber
• Indigestible dextrin
• Protein (protein supplement)
• Amino acids
• Glycine
• Collagen
• Hyaluronic acid
• Ceramide
• Proteoglycan
• Glucosamine
• Chondroitin
• Lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria
• DHA and EPA
• Omega 3 fatty acids
• GABA
• Citric acid
• Lycopene
• Sesamin
• Lutein
• Isoflavones
• Equol
• Coenzyme Q10
• CBD
• NMN
• CBP

Main Survey Content

• Dietary habits, lifestyle habits, and health concerns
• Awareness and images of ingredients
• Awareness of ingredients, intake status, and expected benefits
• Key points for health foods by ingredient
• Manufacturers of foods and health foods currently used by ingredient
• Future intake intention by ingredient and dosage form

Survey Date

January 20, 2026

Survey Method

Web based questionnaire survey

Survey area: Nationwide

Subjects

Subjects: Men and women in their 20s to 70s who are conscious of health and nutrition and consume health foods, namely supplements, protein supplements, or green juice, at least once a week

1,236 men and women in their 20s to 70s, selected from 10,000 men and women in their 20s to 70s

Report Format

A4 size, 135 pages

Publication Date

March 19, 2026

• ■Survey Overview
• ■Respondent Characteristics
• ■Preliminary Survey
• ■Main Survey

Analysis Section

• 1-1. Ingredients Compatible with Meals and Health Foods (Intake Rates from Meals and Health Foods)
• 1-2. Ingredients Compatible with Meals and Health Foods (Relationship with Deficient Ingredients)
• 2. Whether Ingredients Are Consumed to Make Up for Deficits or to Gain Benefits
• 3. Ingredients × Known Effects
• Reference: Ingredients × Known Effects (Extracted from Ingredients Ranked 10th and Below)
• 4. Ingredients × Expected Benefits
• Reference: Ingredients × Expected Benefits (Gaps by Gender and Age Group)
• 5. Competitive Situation of Ingredients
• 6. Ingredients Compatible with Dosage Forms
• 7. Combinations of Compatible Ingredients
• 8. Ingredients with Growing Future Demand
• 9-1. Protein (1)
• 9-2. Protein (2)
• 10. Collagen
• 11. Amino Acids
• 12-1. Dietary Fiber (1)
• 12-2. Dietary Fiber (2)
• 13-1. Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria (1)
• 13-2. Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria (2)
• 13-3. Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria (3)
• 14. Vitamin C
• 15. Proteoglycan
• 16-1. Equol (1)
• 16-2. Equol (2)
• 17-1. Analysis by Cluster: Life Guard Type
• 17-2. Analysis by Cluster: Fem Type
• 17-3. Analysis by Cluster: Healthy Type
• 17-4. Analysis by Cluster: Strength Training Type
• 17-5. Analysis by Cluster: Skin Maintenance Type
• 17-6. Analysis by Cluster: Body Maintenance Type
• 17-7. Analysis by Cluster: Cost Performance Type
• 17-8. Analysis by Cluster: Low Effort Type

Tabulation Section

• 1. Attitudes and Ideas About Meals (SA)
• 2. Dietary Initiatives (MA)
• 3. Usual Lifestyle Habits (MA)
• 4-1. Health Metrics of Concern (MA)
• 4-2. Health Metric of Greatest Concern (SA)
• 5-1. Known Ingredients (MA)
• 5-2. Ingredients Perceived as Deficient (MA)
• 5-3. Ingredients Intentionally Consumed in Meals (MA)
• 5-4. Ingredients Intentionally Consumed in Health Foods (MA)
• 6-1. Ingredients That Decrease with Age (MA)
• 6-2. Ingredients That Cannot Be Synthesized in the Body (MA)
• 6-3. Ingredients Difficult to Obtain from Meals (MA)
• 6-4. Ingredients Requiring Caution Against Excessive Intake (MA)
• 6-5. Ingredients That Need to Be Replenished Frequently Because They Are Quickly Excreted (MA)
• 6-6. Ingredients for Which Timing of Intake Is Considered Important (MA)
• 6-7. Ingredients That People Would Be Pleased to Find Added to Foods or Beverages (MA)
• 6-8. Ingredients That Have Attracted Attention with Age (MA)
• 6-9. Ingredients Associated with a Specific Company or Brand (MA)
• 7. Reasons for Intentionally Consuming That Ingredient (MA)
• 8. Effects Known for That Ingredient (MA)
• 9. Expected Benefits of That Ingredient (MA)
• 10. Switch Ingredients by Effect (MA)
• 11. Food Sources from Which Ingredients Are Consumed (MA)
• 12. Appealing Health Ingredients (MA)
• 13. Challenges in Consuming Ingredients (MA)
• 14. Key Points for Health Foods (MA)
• 15. Manufacturers Whose Products Are Consumed (MA)
• 16. Image of Protein (MA)
• 17. Key Considerations When Consuming Protein (MA)
• 18. Expectations and Understanding of Collagen (SA)
• 19. Degree of Importance of Collagen (SA)
• 20. Knowledge About Amino Acids (SA)
• 21. Types of Amino Acids Intentionally Consumed (MA)
• 22-1. What Is Generally Thought to Occur When Dietary Fiber Is Deficient (MA)
• 22-2. What Is Thought to Occur to Oneself When Dietary Fiber Is Deficient (MA)
• 23. Expressions Representing an Appealing Amount of Dietary Fiber (SA)
• 24. Benefits Thought to Be Obtained Through Improving the Intestinal Environment (MA)
• 25. Types of Lactic Acid Bacteria Intentionally Consumed (MA)
• 26-1. Key Considerations When Taking Measures for the Intestinal Environment (MA)
• 26-2. Most Important Consideration When Taking Measures for the Intestinal Environment (SA)
• 27. Things Thought to Be Related to Vitamin C (MA)
• 28. Positioning of Proteoglycan (SA)
• 29. Trigger for Equol Intake (MA)
• 30-1. Ingredients Desired for Future Intake in Meals (MA)
• 30-2. Ingredients Desired for Future Intake in Health Foods (MA)
• 30-3. High Priority Ingredients Among Those Desired for Intake in Health Foods (MA)
• 31. Desired Dosage Forms for Intake (MA)
• 32. What Is Desired from Health Foods (MA)
• 33. Ingredients Desired in the Ideal Perfect Supplement (MA)
• 34. Health Concerns (MA)
• 35. Values and Lifestyle (SA)