SECAUCUS, N.J. — The Vitamin Shoppe has released “Health & Wellness Trend Report 2026,” revealing five key consumer trends shaping the wellness landscape and the future of the dietary supplements category. The report draws on proprietary retail sales and search data from more than 640 of The Vitamin Shoppe's stores and vitaminshoppe.com, along with a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by Talker Research.
This year's top five defining trends are: fiber's emergence as a foundational wellness category; liver health's evolution from occasional detoxes to daily support; growing demand for trademarked ingredients; rising expectations for transparency; and flavor innovations that are transforming the supplement experience.
The research yields insights into how Americans approach wellness. Despite an abundance of health information and optimization tools, many consumers are choosing to simplify their routines. Forty-four percent report that they are focusing on foundational habits such as quality sleep, regular movement, hydration, and nutrition, compared with 21% who are pursuing more advanced optimization strategies.
Across all generations, consumers are navigating an increasingly complex wellness landscape, with half saying they feel empowered by the growing availability of health information and tools and one-third feeling overwhelmed. Notably, men are more likely to feel empowered (59%) than women (46%).
Generational differences are also clear: 70% of Gen Z consumers feel pressure to keep up with the latest health and wellness trends, compared with 31% of Boomers. And 53% of Gen Z frequently experience "health FOMO," a fear of missing out on their health goals if they don't keep current with trends and tools.
"This year's report reflects the contrasting dynamics of today's consumer, who is increasingly informed and discerning," The Vitamin Shoppe CEO Sharon Leite said in a press release. "Innovation still matters, but credibility has become the ultimate differentiator. Consumers are gravitating toward products that combine scientific validation, transparent sourcing, trusted ingredients, and seamless integration into everyday life. The result is an industry that is becoming both more sophisticated and more grounded in practical outcomes."
The report’s key trends:
• TikTok triggers a fiber movement: Once associated primarily with digestive regularity, fiber has become one of the fastest-growing wellness categories, driven by TikTok's "fibermaxxing" trend, expanding consumer awareness of the gut microbiome, and increasing interest in metabolic health and GLP-1 nutrition. Fiber category sales at The Vitamin Shoppe have increased 20% year to date, while searches at the company’s website for "fiber" have risen 59% and "psyllium husk" by 150%.
Nearly 70% of Americans report actively trying to expand their fiber intake through food, supplements or both, according to Dr. Sarah Jamison, a member of The Vitamin Shoppe Wellness Council, who identifies fiber as one of the few nutrients that simultaneously supports multiple aspects of wellness.
• Liver health evolves beyond detox: Consumers increasingly view liver health as an important element of long-term metabolic wellness, vitality, and healthy aging. More than half of surveyed respondents describe liver health as "very important" to overall wellness.
Searches for "liver health" on vitaminshoppe.com have jumped nearly 700% this year, while liver cleanse sales have almost doubled. One of the biggest drivers of growth has been the liquid supplement brand Dose, which boosted sales over 160% and accounts for more than 60% of all liver health sales at The Vitamin Shoppe.
• Trademarked ingredients become trusted brands: Shoppers increasingly recognize trademarked ingredients such as KSM-66, Magtein, and Niagen as markers of quality and scientific validation. Nearly two-thirds of consumers say they trust trademarked ingredients more than generic alternatives, and The Vitamin Shoppe has seen searches for sought-after branded ingredients like Creapure and PeptiStrong multiply by up to 400% this year.
• Transparency emerges as a competitive advantage: Whether it's full ingredient disclosure on labels, evidence of clinically effective dosages, or easy access to third-party certifications and formula standards, supplement shoppers increasingly expect brands to clearly demonstrate what's inside their products. The survey found that 47% of consumers have decided not to purchase a supplement because the label or formula lacked sufficient transparency.
• Flavor innovation transforms key categories: As formulations across many supplement categories become more comparable, brands are now competing through compelling flavor experiences that drive both trial and long-term loyalty.
From candy-inspired pre-workouts and soda-flavored energy drinks to key lime pie protein bars and cereal milk protein powders, flavor has become an essential engine of product innovation. More than half of consumers say flavor meaningfully influences their supplement purchase decisions, and the sports nutrition brands best known for memorable flavors are posting double-digit sales growth at The Vitamin Shoppe.
Taken together, these top trends reveal consumers who are embracing both discovery and the fundamentals of good health.
Yet the report also finds that most Americans continue to view their own wellness as a work in progress. When asked to grade their own health, only 20% awarded themselves an "A," while 31% gave themselves a "B" and 37% a "C, reinforcing the ongoing opportunity for the wellness industry to support healthier habits with products that combine meaningful innovation with scientific credibility, trusted quality, and everyday relevance.
