The Market for Dietary Supplements in Georgia: Trends of Development

Background: The desire of individuals to live longer, be healthier, and have a higher quality of life has resulted in a rise in both the production and consumption of dietary supplements throughout the past 20 years.This trend has led to scientific interest since the basis for producing and effectively using supplements is based only on scientific research.The scientific studies increase public confidence in the potential effects of dietary supplements, which in turn affects consumer demand.Objectives: This study set out to determine the proportion of items offered on the local market based on their composition and intended use, as well as their country of origin.Methods: The register of the National Food Agency of Georgia was used as the primary information source.The secondary database has been elaborated by extracting data from the register: items, manufacturers, and business-operators information.Information was searched for all individual items (2381 items) to get the target data.The accomplished secondary database was processed statistically using Excel tools.Results: From May 25, 2023, to January 13, 2024, the National Food Agency registered 2381 items of dietary supplements from 44 countries.The vast majority (up to 99%) of the product range is imported.The five leading countries in the product range are the United Kingdom, the USA, Poland, Germany, and Italy.By the content of the composition, there were the following groups distinguished: vitamins, minerals, vitamins, and minerals in combination, herbal, amino acids, proteins, fatty acids, pre-and probiotics, enzymes, various biogenic compounds, and various combinations of the listed groups.Supplements of combined composition are presented in the most significant amount, followed by herbal supplements or supplements containing botanicals, and in third place are combined forms of vitamins and minerals.The segmentation of the supplements by their functional purpose showed the preeminence of the group for the human body's metabolic processes and energy.In terms of action on the function of individual systems, supplements affecting the function of the digestive system were in the leading position.Conclusions: The study confirmed the meager rate of local production, which is noteworthy because dietary supplement manufacturing provides essential products for consumers, creates employment opportunities, and stimulates the country's economic progress.In terms of composition, the most significant part of the products presented on the market is combined.Regarding the possible risks of dietary supplements containing multiple ingredients, it is appropriate to develop measures to avoid them.By functional segmentation, most presented supplements justify their primary purpose -maintenance of physiological processes, which is confirmed by the high share of the groups as metabolism regulation, adaptogenic, energetic, and general wellness.It is essential to conduct consumer profile research to assess the representation of the local market trends of dietary supplements.In this regard, it is considerable to reveal the opinions of health professionals, consumers, and other interested experts who will contribute to the sustainable development of dietary supplements in Georgia.