02.01.10
A new report from Frost & Sullivan titled “U.S. Eye Health Ingredients Markets” provides market drivers, challenges, revenue forecasts at total market, segment and sub-segment levels, detailed industry structure analysis, and competitive structure analysis.
In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts examine the following market segments: lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, beta-carotene and bilberry extracts.
This research service tracks the key trends in the U.S. eye health ingredients markets, while also quantifying the markets in terms of revenue and unit shipment. Key companies and their position in their relevant market segments are analyzed. It provides revenue forecasts at a total market and segment level, from 2009 to 2015.
With the exception of lutein, eye health ingredients do not score high on the consumer awareness index, compelling its suppliers to make more concerted efforts to educate their end-user markets on the benefits of their products.
Their initiatives received a thrust with the release of the second age-related eye diseases study (AREDS2), which includes the evaluation of the advantages of a blend of lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega 3 fatty acids in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Market participants and research organizations such as the National Eye Institute are intensifying their research and marketing endeavors to generate more consumer awareness about the health benefits of both established and emerging eye health ingredients. Improving consumer knowledge of preventive healthcare, along with the rising incidence of eye diseases, has expanded the market for eye health ingredients.
The American population is challenged by the growing incidence of age- and lifestyle-related degenerative eye diseases including cataracts, glaucoma, AMD and diabetic retinopathy, says the analyst of this research. Of these, AMD is the most easily treatable with the correct nutrition.
AMD presents huge opportunities to eye health ingredients suppliers, since it is the cause of blindness among 54% of all blind white Americans, or in other words, it causes vision loss in more than 1 out of 10 white Americans. A variety of factors including age, smoking, ultraviolet (UV) exposure and occupational hazards combine to increase the prevalence of such eye diseases.
An increasingly aging population augurs well for the market, as does consumers desire to ingest the right nutrients to prevent diseases due to the escalating healthcare costs in the U.S. While these consumer trends give market participants much to cheer about, the unclear regulations regarding the use of eye health ingredients hamper their widespread acceptance. FDA has not recommended a safe upper limit for ingredients such as lutein, zeaxanthin, bilberry extract and beta-carotene, making consumers apprehensive about these ingredients dosage levels in both functional foods and dietary supplements.
Moreover, FDA has not evaluated natural extracts—especially bilberry extracts—for safety, effectiveness or purity. This is one of the primary reasons that companies sell low-quality, adulterated bilberry extracts either with cheap, alternative berry extracts (raspberry, blackberry, black currant or elderberry) or banned and carcinogenic amaranth dye.