Creating the Spark for the Supplement Industry

Many companies in the nutritional supplement industry, including those companies offering vitamins, minerals and herbal products, are thriving in one of the fastest growing industries. 

An industry that got its spark almost 40 years ago.

By 2021, the Nutritional Business Journal expects the nutritional supplement industry will be pulling in $60 billion in revenue.

While that explosive growth can be attributed to a handful of reasons, the industry’s spark was started in the 1970s. That spark came when Kenneth Brailsford started filling gelatin capsules with herbal powders as a co-founder of Nature’s Sunshine.

This new technology, with easier to dissolve gelatin capsules rather than hard tablets, changed the way supplements delivered the benefits to the users. Today, thousands of supplements, if not millions, are encapsulated in gelatin capsules. This affordable method of delivering the benefits of supplements completely altered the industry and led the way to the explosive growth in the industry today.

This gelatin technology offered substantial benefits over hard tablets at the time for both manufacturers and consumers.  Gelatin capsules made it easier to digest supplements. The body dissolves the gelatin quickly to ensure the ingredients inside aren't passed through the digestive system.

Gelatin capsules are particularly beneficial when it comes to taking certain ingredients that are difficult to absorb. Coenzyme Q10, carotenoids and many herbal extracts are stabilized and solubilized to enhance the effectiveness of the nutrients and then made more bioavailable through gelatin capsule encapsulation.

Soft gelatin capsules are also easier to swallow with their smooth texture and lack of taste. Yet they still hide the unpleasant taste of many natural ingredients including fish oil and bitter herbal ingredients. 

With close to four decades of use, gelatin capsules continue to offer companies a safe way to deliver nutritional ingredients to the public.

By utilizing this new technology during the 70’s, Brailsford started the nutritional supplement industry on a successful and still growing path.

Recognizing Opportunity for Success

When Kenneth Brailsford purchased Nature’s Labs in 1985 and renamed it Enrich International a year later, he recognized the growing demand for unique products developed to help consumers be more physically fit and feel younger and healthier.

Looking back, there is no question, Brailsford was right when he told the Deseret News in 1994 people would want more and more products to improve their health. From 1992 to 1993, Enrich’s revenue almost tripled from $25 million to $68 million and grew to more than $94 million in 1995.

With that foresight and understanding of the market, Brailsford has been recognizing opportunities for success and capitalizing on those opportuinites in the nutrition market ever since.  

Brailsford recognized the opportunity for success after viewing a documentary about Moringa oleifera. By recognizing all the benefits the plant had to offer, Brailsford founded Zija International in 2005. From 2010 to 2013, Zija International saw a 906 percent growth in sales and was ranked on Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 5000.

Direct Selling News also recently listed Zija International as one of the top direct selling companies in the world when it released its list of the top 100 network-marketing list “Global 100.”

Brailsford’s more than 40 years of experience, understanding of the market and recognition of opportunity for success have helped Zija flourish.

Zija recently announced a new line of products to add to the already extensive product line Zija offers to its more than 185,000 distributors. The new line of products focuses on improving the benefits of regular exercise with a pre-workout, recovery, hydration and endurance support mix.

Zija now offers this nutritional line of products along with additional natural nutritional mixes, energy mixes, a weight management system and a line of skin care products.