40% of Women Take Health Foods and Supplements, Mainly for Nutritional Support and Beauty Benefits

Cross Marketing Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Mikito Igarashi) conducted a nationwide survey titled 'Survey on Health Foods and Supplements (2026)' targeting men and women aged 20 to 69. The health food and supplement market is expanding rapidly, with a surge in product variety. Beyond traditional tablets and capsules, convenient formats such as gummies and jellies are increasingly available. This survey examined actual usage patterns, purposes, ingredients consumed, and the attitudes of both users and non-users.

◆ For more survey results, visit:

https://www.cross-m.co.jp/report/trend-eye/20260617supplement

Survey Results

Approximately one in three people uses health foods or supplements.

The usage rate among men is 26.4%, while among women it is 39.8%, showing a 13.4 percentage point gap. By age group, usage is highest among those in their 30s and 40s, and lowest among those in their 20s.

Regarding dosage forms, 'tablet type' accounts for 58.8%, overwhelmingly dominant.

Formats such as 'gummy type' and 'jelly type' remain in the single digits, though a certain number of respondents consume edible forms.

The top reason for use is 'to supplement nutrients lacking in diet' at 37.4%, followed by 'to recover from fatigue or tiredness' and 'to improve gut health'.

For women, 'beauty purposes such as skin and hair' ranks second.

The most consumed ingredients are vitamin C, multivitamins/multimineral, and B-complex vitamins, which top the list.

Men show higher consumption of 'multivitamins/multimineral', 'zinc', and 'DHA/EPA', while women prefer 'vitamin C', 'iron', and 'collagen'. Significant gender differences are observed in ingredient preferences.

Among supplement users, 29.4% said, 'Honestly, I don’t really know if they’re effective.'

26.9% stated, 'I don’t feel the effects, but I take them like a good-luck charm,' and 14.8% said, 'I continue taking them without much thought.' This suggests that continued use is driven more by habit and reassurance than by perceived effectiveness.

Among non-users, 'not very interested in supplements' was the most common reason at 20.8%, followed by 'don’t believe they are truly effective' at 16.0%.

Survey Items

□ Demographic questions

□ Usage status and dosage forms of health foods and supplements

□ Reasons for use

□ Ingredients consumed

□ User attitudes

□ Non-user attitudes

◆ Download the cross-tabulation tables here:

https://www.cross-m.co.jp/report/trend-eye/20260617supplement

Survey Overview

Method: Internet research (using Cross Marketing’s self-administered survey tool 'QiQUMO')

Region: All 47 prefectures nationwide

Target: Men and women aged 20–69

Period: June 12 (Fri) – 13 (Sat), 2026

Valid responses: 1,100 samples

* Due to rounding, percentages may not total exactly 100%.

【Company Overview】

Company: Cross Marketing Co., Ltd. https://www.cross-m.co.jp/

Headquarters: 24F, Tokyo Opera City Tower, 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Founded: April 1, 2003

Representative: President and CEO Mikito Igarashi

Business: Marketing research services and related consulting

◆ Media Inquiries ◆

Marketing Department, Public Relations Cross Marketing Co., Ltd.

TEL: 03-6859-1192 FAX: 03-6859-2275

E-mail: [email protected]

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