Veganism, VMS & The Rise Of The Conscientious Consumer

Some people watch horror films. Some people tell ghost stories. Others dabble in the paranormal. We, on the other hand, think back to a time when a vegan consumer didn’t have options.

*shudders*

For many years, people who led a plant based life were expected to forgo the thrill of choice paralysis because there was only one, or even no, option available to them. Their commitment, which was widely viewed as a fringe or eccentric lifestyle meant they were pushed (forced*) into a life of culinary abstinence. Even as recently as a decade ago, plant based eating was viewed as the domain of activists or hippies rather than everyday people, and littered with claims of health issues and nutritional deficiencies. Haunting.

But over time, the vegan profile underwent a radical image overhaul as people realised two key things.

The transition didn’t have to be all or nothing. They could cut back on animal products without having to completely give them up.
A vegan diet was not a sacrificial offering of one’s own life in the name of plant and animal power. It was a positive environmental and ethical decision.

Which takes us to now. More and more people — whether they identify as vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, flexitarian, or omnivore — are choosing to incorporate vegan and plant-based meals into their way of eating.

The number of vegans in Great Britain quadrupled between 2014 and 2019, while research by Ipsos in 2022 found that 46% of Brits aged 16-75 are considering reducing their intake of animal products in the future. And as the figures swell, so do the market and commercial opportunities.

Especially the VMS sector.

The demand for vegan supplements continues to grow rapidly, with increasing levels of dietary, ethical and environmental awareness, a rapidly growing number of vegans and, crucially, plant based athletes and public figures proving to be the key drivers.

The beauty industry is perhaps the best example of this shift, with many brands focusing on (and being expected to use) ingredients that are cruelty free and ethically sourced – and this directly translates into the ingestible space.

But while conscientiousness is driving the growth in vegan supplements, on the supply side, there’s more to think about.

As nutritious and wholesome as plant based living is, nutrient deficiency is still a very real concern. Vegan supplements with optimised ingredient profiles for specific nutritional needs are therefore important in filling the gap and empowering people to live the life they choose in good health. Luckily, developments in technology, research and ingredient processing mean it is now possible to create more consumable, efficacious concepts that rival the animal based originals.

And we have an entire range that is available and ready to go. We’ve spent years perfecting vegan friendly gummies and softgel developments, including products that you’ll only get at HTC Health;

Plantegrity: our improved vegan softgels.
Vollegan: our amino acid profile that is plant derived and replicates the amino acid profile of marine collagen.
Algae Oil softgel: our alternative to fish oils.