The bone & joint health market is looking younger as it expands beyond older consumers.
Bone and joint health finished products are seeing an uptick in demand among older and younger consumers alike. Consumers are increasingly aware of bone and joint health, and are interested in nature-derived supplements that can preserve bone density and joint function. This growing awareness is creating a bone and joint health market that looks younger than ever before. While older consumers still seek out solutions for their existing bone and joint health issues, younger consumers are taking a more preventative approach. As the bone and joint health market continues to grow, expect a wide array of natural solutions to crop up that cater to this niche. Here are just some of the ways that finished-product manufacturers are capitalizing on growing demand for bone and joint health products.
Bone and Joint Health Market on the Rise
The global bone and joint health market, worth $4.74 billion in 2025, is predicted to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 7.19 percent through 2034, according to Precedence Research. The research report in question notes that North America dominates the market with a 33 percent share of revenue, while Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing new market for bone and joint health products. While vitamins maintain dominance in the bone and joint health market, other ingredients like glucosamine are rapidly growing.
Neil Levin, CCN, DANLA, senior nutrition education manager for NOW Health Group in Bloomingdale, IL, noted that there have been increases in sales of ingredients like turmeric, vitamin D3, vitamin K2 and omega-3 fish oils.
“We’re seeing growth in demand in multiple areas,” Levin said. “As more of the Baby Boomer generation hits senior citizen status, those willing to invest in anti-aging regimens are eager to try products that promise to keep us flexible and moving. But younger people, athletes especially, also have challenges for joints and mobility.”
As the bone and joint health market grows, finished-product manufacturers are capitalizing on this demand by diversifying their product lines. Lauren Clardy, senior director of branded ingredients for Maypro in Purchase, NY, said that while the industry is still embracing single-ingredient products like glucosamine and chondroitin, savvy brand leaders are developing multi-ingredient products that provide comprehensive bone and joint support. Ståle Søfting, sales and marketing director for GC Rieber in Norway, noted that successful bone and joint health products frequently combine popular ingredients like calcium, vitamin D3, collagen, magnesium and more. Søfting said that many of these ingredients have synergistic effects when combined.
As bone and joint health take priority for consumers, finished-product manufacturers are responding with specialized supplements that combine research-backed ingredients to both reduce inflammation and support joint function. Xavier Berger, global market manager, mobility and joint health for Gnosis by Lesaffre, said that brands are positioning these products as proactive solutions for active consumers.
New Ingredients Take Center Stage
While bone and joint health mainstays like calcium and chondroitin are still popular among consumers, emerging new ingredients are making inroads in the market, capturing both consumer interest and significant market share. Levin explained that ingredients like vitamin K2 and collagen have experienced more growth in the last several years than some of the staple SKUs commonly known to support bone and joint health; he pointed to the growth of the herbal category as a driving factor that has helped curcumin to succeed in the bone and joint health category.
“One of NOW’s best-selling joint health products is the UC-II undenatured Type II collagen supplement,” Levin noted. “NOW uses UC-II in a simple formulation, supplying 40 mg in a base of Aquamin, a seaweed-derived ingredient, in an easy-to-swallow capsule taken before bedtime. Research indicates that Aquamin, a multi-mineral complex, may support proper bone mineralization and helps to regulate key factors involved in the normal immune system response to typical joint usage.”
Other emerging ingredients include a variety of botanicals. Clardy noted that botanical ingredients like celery seed extract are gaining attention in natural remedies for joint pain and stiffness. The active compound in celery seed extract, apigenin, appears to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Clardy said that apigenin has been found to be beneficial for joint pain, especially in inflammatory conditions like gout and rheumatoid arthritis.
“Maypro’s AppleActiv-DAPP supports joint comfort, encourages healthy range of motion, and promotes healthy joint function,” Clardy noted. “It does this by down-regulating inflammatory biomarkers, such as COX-2, IL-6 and TNF-alpha, while inducing positive biomarkers, such as PCG-1 alpha. AppleActiv’s joint health claims are supported by a 12-week pilot study.”
Clardy explained that the pilot study in question examined the effects of AppleActiv-DAPP on serum antioxidant capacity, range of motion, and joint pain over the course of 12 weeks. The subjects taking AppleActiv-DAP exhibited improved range of motion in as little as two weeks, with statistically significant reductions in joint pain after four weeks.
Another unique ingredient for joint health is agmatine, a metabolite of the amino acid arginine. Gad M. Gilad, PhD, co-founder of Gilad & Gilad in Las Vegas, NV, said that agmatine has been shown to promote osteoarticular health in both animal studies and human clinical trials.
“Agmatine, with its postulated molecular shotgun effect, is unique because as a single molecule it provides neuroprotection by modulating multiple molecular mechanisms critical for cell survival,” Gilad said. “And importantly, agmatine exerts its salutary effects without causing unwanted side effects.”
Gilad & Gilad offers two agmatine supplements: AgmaSet, for humans and AgmaVet, for veterinary applications.
Other emerging bone and joint health supplements represent a new take on old ingredients. Søfting said that GC Rieber has introduced its branded VivoMega, a mix of fish and algal omega-3 concentrates, for bone and joint health. VivoMega delivers pure EPA and DHA omega-3s without contaminants, using marine-derived and vegan concentrates. Meanwhile, Berger noted that Gnosis has launched MyCondro, a chondroitin sulfate ingredient for joint health. MyCondro is sustainably derived through a patented fermentation process rather than from animal ingredients. The company also provides MenaQ7 vitamin K2 for bone health.
“Bone loss occurs naturally as we age, but with sufficient vitamin K2 intake, this loss can be slowed,” said Berger. “By activating vitamin K-dependent proteins already in the body—osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein—MenaQ7 helps the body properly utilize calcium. Once activated, osteocalcin binds calcium to the bone mineral matrix, leading to stronger, denser bones.”
Sébastien Bornet, vice president of global sales and marketing for Horphag Research, the exclusive worldwide supplier of Pycnogenol, said that Horphag Research’s flagship ingredient has been extensively studied with more than 160 clinical trials, ensuring its safety and efficacy as an ingredient.
“Pycnogenol is a unique source of polyphenol compounds that are shown to protect cells from free radical damage associated with degenerative conditions,” Bornet explained. “It also works as a natural anti-inflammatory to support joint health. Most joint health ingredients only work by supporting cartilage health to alleviate discomfort. In contrast, Pycnogenol turns to the root of the problem, inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory enzymes like 5-LOX and COX-2 in addition to supporting cartilage health.”
Bornet explained that Pycnogenol has also been shown to aid in nitric oxide production, enhancing blood microcirculation to hasten post-exercise recovery.
A variety of other trending ingredients are hitting the bone and joint health market. Caroline Farquhar is a medical advisor for CanPrev in Scarborough, ON, Canada. Farquhar said that ingredients like hyaluronic acid and magnesium are trending for their anti-inflammatory properties as well as their abilities to support joint mobility and promote bone density.
“CanPrev offers Vitamins D3 and K2, which work together to support bone and joint health by helping regulate calcium in the body,” Farquhar said. “Vitamin D3 enhances calcium absorption, while vitamin K2 ensures calcium is properly deposited in bones and not in soft tissues. Vitamin K2, particularly menaquinone-7, activates osteocalcin to support calcium deposition in bones and works with D3 to improve bone strength. CanPrev’s D3 & K2 formulas feature the branded K2Vital, a pure, soy-free MK-7, suspended in coconut oil to enhance absorption of these fat-soluble vitamins.”
Emerging Research Shows Promise
These new bone and joint health ingredients are backed by clinical studies that demonstrate strong efficacy. Levin noted that one of the most substantial issues facing the industry is that products often claim to have benefits, but do not necessarily have the science to back up those claims. As a result, clinical research validating the effects of bone and joint health products is essential—and ingredient suppliers are meeting this need with robust clinical studies.
One 2018 clinical trial on Eberbach, Germany-based Gelita’s branded Fortibone collagen ingredient, which is used in CanPrev’s Collagen Bone, assessed the effects of 5 grams of Fortibone collagen peptides per day on bone mineral density. The study results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in bone mineral density relative to placebo. A follow-up open-label trial in 2021 confirmed that Fortibone supplementation increases spine bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Farquhar said that over an extended treatment period of three years, the Fortibone group demonstrated a 7 percent improvement in bone mineral density at the spine and femoral neck.
Farquhar noted that further research is suggesting a connection between bone health and gut health:
“The role of gut microbiota in bone metabolism is another interesting area of research. The gut-bone connection has gained significant attention, but further exploration is needed to understand the interactions between the gut microbiota and bone health.”
Other research has found that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may have a protective effect against bone loss. Søfting said that higher fish and seafood intake and higher omega-3 blood levels have been associated with protection against osteoporosis in older men and postmenopausal women. Now, emerging research is confirming this effect. One 2023 meta-analysis of nine randomized clinical trials and 2,070 patients with osteoarthritis demonstrated that daily EPA and DHA supplementation relieved arthritis pain relative to placebo; the meta-analysis also found that EPA and DHA administration improved joint function.
“In addition to supporting the development of stronger bones, omega-3 has been attributed to increasing calcium absorption and reducing inflammatory pain in joints,” Søfting noted. “Thus, omega-3 supplementation may play a significant role in maintaining joint health.”
Other emerging research is identifying the biological mechanisms that lead to the increased risk of osteoarthritis in postmenopausal women, opening the door to potentially more effective dietary supplements. A 2025 animal study examined the link between estrogen and progesterone loss during menopause and extracellular matrix degradation and chondrocyte deterioration. The study found that restoring estrogen and progesterone levels to pre-menopausal concentrations was protective against cartilage degeneration.
“These findings offer insights that could inform the development of dietary supplements or other interventions to support joint health during and after menopause,” Clardy said. “This study provides a deeper understanding of how hormonal changes during menopause contribute to osteoarthritis, paving the way for potential therapeutic strategies targeting these mechanisms.”
Interestingly, emerging new research is showing that bone and joint health supplementation can come in many forms, including topical patches. One 2017 study on Pycnogenol examined the efficacy of a topical patch version of the ingredient on joint inflammation and discomfort in osteoarthritis patients. Subjects applied a topical patch containing 110 mg of Pycnogenol, or a placebo, on the painful area twice daily for three weeks. The researchers evaluated osteoarthritis symptoms using a combination of thermal imagery, walking and standing capacity, subjective pain scales and biomarkers like erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein.
After three weeks, the subjects using the Pycnogenol topical patch exhibited substantial improvements in pain scores, inflammation, knee function and swelling. Topical Pycnogenol administration was also associated with reduced ESR and CRP levels, demonstrating reduced inflammatory biomarkers. The study participants in the Pycnogenol group also reported using fewer NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) pain relievers and a reduced need for physiotherapy.
Bornet explained that Pycnogenol is a potent antioxidant, and thus it alleviates joint discomfort by reducing underlying inflammation. He noted that the ingredient also promotes natural collagen and hyaluronic acid production to cushion the joints.
Bone and Joint Health Supplements Get Cracking
Bone and joint health ingredients are continuing to diversify beyond traditional solutions like minerals and glucosamine, capitalizing on a growing demand for products that can meet the needs of not only aging consumers but also young, active consumers who are looking to prevent future joint and bone health issues. As the market for these products grows at a rapid pace, ingredient suppliers and finished-product brands are investing in both preclinical and clinical research to validate the benefits of their products. New studies are confirming the ability of various herbal and non-herbal supplements to improve joint function, reduce discomfort, increase bone mineral density and more. Vitamin and supplement retailers can take advantage of this growing market by educating consumers with the latest research on emerging ingredients while stocking products with proven efficacy.VR
For More Information:
CanPrev, https://canprev.ca
GC Rieber, www.gcrieber.com
Gilad & Gilad, https://fornervehealth.com
Gnosis, https://gnosisbylesaffre.com
Horphag Research, www.pycnogenol.com/home
Maypro, www.maypro.com
NOW Health Group, www.nowfoods.com
