Sylvia Thompsoninvestigates what's hot, what's not and looks at some of the most popular products in health food shops
Ask any health store owner what their most popular products are and they will almost all mention vitamin and mineral supplements, echinacea and only then give details of popular health foods.
Most stores sell more supplements than food products and the shelf space allocated to supplements is testament to such consumer demands. However, others specifically aim to sell more health foods than supplements and a select few sell specialist herbal blends developed by on-site experts.
"About 60 per cent of the people who come to our store are looking for advice on what to take for specific conditions such as digestive problems, the menopause and arthritis," says Dr Dilis Clare, owner of Health & Herbs in Galway city.
"The other 40 per cent have a range of knowledge and are looking for specific products. People also sometimes look for more obscure herbs which come from exotic places, thinking these are better than local herbs," she adds.
At Health & Herbs, the best-selling products are vitamin C supplements and echinacea. Customers also seek out the specific herbal blends for chesty colds and blended loose teas for sinusitis, digestion problems and stress. At Nourish on Wicklow St, Dublin, multivitamin and mineral supplements, soya yoghurts and tofu are some of the most popular products.
"We also find that people are choosing green foods, such as wheatgrass and algae, as natural alternatives to vitamin and mineral supplements," says Odhran Kelly at Nourish.
Omega three fish oil and plant oil supplements are also popular as are skincare products, particularly the Dr Hauschka range.
Finn Murray of the Hopsack health store in Rathmines, Dublin says that the Hopsack is not typical of health stores in that it sells about 70 per cent food to 30 per cent food supplements. "For that reason, our most popular products are fresh bread, olive oil, tinned tomatoes and a range of specialist flours including spelt flour," he says.
Jill Bell, owner of the Well & Good health store in Midleton, Co Cork, says that half of the shop's turnover is food and the rest is split between bodycare products and supplements. "In terms of supplements, echinacea tops the list and then multivitamin supplements come next. We also sell a lot of herbal preparations. In terms of food, rice milk, linseed and oats are among our most popular products," she adds.
HEALTH STORE PRODUCTS
ALOE VERA GEL
Product: Organic Aloe Vera Gel from Optima Health & Nutrition, €7.25 for 200 ml
What is it?
Aloe vera gel comes from the aloe vera, a cactus-like plant with spiky, fleshy leaves which has 350 varieties. The watery gel or juice exudes from the leaves when cut.
What is it used for?
It is most widely used internally as a nutritional drink or externally on the skin in the treatment of burnt or damaged skin. It has also been widely used to treat ulcers and scar tissue following injury.
What does the product information contain? This organic aloe vera gel (Optima Health & Nutrition) is recommended as an "intensive skin care treatment". Its beneficial properties are "soothing, restoring, moisturising and nourishing" and it can be applied to "stretch marks, scars, dry, chapped skin, sunburn, skin irritations and minor burns".
Anna-Maria Keaveney, a lecturer in Herbal Science at Cork Institute of Technology, says the claims are valid. "Aloe vera is used as a gel applied to the skin either on its own or as part of a formulation for healing ulcers, burns, abscesses and inflamed areas of skin," she explains.
What else should I know?
The product label states that this organic aloe vera gel contains 99.9 per cent bioactive aloe vera. This information is somewhat misleading as many consumers may think that the product itself is made up of 99.9 per cent aloe vera. Instead, as Keaveney points out, the product claims that it has 99.9 per cent of the original biological activity of the aloe vera plant.
"The raw product would soon spoil without some form of processing," explains Keaveney. "But the closer the product is to the original biological activity or raw material, the better."
Optima Health & Nutrition has certification from the independent Aloe Science Council which approves the quality and purity of the aloe vera in this product.
"The Aloe Science Council is pushing for a minimum of 15 per cent of aloe vera to be included in aloe vera products but at the moment, we can only tell that aloe vera is the main ingredient in this product," explains Keaveney.
IRON SUPPLEMENTS
Product: Floradix Liquid Iron Formula from Salus-Haus, €10.95 for 250 ml
What is it?Iron supplements which generally comes in tablet, capsule or liquid form.
What is it used for?
Iron supplements are widely taken by many people who suffer from tiredness, believing that their diet is lacking in iron and vitamins.
What does the product information contain?
Floradix has very clear information regarding the ingredients and their nutrient content. It also has very clear information about the percentages of Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) contained in each 10ml serving. The product also specifically states that food supplements should not be taken as an alternative to a balanced diet.
What else should I know?
There is growing concern about self-medication of nutritional supplements, particularly those containing iron.
"In the US, some experts are beginning to question the need for certain groups of people to take iron supplements (without demonstrable need) such as adult men or post menopausal women," says Keaveney. "However, the North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey found that women had intakes of iron, zinc and copper that were below average requirements." Improving your intake of iron through diet first (by regularly including red meat and dark green vegetables in your diet) is the best way of keeping your iron intake in check.
Keaveney also raises the issue of haemochromatosis, a genetic condition which leads to excessive storage of iron in the body. "If undetected, this condition can lead to organ damage and death from associated diseases." A recent Department of Health report on haemochromatosis recommended that nutritional supplements containing high levels of iron should be available on prescription only.
BLACK COHOSH
Product: Jan de Vries Black Cohosh herbal tincture 50 ml €10.50
What is it?
Black cohosh is a North American herb.
What is it used for?
It is used in the treatment of hormonal problems in women, particularly pre-menstrual tension and menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes and aching joints.
What does the product information contain?
The black cohosh (Jan de Vries) product specifies that the tincture contains 100g of fresh organically grown herb to 100ml of tincture. "This is important product information as it helps consumers compare strengths of various herbal tinctures," says Anna-Maria Keaveney. "Typically, dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh herbs and are therefore stronger."
The product information also states that black cohosh may rarely cause liver problems and recommends that it should be stopped immediately if the person taking it becomes unwell (unusual tiredness, yellowing of the eyes, nausea and vomiting). It also states that pregnant women should seek medical advice before taking black cohosh.
What else should I know?
Keaveney says that black cohosh is contraindicated for people who are susceptible to liver problems and it is important that the product information highlights this. She recommends that anyone taking black cohosh should get further information from a medical herbalist or other expert source before taking the product.
MANUKA HONEY
Product: Manuka Honey 5+ active, €9.50 for 250g
What is it?
Manuka is a brand of honey from New Zealand which is produced in the native wild forests of New Zealand containing the Manuka tree.
What is it used for?
It has gained considerable acclaim for its anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.
What does the product information contain?
Manuka honey comes in various strengths with higher strengths deemed to have stronger anti-bacterial properties (marketed as the Unique Manuka Factor or UMF 5+, 10+ and 20+). "The UMF is an industry standard created in conjunction with the Honey Research Unit in New Zealand," explains Keaveney.
What else should I know?
One hospital in Britain has found Manuka honey effective in the treatment of chronic wound infections, including MRSA. A study comparing the anti-bacterial effects of several honeys including Manuka honeys found that many had an equivalent antibacterial activity. "It was proposed that these newly identified anti-bacterial honeys may prove to be a valuable source of future therapeutic honeys. I believe that studies into the properties of some Irish honeys would find similar properties," says Keaveney.
Thanks to Anna-Maria Keaveney for additional research for this article