Trends, triggers and treatment options: What natural health retailers need to know now.
“Oooh, my stomach!” Whether a sudden and unexpected belly ache or an ongoing problem with indigestion, stomach upsets are no laughing matter. There are a host of over-the-counter and prescription medications on the market to address everything from gas to diarrhea, acid reflux to constipation, and just about any other stomach issues one could be plagued with.
But many people are more interested in pursuing natural health remedies or preventatives. When customers walk into a natural product retail establishment, they may already have what they want in mind. Many others, however, don’t know where to start. How can retailers best help their customers when searching for indigestion and stomach upset products? What’s the state of the market now in this area, and what new products and trends are gaining ground? Let’s look more closely at these and other questions regarding indigestion and stomach upsets.
What Retailers Want to Know: How to Best Promote “Tummy Trouble” Products
Natural health retailers are busy. According to statistics on IBIS World, the demand for natural health products and supplements is continuing to rise. Surging e-commerce growth and greater competitive pressures from alternative health retailers have pushed that growth for the past five years.1 Online sales of health and wellness products have grown substantially, but many customers still prefer to shop where they can receive expert help and advice in choosing natural health products. Retailers who embrace this change in the market are more likely to offer niche expertise in order to set themselves apart. These retailers are also enhancing their e-commerce offerings. This response, according to the IBIS World article, has “… helped revenue expand at a CAGR of 7.2 percent over the past five years. It is expected to reach $60.7 billion in 2025, when revenue will rise by 3.8 percent.”2
When Slawek Gromadski, a nutritionist with HealthAid America, in California, was asked how natural product retailers can help to educate customers about indigestion and stomach upset products, he stated, “Retailers can promote these products with clear shelf signage about probiotic strains, CFU counts and prebiotic benefits, and by offering educational materials and staff training to help consumers choose the right digestive support.”
Category Manager, Kirstin Chapman, at the Florida-based manufacturer, Life Extension, stated that leading with clear and simple benefit statements for products is a great first step. “Most customers are looking for something to either help with digestive relief or an optimized benefit,” she noted. “Presenting clear and accurate information concerning what the product can accomplish helps build trust with the consumer.”
Kathryn Kelly is the marketing manager at Lily of the Desert, a natural product manufacturer located in Texas. She noted that retailers see strong engagement when aloe is positioned as a supplement companion rather than a standalone digestive product. “Aloe plays a unique role in supporting the digestive environment where nutrients are absorbed, making it a natural addition to the vitamins, minerals and probiotics consumers are already purchasing,” Kelly said. “Lily of the Desert educates retailers on how aloe can enhance supplement routines through its proprietary Aloesorb process, which is clinically reported to have positive nutrient absorption.
“Communicating that a single bottle of aloe, often around $10 at retail, can help consumers get more value from the supplements they already use helps drive both understanding and incremental sales,” she added. “Cross-merchandising aloe near core supplement sets, supported by simple shelf messaging and staff education, reinforces aloe’s role as an affordable, daily companion that helps supplements perform at their best.”
National Educator Julie Dennis with New York-based manufacturer, RenewLife, said, “Retailers can boost engagement by merchandising digestive health as a clear, solutions-focused destination, making it easy for shoppers to find support for concerns like bloating, regularity and indigestion. A dedicated ‘digestive wellness’ section helps spotlight leading brands and formats, while simple shelf cues, such as ‘After-meal Support,’ ‘Women’s Digestive Balance,’ or ‘Enzymes for Mealtime Comfort,’ guide shoppers through a category that can feel overwhelming,” she noted.
“Quick, accessible education on concepts like CFUs, strain diversity, and enzyme types further builds confidence at the shelf,” she added. Likewise, Dennis said she believes that effective in-store strategies include trial-friendly promotions, bundling complementary products such as probiotics and enzymes, and using endcaps or seasonal features during peak digestive concern moments like travel, holidays or back-to-routine periods. “RenewLife supports retailers with a range of educational tools, including a dedicated shelf talker for the Next Gen Ultimate Flora products,” she noted. “This shelf talker features QR codes that allow shoppers to instantly access product education from their phones, creating an easy, seamless way to learn more right at the shelf.”
State of the Market: Indigestion & Stomach Upset
Dennis observed that the state of the market currently for this category continues to be robust. “Consumers seeking digestive comfort are driving strong interest in probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, botanicals and targeted multi-ingredient blends,” noted Dennis. “While probiotics lead the category, demand is rising for enzyme-based and synbiotic formulas, such as RenewLife combinations of pre-, pro- and postbiotics, that address multiple digestive triggers at once and reflect a shift toward more personalized support.
“People also increasingly recognize the broad range of factors behind indigestion and stomach upset, from dietary triggers to stress, sleep, and activity levels,” Dennis explained. “As they seek support that fits their daily lives, shoppers are exploring a wider mix of products, including probiotics, enzymes, fiber and botanicals.”
Gromadski agreed that there is a positive upswing for these products now. “The market continues to grow as more consumers seek digestive health solutions through probiotics, digestive enzymes, herbal remedies and microbiome-supporting formulas,” he noted.
At Life Extension, Chapman noted that the market for supplements targeting digestive health is stable and continues to experience steady growth. “Demand is driven by two primary consumer groups,” said Chapman. “Those seeking relief for digestive discomfort and those focused on proactively optimizing gut health through solutions like probiotics and fiber to support a healthy microbiome,” she explained. “This growth is further reinforced by rising consumer awareness, with gut health topics, such as #GutHealth, continuing to trend across social media and wellness channels.”
On TikTok alone, the “GutTok” hashtag has ballooned into more than 6 million views. But not everything one sees or reads on social media can be trusted. An article in the Los Angeles Times recently reported that “gut resets don’t reset much,” and that it’s important for individuals to seek out legitimate gut health practices based on science, not on what’s trending.
Kelly pointed out that the digestive health category continues to be one of the most consistent and resilient categories, driven by consumers seeking daily preventive support rather than short-term relief. “Indigestion, stomach upset and digestive discomfort are increasingly viewed as part of a broader gut health conversation tied to stress, diet and nutrient absorption,” she said. “Aloe vera remains a cornerstone ingredient in this space because of its long history of use and its relevance to modern digestive needs.
“Lily of the Desert sees continued demand for aloe products as consumers look for gentle, plant-based solutions that support digestive comfort while fitting seamlessly into everyday wellness routines,” she said.
Trends in the Indigestion & Stomach Upset Category
At Mastel’s Health Foods in Minnesota, Alina Hornfeldt, co-owner, stated that one “tried-and-true” product in this subcategory has recently bounced back. “We have seen that bitters have picked up again after a brief lull,” said Hornfeldt. “Urban Moonshine has really come back into its own after transitioning away from its Traditional Medicinals partnership,” she stated. “We are excited to see what is next for them.”
When asked which products Life Extension views as trending now, Chapman stated that there are three. Probiotics, enzymes and fiber. “Probiotics for both general gut microbial balance and for more targeted approaches,” said Chapman. Enzymes to support the breakdown of foods and for post-meal comfort, she noted, and fiber, which supports digestive health, satiety and more.
At HealthAid America, Gromadski noted, “Trending products include high-potency, multi-strain probiotics with prebiotic fibers, digestive enzyme blends and targeted symbiotic formulas for overall gut comfort and regularity.”
Kelly stated that consumers gravitate toward clean, simple formulas and formats that feel intuitive and easy to use daily. “Liquids, particularly aloe juices and aloe gels, are trending as shoppers recognize the value of delivering digestive support directly to the gut lining,” said Kelly. “There is also increased interest in condition-specific digestive products, where aloe is combined with complementary herbs to address targeted concerns such as stomach comfort or occasional digestive upset.” In addition, Kelly explained that aloe gels are keeping the attention of consumers due to the products coating and soothing effect. This, she stated, offers a “trusted experience rather than trendy capsules or powders.”
At RenewLife, Dennis noted that consumers increasingly recognize the microbiome’s influence on whole-body wellness. This is a complete process from digestion and immunity to metabolism and mood, she pointed out, and individuals are seeking products that support the gut ecosystem more comprehensively. This includes targeted formulas that align to their specific need states, she said. “Synbiotics that pair probiotics with prebiotic fibers and postbiotic activity, which consumers want, are gaining strong momentum,” said Dennis. “The RenewLife 3-in-1 Synbiotic formulas, built with targeted strains and multi-fiber blends, reflect this holistic, systems-based approach and where gut microbiome science is heading.”
Dennis noted, “Shoppers are also moving toward condition-specific probiotics rather than general-use formulas, choosing products tailored to concerns such as regularity, vaginal and urinary health, immune support or relief from gas, bloating or occasional constipation.” Likewise, she stated that advanced delivery technologies, including delayed-release, acid-resistant vegan capsules, are increasingly valued for ensuring beneficial bacteria reach the intestines intact. “Growing awareness of the gut-brain axis is further shaping demand for probiotics that support both digestive and emotional well-being,” said Dennis.
What New and Popular Products Are in This Market?
When it comes to new products in this category at Life Extension, Chapman stated that Food Sensitivity Relief with DAO is one to watch. “[It’s] formulated to help relieve occasional nonallergic digestive discomfort associated with dietary histamine sensitivity,” she noted. The company’s bestselling product in this category is Florassist GI with Phage Technology, said Chapman. The product “[is] our flagship digestive health formula, delivers clinically-studied probiotics for microbiome support, and a postbiotic to help relieve GI (gastrointestinal) discomfort and a bacteriophage blend to target unwanted bacteria,” said Chapman.
“HealthAid’s bestselling ColonProbio delivers 82 billion CFUs from 14 carefully selected strains, including acid and bile-resistant strains, with prebiotic support and room-temperature stability, to promote colon health and wellbeing,” noted Gromadski.
Said Kelly, “Lily of the Desert continues to build on its leadership in aloe innovation with products that emphasize quality, purity and functional performance. Recent introductions include Organic Aloe Vera Gel and blended aloe formulas that combine Whole Leaf and Inner Fillet aloe, delivering a broader spectrum of aloe polysaccharides in a preservative-free, consumer-friendly format,” she explained. Among the company’s bestsellers are its Preservative-Free Whole Leaf Aloe Vera Juice and the Aloe Herbal Stomach Formula, which pairs aloe with botanicals traditionally used to support stomach comfort, said Kelly. “These products resonate with consumers because they deliver both immediate soothing benefits and long-term digestive support, reinforcing aloe’s role as a daily wellness essential.”
At RenewLife, Dennis stated, “As a category leader, RenewLife delivers advanced formulations and delivery technologies built for today’s digestive health support needs. We’ve recently launched the next generation of our flagship Ultimate Flora probiotics, now featuring multi-strain diversity, higher CFU counts, delayed release, acid-resistant vegan capsules, and pre-, pro- and postbiotic combinations for optimal and more comprehensive support,” she said.
“Ultimate Flora Daily Mood+ represents the next generation of gut and mood wellness, offering 65 billion CFU from 20 diverse strains in a once-daily, delayed-release vegan capsule,” said Dennis. “It combines the No. 1 most studied probiotic strain with Sensoril Ashwagandha, delivering targeted digestive, mood and adrenal cortisol support.”
Though not a new product, Hornfeldt stated that a twist on peppermint oil capsules remain a popular choice for individuals looking for upset stomach relief. Many folks, she stated, have a great affinity for enteric-coated peppermint oil. “Heather’s Tummy Tamers are the perennial favorite, as they also contain ginger and fennel,” said Hornfeldt. “They go to work so quickly and effectively.”
Another favorite in this category remains bitters. “Bitters are well received because people appreciate their traditional, artisanal quality,” said Hornfeldt, “and they’re great to keep on hand in your medicine cabinet for guests.”
Research: Indigestion & Stomach Upset
Said Chapman, “Probiotic research continues to identify a growing number of health-supportive microorganisms and expand our knowledge concerning their benefits. Akkermansia muciniphila has recently entered the spotlight as a beneficial bacterium and may become more widely known and available in the future.”
At Lily of the Desert, Kelly stated, “Scientific interest in aloe vera continues to grow, particularly around digestive comfort and gut support.” She pointed out that recent research and reviews have explored aloe’s role in supporting gastrointestinal balance and easing symptoms of digestive discomfort, helping to bridge traditional use with modern clinical evaluation. “Lily of the Desert also focuses on research related to aloe polysaccharides and absorption, including its proprietary Aloesorb process, which is designed to support nutrient uptake in the digestive tract,” said Kelly. “This emphasis reflects a broader industry shift toward ingredient quality, bioavailability and evidence-informed natural solutions.”
Dennis stated, “Exciting new research in digestive health is rapidly reshaping how consumers and brands approach probiotics, botanicals and comprehensive digestive support. Scientific focus on the gut microbiome continues to accelerate, with increasing clinical research supporting how specific probiotic strains may influence gastrointestinal comfort and broader wellness,” explained Dennis. “This expanding research base points to a future where digestive support may become more personalized, evidence-driven and multifaceted, bringing together targeted strains, supportive botanicals and enzyme blends to address the many interconnected factors that shape digestive wellness,” she said.
An influx of new and tried-and-true products line store shelves—both brick-and-mortar and virtual—that may help individuals struggling with a myriad of stomach issues and complaints. Natural health retailers who focus on providing information, education and clear communication will be best positioned to serve their customers well.VR
References:
1 Gulati, J. 2025. “Health Stores in the US – Market Research Report (2015-2030),” IBIS World. Retrieved December 22, 2025. www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/health-stores/1057/.
2 Gulati, J. 2025. “Health Stores in the US – Market Research Report (2015-2030),” IBIS World. Retrieved December 22, 2025. www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/health-stores/1057/.
For More Information:
HealthAid America, www.healthaidamerica.com
Life Extension, www.lifeextension.com
Lily of the Desert, www.lilyofthedesert.com
RenewLife, www.aboutnutranext.com
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