Analysis of mainstream ingredients in Japanese functional food market: Which ingredients are growing rapidly?

The functional food market in Japan has been growing in recent years and has overtaken the health food market.In this article, Food Research will review the hot functional ingredients that have been most used in the Japanese market in recent years, the niche ingredients that have been growing rapidly in the market, and the innovative development of related products.

GABA: It's been number one for years

GABA has been ranked number one among functional food ingredients with the highest utilization rate for many years.GABA has a sweet taste similar to glutamate, enhances food flavor, is easily soluble in water at room temperature, and is relatively stable, making it highly suitable for addition to a wide variety of foods and beverages.Since its initial development as a blood pressure lowering and anti-anxiety/sleep aid, GABA has been used in an ever-expanding range of applications, with current claims to maintain muscle mass, improve memory, and maintain skin elasticity and moisture, among others.

The latest research suggests that GABA protects the skin by preventing aging and maintaining skin elasticity.The mechanism may be because GABA indirectly promotes the formation of collagen and hyaluronic acid, which play a role in protecting skin health.Since 2021, products claiming to improve sleep quality and maintain healthy skin have appeared in the Japanese market.

GABA is an essential inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that regulates the entire neural network system through its inhibitory effect on excitatory neurons, and plays a role in memory decline caused by neurodegenerative diseases such as AD and aging.Noble Qi cognitive supplements supplemented with GABA, DHA/EPA and long pepper extract have multiple claims to improve memory, enhance cognition, improve sleep quality, focus, lower blood pressure, and improve neutral fatty acids.

Resistance to dextrin/inulin/isomaltodextrin

The market for functional dietary fiber continues to expand

Resistant dextrin was third for the second year in a row, followed by inulin and maltodextrin.Barley leaves, guar gum, plantain, and functional oligosaccharides (Arabinoxylan, galactose oligosaccharides, and lakefronts oligosaccharides) are also popular dietary fibers.The dietary fiber/prebiotics market is expanding with applications in the three higher-level areas of gut health, weight loss, and health.

Senyong aloe yogurt flavor resistance dextrin as the main functional component, resistance dextrin is edible starch as raw material, under the condition of acid by the reaction of dextrinization a dietary fiber, has excellent acid and heat stability, elevated digestion tolerance, low blood sugar index, low glycemic index, can inhibit the absorption of fatty and sugar, is Japan's most market application of dietary fiber raw materials.

Inulin, a naturally soluble fiber obtained from the roots of plants such as chicory or Jerusalem taro, can provide satiety, increase the number of Bifidobacterium intestinalis bacteria, and lower triglyceride levels in the blood and postprandial glycemic index. The use of inulin has increased rapidly in the last two years, and it is commonly found in all kinds of sweetmeats.

Lactic Acid bacteria/Bifidobacterium: Continued development of new functions

The Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium category is the largest raw material category in the Japanese functional food market, with a market value of ¥191.9 billion in 2020, representing a 104.5 percent year-on-year growth. Intellectual health is the most common functional claim. In addition to weight loss, it improves immunity, skin moisturization, periodontal health, allergy prevention, uric acid reduction, improved cognition, emotional well-being and other health functions involving various areas. It is worth mentioning that plasma Lactobacillus, which improves immunity, has been particularly developed in the last two years. Sales of immuno-health related functional foods in 2021 will be 7.4 times higher than in 2020 at 12.5 billion yen. The only ingredient in this category that has been officially certified is Plasma Lactobacillus.

Kirin imuse series of current "Immune Support x Excellent sleep" double-effect supplement, added L-ornithine hydrochloride and plasma lactic acid bacteria. As the main research and development enterprise for plasma lactic acid bacteria, Kirin has introduced more than a dozen related products since 2020.

Weight loss is the biggest market for Lactobacillus after gut health.This year, Meiji launched cream-ice yogurt using Lactobacillus plantarum OLL2712 (MI-2) strain, which has been shown to significantly reduce abdominal fat in human experiments.

Black ginger extract/rose hip extract

Rapidly expanding material for weight loss

Since the Japanese government introduced the Functionally Labelled Food System in 2015, more than 4,000 different products have been filed.Weight loss was the most commonly filed category, accounting for about one-third of filings.There are a variety of ingredients associated with weight loss, both for different parts (legs, abdomen, visceral fatty) and for different mechanisms (inhibiting sugar and fat absorption and enhancing fatty metabolism).

Black ginger extract, a weight-loss ingredient, has expanded rapidly in recent years, ranking as the second most used ingredient in functional foods for two consecutive years.The market for black ginger extract, which was worth only 200 million yen in 2019 , increased 11 times to 2.2 billion yen in 2020 , and has surpassed 10 billion yen in 2021 .The study found that psilocybin, which is derived from black ginger, lowered abdominal fat and triglycerides in the blood.It also significantly reduces the respiratory quotient that rises during light exercise and burns more body fat without losing muscle mass.

Lutein/zeaxanthin

The market for eye care products is developing steadily

Lutein/zeaxanthin is one of the most effective eye protection materials.Lutein is the dominant pigment in the macular region of the human retina.The main physiological function of lutein in the eye is as an antioxidant and light protector, promoting the regeneration of rhodopsin in retinal cells and protecting vision.Zeaxanthin is a different type of oil-soluble natural pigment, which regularly coexists with lutein, β-carotene and hypoxanthine in nature.Increasing the intake of zeaxanthin in the short term increases macular pigment, enhances the ability of the macular area to resist damage from harmful substances and light rays, and prevents and slows age-related macular degeneration.

Lutein / zeaxanthin rarely appears as a single component in functional foods, and is mostly used in combination with additional ingredients such as blueberry anthocyanin, astaxanthin, and ginkgo biloba.

Astaxanthin: a raw material that blossoms in all fields

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant with comprehensive health benefits.It plays a role in boosting immunity, delaying aging, brain and emotional health, bone and joint health, cardiovascular health, oral beauty, sports nutrition, and eye protection.Astaxanthin is mainly used for eye protection and UV protection in the Japanese market, which has seen significant growth in recent years.

Dphiten's astaxanthin dietary supplement claims to help skin retain moisture, reduce temporary eye strain caused by computer and smartphone use, and reduce shoulder and waist strain caused by excessive eye use.

Other fast-growing niche ingredients

Long pepper extract

An unripe ear of a pepper plant is commonly used as a spice.It has been demonstrated that piperine in horseradish extract is effective in reducing hyperlipidemia in rats, significantly lowering LDL and increasing HDL within two to four weeks.Pepper also speeds up blood flow and dilates blood vessels, which may help with colds.In view of these properties of the house, functional foods in Japan commonly use it as an ingredient to reduce waist discomfort, lower blood pressure and lipid levels, and maintain a terminal temperature.After 2021, Japanese companies began introducing products using pepper extract as the main ingredient to eliminate leg and face swelling, which was popular among women.Yakusan introduces the Yakusan DX, which claims to reduce nighttime leg swelling (pathological swelling) in normal women. Pepper extract has been shown to significantly inhibit the increase in the ratio of extracellular to intracellular water in the leg caused by prolonged sitting, and to reduce temporary swelling of the leg.

β-with soy protein

β-accompanied soy protein received its first functional food approval in 2019, and by 2021 there were 22 products using the ingredient, all of them processed foods, mainly in the form of tofu and soy milk. Research proves, soybean β-accompany soybean protein can reduce the triglyceride in the blood. Eating five grams of β-accompany soybean protein every day can raise the content of neutral fatty in the serum, reducing visceral fatty.