Heart health consumers can be divided into two groups: those who are managing heart issues and those looking to prevent heart issues. According to French’s data, 42 percent of consumers are currently managing heart issues, while 74 percent are on some level concerned with preventing heart issues.

 Millennials to matures, people across all generations are concerned with preventing heart issues. Over 60 percent of people in all age groups are worried about preventing heart issues. However, the generational divide comes into play when looking at those who are already managing heart issues. Only 19 percent of Millennials manage their heart health, as opposed to the 77 percent of matures who are already managing heart problems.

Compared to people with other health issues, “heart managers” take an overwhelmingly large amount of prescription medicines as opposed to using supplements or other ways to manage their heart condition. Eighty percent of people with high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels turn to prescription medicines to manage their condition, as opposed to only 20 percent who use supplements or improve their diets.

The heart health product market in the United States is looking up, predicted to be at US $186 million. Broken down into segments, the preventative market is predicted to be at $83 million, the food and beverage market to be at $145 million and the supplement market at $113 million.

According to Roberts and KGK Science, many natural ingredients, including phytosterols, Omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics have been linked to positive effects on the heart.

Oat-beta glucan is a natural ingredient that is a popular choice for companies to include in their functional food products. It is linked to improving heart health by targeting high cholesterol.

Phytosterols and phytostanols are being investigated to reduce blood cholesterol. They are parts of cell membranes in plants, and are known to have positive cardiovascular effects.

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are dietary supplements from marine sources, are perhaps the best known for beneficially affecting the heart. They reduce blood levels of triglycerides, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol.

Probiotic supplements, the fourth best-selling dietary supplement in 2016, benefit cardiovascular health by decreasing LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels, and improving cholesterol metabolism.

Cocoa flavanols are a promising natural ingredient for boosting heart health. High cocoa flavanol intake can improve blood pressure, blood lipids and improve flow mediated dilation (FDM).