Beyond Shilajit: Building Multi-Ingredient Formulations for Men’s Wellness

What Is Men’s Wellness Supplement?

Men’s wellness supplements focus on men’s health, especially –

·       Vitality

·       Energy

·       Performance

·       Healthy ageing

As modern consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of wellbeing and supplements that could support their busy lives, men’s wellness supplements are increasingly moving towards innovations beyond single-ingredient products. The men’s wellness category is especially moving toward targeted, evidence-based, multi-ingredient formulations.

Shilajit is an established ingredient known for its benefits for vitality and energy in this category. The men’s wellness market is now divulging and exploring other nutrients as well. Nutraceutical brands can combine –

·       Micronutrients

·       Botanicals

·       Essential amino acid blends

·       Other functional ingredients

The objective of this multi-ingredient shift is to address wellness wholly, not just focusing on vitality but energy support, healthy metabolism, and healthy ageing.

A high-efficacy supplement's success pivots on –

·       Scientific evidence on ingredients

·       Sustainable ingredient selection

·       Compatibility and synergy, wherever possible

·       Quality control

·       Regulatory compliance

These parameters are judged not only for product and brand’s success but also to increase visibility, brand’s credibility, and customer acceptance.

Why Are Men’s Wellness Supplements Moving Beyond Single Ingredients?

Although shilajit is one of the most researched ingredients that supports men’s vitality and is well known to boost testosterone, one ingredient cannot suffice for all aspects of men’s wellness. Shilajit is a familiar ingredient in the men’s wellness category positioned around vitality.

Other aspects of overall men’s wellness include –

·       Energy metabolism

·       Healthy metabolism

·       Healthy ageing

·       Performance

In addition to these, digestion and gut-friendly ingredients are on the rise and are being increasingly considered for overall wellness.

Seldom is every aspect of men's wellbeing addressed by a single substance. Interest in multi-ingredient supplements that blend complementary compounds around specific product goals is increasing as a result.

What Goes Into a Men’s Health Formulation?

A well-designed men’s health formulation focuses on intended use, benefits, and scientific evidence, rather than simply accumulating popular ingredients.

The objective is to create a formulation with a clear nutritional or functional evidence-backed rationale.

Can Shilajit Work as Part of a Multi-Ingredient Formula?

Shilajit supplements are a recognisable foundation for a men's wellness product. Manufacturers should consider –

·       Purity

·       Standardisation

·       Sustainable and reliable procurement

·       Containment control

These considerations are vital for manifesting reliable formulations for high efficacy and safe products.

Shilajit is often marketed as a ‘testosterone booster’. Evidence should be considered, and results should be carefully extrapolated into safe health claims, considering specific populations, age groups, and overall physique.

Therefore, while creating men's vitality supplements, both product quality control and claim substantiation are crucial.

How Can Formulators Build More Targeted Products?

Different formulation goals can be addressed by different substances for men’s wellness. Thoughtful formulation design and development is the need of the hour to leverage the benefits of the ingredients.

·       Energy and stamina supplements – A combination of micronutrients and evidence-backed botanicals may be considered for selected applications

·       Stress, strength, recovery -Ashwagandha is a popular ingredient in this category

·       Reproductive wellness and vascular health - amino acid blends such as L-citrulline in combination with essential amino acids are increasingly becoming popular

·       Energy, exercise support – L-carnitine, micronutrients, amino acids, vitamins and botanicals

·       Other ingredients such as zinc, CoQ10, selenium, magnesium are often considered for their proven benefits in cellular health, antioxidant effects, ageing, sleep, and overall wellness

What Should Brands Consider When Developing Custom Men’s Supplements?

Factors that manufacturers should assess are -

• Evidence-backed ingredients
• Clinically relevant doses
• Ingredient standardisation and specifications
• Compatibility and stability
• Serving size
• Dosage form – travel-friendly packaging
• Safety and efficacy
• Regulatory compliance
• Permitted health claims

All nutraceutical goods in India are developed in accordance with the relevant FSSAI framework that regulates health supplements and nutraceuticals, including specifications for ingredients, composition, labelling, and claims

Key Takeaways

• Shilajit – most popular component of men's wellness formulation
• Multi-ingredient products are the need of the hour
• Multi-ingredient products should have a scientific rationale
• Clinically relevant doses should be considered
• Health claims should be monitored
• Key components of product development are quality management, standardisation, safety, and regulatory compliance.

Conclusion

Men's wellness supplements of the future are expected to shift from single-ingredient positioning to specific, research-based combinations. The potential for brands is to formulate intentional formulations that ensure every aspect has a clear purpose, is supported by evidence, and satisfies all quality and regulatory requirements.

Zeon Lifesciences Ltd. provides product development and manufacturingservices for nutraceutical brands, including formulation, ingredient selection, production, and packaging. Its capabilities can facilitate the creation of tailored nutritional products in a variety of wellness categories, including formulas that call for several active ingredients and specific product criteria.

References

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2. Wankhede, S., Langade, D., Joshi, K., Sinha, S. R., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2015). Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12, 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-015-0104-9
3. Ziegenfuss, T. N., Kedia, A. W., & Sandhu, R. S. (2024). Effects of Ashwagandha supplementation on physical performance and wellbeing: randomized controlled evidence. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
4. Cormio, L., De Siati, M., Lorusso, F., et al. (2011). Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction. Urology, 77(1), 119–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2010.08.028
5. Te, L., Liu, J., Ma, J., & Wang, S. (2023). Correlation between serum zinc and testosterone: A systematic review. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 77, 127124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2022.127124
6. Barakat, G., et al. (2023). Do “testosterone boosters” really increase serum total testosterone? A systematic review. International Journal of Impotence Research.
7. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. (2016). Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016.