Most people are no strangers to natural laxatives. Natural laxatives are ingestible agents that come from natural sources that help patients of chronic constipation. The sources are quite diverse, ranging from nutritional grain-derived material like bran to herbs like aloe or senna. However, they can be roughly grouped into two kinds: high fiber nutrients and herb supplements. For people interested in entering the industry, it would be useful to know the size and current state of the market.
For starters, statistics indicate that approximately 5-15% of all people suffer from constipation at one time or another. Given that the population fo the U.S. is around 300 million, that means anywhere from 15 million to 45 million people suffer from constipation. Most people don't seek treatment, but a substantial number will spend close to $700 million on OTC laxatives. Therefore, one might estimate that the potential market is approximately half a billion dollars or more.
The first kind of natural laxative considered here is fiber-based, often suggested as a first line therapy for idiopathic constipation. Fiber is a polymeric sugar-like molecule that is indigestible to humans. It also soaks up moisture easily, thus retaining fluid in the gut which makes the stool bulkier, softer and more mobile. Most people know of high fiber products like bran grains and psyllium seeds.
To some degree patients can eat high fiber foods such as prunes and oranges, but it's typical for a physician to prescribe an initial dose of 25-30 grams of fiber which is difficult to satisfy with regular foods but easy with such supplements.
The second category of natural laxatives is the herb type that are represented by the trifecta of aloe, cascara and senna. These three are plants that have been used for hundreds or thousands of years for their anti-constipation properties. Usually the FDA has stayed out of regulating herbal medicines, however in recent years it has stepped in and banned the labeling of cascara and aloe as "stimulant laxatives".
One of the few remaining herbal remedies is senna. Senna is a middle eastern herb found on the eastern shores of the African continent and in the Arabia peninsula where it has been used for millennia. It's active ingredient is a class of molecules known as sennosides. People often brew it with tea which produces a moderate to strong laxative effect.
In all, the market for natural laxatives is large and lucrative. Moreover, the fact that the majority of sufferers of constipation don't seek treatments mean that a large segment of the market remains untapped and potentially highly lucrative.
For starters, statistics indicate that approximately 5-15% of all people suffer from constipation at one time or another. Given that the population fo the U.S. is around 300 million, that means anywhere from 15 million to 45 million people suffer from constipation. Most people don't seek treatment, but a substantial number will spend close to $700 million on OTC laxatives. Therefore, one might estimate that the potential market is approximately half a billion dollars or more.
The first kind of natural laxative considered here is fiber-based, often suggested as a first line therapy for idiopathic constipation. Fiber is a polymeric sugar-like molecule that is indigestible to humans. It also soaks up moisture easily, thus retaining fluid in the gut which makes the stool bulkier, softer and more mobile. Most people know of high fiber products like bran grains and psyllium seeds.
To some degree patients can eat high fiber foods such as prunes and oranges, but it's typical for a physician to prescribe an initial dose of 25-30 grams of fiber which is difficult to satisfy with regular foods but easy with such supplements.
The second category of natural laxatives is the herb type that are represented by the trifecta of aloe, cascara and senna. These three are plants that have been used for hundreds or thousands of years for their anti-constipation properties. Usually the FDA has stayed out of regulating herbal medicines, however in recent years it has stepped in and banned the labeling of cascara and aloe as "stimulant laxatives".
One of the few remaining herbal remedies is senna. Senna is a middle eastern herb found on the eastern shores of the African continent and in the Arabia peninsula where it has been used for millennia. It's active ingredient is a class of molecules known as sennosides. People often brew it with tea which produces a moderate to strong laxative effect.
In all, the market for natural laxatives is large and lucrative. Moreover, the fact that the majority of sufferers of constipation don't seek treatments mean that a large segment of the market remains untapped and potentially highly lucrative.
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