BLC at Natural Products Expo West – Anaheim, California
09/03/26, 12:00
Gut Health: Breaking the “Poo Taboo”
First stop gut health.
We all know gut support is firmly positioned as a key category for 2026. It’s not a new trend and it’s certainly not slowing down but what really stood out in the US was the messaging.
Across the show floor, brands weren’t tiptoeing around digestive health. They were breaking the “poo taboo” by completely openly discussing toilet habits, bloating, transit time and stool quality in a way that felt bold, confident and refreshingly honest.
Anti bloat positioning in particular was everywhere. From gummies to powders to ready to drink formats, the promise of feeling “flatter,” “lighter” and more comfortable was front and centre.
A Sweeter Positioning
It’s no secret that the American market has a sweeter tooth and Expo West certainly proved that.
Brands were pushing flavour boundaries far beyond the usual berry or citrus profiles. Instead, we saw playful, dessert-inspired and nostalgic flavours taking centre stage, with options such as cake batter, strawberry piña colada and peachy ring appearing across multiple supplement formats.
Interestingly, collagen products appeared to take the opposite approach in the US. Many brands were positioning collagen as unflavoured, reflecting the continued rise of supplement stacking. With consumers increasingly adding collagen into their daily routines from coffee to smoothies, neutral formats allow for easy integration without altering flavour.
It was a great reminder that flavour strategy isn’t just about taste it’s about how a product fits seamlessly into everyday habits.
Functional coffee & Daily rituals
Coffee is a habitual moment in many people’s daily routines, so it makes perfect sense to combine it with nutritional support.
Functional coffee was a strong presence across the show floor, with brands leaning into the idea of enhancing an existing daily ritual rather than asking consumers to adopt a completely new behaviour.
One brand that caught our attention was Purity Coffee, which showcased a range of coffees positioned around specific functional benefits:
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Flow – supporting overall health
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Protect – consciously crafted for liver vitality
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Balance – a ⅔ decaffeinated coffee focused on metabolic health
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Calm – a completely decaffeinated coffee positioned for serenity
The ⅔ decaffeinated positioning was particularly interesting, it’s not something we commonly see called out on the front of the pack and it creates a clear middle ground for consumers looking to reduce caffeine without giving it up entirely.
The Mushroom Boom Continues
Expo West was a stark reminder that mushrooms are far from slowing down they’re still very much having their moment.
Across the show floor we saw mushrooms appearing in a huge variety of formats and blends. From matcha mushroom drinks to superfood mushroom blends and prebiotic mushroom focused formulations, functional fungi were everywhere.
Pretty much every product carrying mushrooms also leaned into an adaptogenic claim, with brands positioning them around benefits such as stress support, focus and overall resilience.
It’s clear that functional mushrooms have moved beyond being a “trend ingredient” ; they're becoming a core pillar for everyday rituals.
Standout Products
Brain Juice
Available in ready-to-drink, powder mixes and decaf options, this blend combines vitamins C, B5, B6 & B12, organic acerola, acai berry, L-Tyrosine, blueberry, Alpha-GPC, L-Theanine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine and natural green tea caffeine for clean brain energy without the jitters or crash.
De-Bloat Gummies
Digestive support was everywhere at Expo West and this gummy claims to tackle bloating and digestive upset with chamomile, ginger and sweet fennel. The berry-peach flavour is a fresh and playful combination that also stands out.
Humann – Cardiovascular Health Front & Centre
Humann is all about putting cardiovascular health front and centre not just supplemental. Their philosophy? Elevate the most essential system in your body, your heart and circulatory system to help people unlock full potential, performance and longevity, every day. The branding is bold, red and easy to understand, making the positioning clear at a glance and standing out on crowded shelves.
Evoria – Daily Rituals Made Simple
Evoria is a complete startup supporting a daily wellness routine with Morning Boost, Daily Essentials, and Night Recovery. With supplement stacking being a big part of the US market, this brand has nailed the concept of a structured daily ritual. Sold as a wellness kit, the products claim to support cellular energy, metabolic balance and recovery.
Gutsi – Prebiotic Sodas That Taste Great
Gutsi is a prebiotic soda available in Cola and Cream Soda flavours. The brand founder’s mission? Make everyday drinks better for you, without compromising on taste.
Shii – Immune Support focus
Shii is a brand focused entirely on immune health, built around the power of functional mushrooms. The name is a playful nod to the shiitake mushroom, reinforcing its fungi-first approach while keeping the branding memorable and distinctive.
A few members of the BLC team returned this week from Expo West in Anaheim, one of the largest supplement and natural product trade shows in the US and it certainly lived up to its reputation.
The scale is hard to put into words. Imagine the atmosphere and buzz of a UK or European trade show and multiply it by 1,000. The appetite for innovation, brand storytelling and functional health solutions across the US market is seriously impressive.
While we didn’t see completely “new” product concepts or anyone dramatically reinventing the wheel, there were some clear and confident themes emerging across the halls.
We saw:
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Boundary pushing flavour profiles
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A major focus on gut health in multiple formats
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The continued rise of functional coffee
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Mushrooms - everywhere!
With two entire floors dedicated to ‘Hot Products’ alone, we’ve come back with a huge amount of insight to unpack.
Below, we’re sharing some of the key themes, brands and format trends that caught our attention and what they signal for the wider supplement market.