But Thorne, one of the industry\u2019s biggest brands, has just revealed (or confirmed) the lack of confidence consumers \u2014 especially Millennials and Gen Z \u2014 have in choosing the best products and deciding which brands they can trust.<\/p>\n
The brand\u2019s new Wellness Confidence Gap Report drew upon research conducted by Censuswide, with a sample of 3,013 US consumers, all collected in October 2025.<\/p>\n
While consumers are doing more research before buying supplements, the report found that over half (57%) of respondents are unsure which products are best suited for their individual needs, while 56% also said there is too much conflicting information about supplements.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore options have widened the wellness confidence gap, making it harder for consumers to feel confident in their choices,\u201d Thorne CEO Colin Watts wrote in the report.<\/p>\n
Transparency is a demonstrably vital component of purchasing supplements, according to the report, with respondents valuing these three qualities the most:<\/p>\n
Products backed by clinical research and scientific evidence (37%)<\/p>\n
A clear list of every ingredient on the product label (33%)<\/p>\n
Products made with clean, pure ingredients (33%)<\/p>\n
Those priorities are increasingly relevant with publicly waning trust in supplements, especially after recent findings uncovered alarmingly high levels of lead<\/a> in several popular protein brands.<\/p>\n Evidently, consumers do want to buy supplements, despite their uncertainty. Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that supplements work, with 50% of Millennials believing supplements are better than over-the-counter or prescription medications and 70% of Gen Z thinking supplements make them healthier.<\/p>\n But figuring out which supplements to purchase is one of the biggest challenges for consumers, especially in a saturated market filled with mixed messaging online.<\/p>\n Who Consumers Trust To Help Them Find the Right Supplements<\/p>\n Thorne found that nearly one in three Americans think it\u2019s too hard to decipher what their health information means (test results, blood work, patient history, etc.) to figure out which supplements they need, as almost 25% don\u2019t know what steps to take after reading their health information.<\/p>\n So, where are people turning to figure out how to navigate the confusing supplement landscape?<\/p>\n For starters, Americans are more likely to trust doctors (80%) and friends and family (80%) over the news (46%).<\/p>\n That said, the report found that Millennials (41%) and Gen Z (40%) are more likely than Boomers (13%) to trust social media influencers for wellness advice.<\/p>\n Trust in those influencers has led to nearly 50% of Gen Z purchasing a supplement because it was trending online, compared to 40% of Millennials and just 10% of Boomers. Males (42%) are more likely than females (37%) to purchase a trending supplement.<\/p>\n Why AI Might Be the Answer<\/p>\n But here\u2019s one of the more notable resources emerging in the supplement game: artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n Over one-third of Americans (41%) say they trust AI platforms like ChatGPT for health and wellness advice, with Millennials being the most trusting generation at 48%.<\/p>\n Thorne has seen the potential to capitalize on increased interest in AI, as its report reflects a pivotal opportunity for brands to help guide their consumers. The brand launched its own AI-powered wellness advisor, called Taia<\/a>, trained on over four decades of clinical research, practitioner expertise and product science.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, Watts revealed in an interview with ATN<\/a> that the supplement brand was looking to lean into personalization through diagnostic, at-home test kits as well as AI.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is (consumers) want to think about supplements \u2014 and they want to think about Thorne \u2014 as a performance brand,\u201d Watts told ATN. \u201cSimilar to getting on a treadmill and seeing their (metrics) improving, that same generation is saying, \u2018When I use whey protein, or when I use Catalyte<\/a>, I want to understand, How is it going to help me perform? How is it going to help me today and tomorrow?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Transparency Is Gaining Ground<\/p>\n The growth of SuppCo, an app where users can analyze supplements based on ingredient quality, create personalized product stacks for specific health goals and receive expert advice from doctors and nutritionists, is another reflection of the increased push for supplement transparency and quality, as the survey respondents indicated.<\/p>\n Ahead of its beta launch in October 2024, the company secured $5.5 million<\/a> in seed funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"women](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MultiVitAMPM_Hands-copy-768x463.webp.webp\")
credit: Thorne<\/p>\n