Industry Transparency Podcast

Magician, mathematician, computer scientist, minister, personal trainer, graphic designer, health food store owner. David Nelson has worn a lot of hats, and they all led him to planetary health.

In this episode of the Industry Transparency Podcast, ITC’s Steve Imgrund sits down with David Nelson, co-founder of the Earthrise Community with the Planetary Health Alliance and faculty at the Nova Institute for Health. Expect to learn about his journey becoming a generalists journey and how this allows him to see connections that specialists can miss, and why that matters for the natural products industry.

David explains how his varied background led him to planetary health and its three connected domains of person, place and planet. He describes the microbiome as a math problem of countless species and genes interacting, the reciprocal relationship between the gut barrier, as a ‘house’, and the microbes as its ‘residents’, and why that's a useful conceptual framework.

In this episode:

• Why David Epstein’s book Range changed how he saw himself as a generalist
• What planetary health means, and the move from treating disease to supporting people’s wellbeing
• How a background in combinatorial math shaped how he approaches the microbiome
• What the natural products industry gets right and wrong about the microbiome, and what traditional herbal combinations can teach us
• What’s new on auto-brewery syndrome, other gut metabolites that may affect behavior, and the UN-backed judicial wellness initiative
• His book picks and the two daily habits he won’t give up

David’s talk at the 2025 Future of the Microbiome summit was one of the event’s most talked-about sessions, and he returns for the 2026 Winter Summit, November 17–19. Register at futureofmicrobiome.com.

Follow David’s essays and field notes at davidhplanet.com (launching soon). To learn more about Industry Transparency Center and its consumer research, visit itcstrategy.com.

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com

In this episode, ITC's Steve Imgrund sits down with CEO Len Monheit to break down the 2026 Functional Food & Beverage Report, a survey of 2,100 consumers across the US and UK fielded in May 2026.

From bone broth to prebiotic soda, functional food has been evolving for thousands of years, and this year's data shows a category in the middle of a major behavior shift, with consumers moving away from rigid diet identities and toward products that simply deliver more nutrition.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why specialty diets are declining while functional food consumption keeps climbing
• How often consumers are actually using functional products, and what that means for positioning
• Where format innovation is moving now that coffee has cooled off
• Why willingness to pay a premium for branded ingredients is rising, and which demographic is driving it
• The number-one trust driver this year
• How to use ITC's new persona reports to check your product against your target demographic
• How to read the white space in health concerns, and why education gaps and conversion gaps need different strategies

The 2026 Functional Food & Beverage Report is now available online. Have a specific request or category question? We offer custom research; reach out to start the conversation. 

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com

Anxiety, stress, and mood concerns consistently top the list of what consumers are worried about — yet supplement adoption for mental wellness lags far behind that need. On this episode of the Industry Transparency Podcast, host Steve Imgrund is joined by Dr. Daniel Farkas DC, CFMP, a functional medicine provider who takes a gut-centric approach to mental wellness, and Brandon Casteel, Vice President of Partnership Sales at Jungle Scout, who brings hard data on consumer demand and marketplace behavior.

Together they unpack why this category has real momentum but a real credibility problem. The conversation covers recent flashpoints, including an FTC lawsuit over deceptive mental-health marketing claims and Meta's tightened ad policies around health claims, and what they signal about where the industry is headed. Dr. Farkas shares how he actually talks to patients about supplements versus therapy, from adaptogens like ashwagandha to targeted interventions and the emerging science of the gut-brain axis, plus why he insists on testing over guessing. Brandon breaks down what Amazon marketplace data reveals: a mental wellness supplement market worth over $1 billion, a consumer base shifting from vague claims like "stress relief" toward specific ingredients and mechanisms, and surprising findings about what actually drives trust and purchase decisions (hint: it's not star ratings).

Join us for a candid look at how social media and doctor-branded products are reshaping consumer trust, and what responsible participation in this space should look like going forward.

In this episode:

• Why demand for mental wellness supplements outpaces adoption, and what that gap signals
• Recent regulatory and platform enforcement actions (FTC, Meta) and their industry-wide ripple effects
• A functional medicine perspective on where supplements fit alongside therapy and testing
• Marketplace data on ingredient-specific search trends, fastest-growing brands, and real trust drivers
• What the supplement industry needs to hear about transparency, education, and building authentic trust

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com

A quick note before you listen: We recorded this conversation before UNPA announced it will close at the end of 2026, following Loren Israelsen's retirement after 34 years leading the organization and 46 years in the industry. It's a solid record of the perspective he's brought to this space for decades.

In this episode, Len Monheit sits down with Loren Israelsen, Founder and President of the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), for a wide-ranging conversation on the forces reshaping the dietary supplement industry. Together, they discuss everything from geopolitics to regulatory momentum to the creeping influence of AI.

Loren and Len unpack what six-plus years of compounding disruption through COVID, geopolitical realignment, tariff volatility, and supply chain fragility actually means for companies trying to plan and compete in 2025 and beyond. They dig into the US-China-India dynamic, including what the ashwagandha situation in India reveals about the deeper tension between traditional Ayurvedic practice and modern nutraceutical development, and why "made in USA" is harder to deliver than consumers realize.

On the regulatory front, Loren offers a frank assessment of what the current FDA leadership alignment means for the supplement industry, and why this moment may be unlike any other in recent memory. From unusually supplement-friendly remarks, to the real prospects for HSA expansion, to the long-standing definition challenges under DSHEA, this conversation is a candid read on where things stand and what the industry needs to do in the next six months.

They close with a conversation that's harder to summarize but impossible to skip: what happens to an industry built on discovery, trust, and human connection when AI starts doing the thinking, and the writing, for everyone?

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com

Ashwagandha has become a billion-dollar category, and with that growth has come scrutiny, regulatory noise, and a wave of misinformation that threatens to undermine an herb with thousands of years of traditional use and over 130 clinical studies behind it.

In this episode, ITC CEO Len Monheit sits down with Blake Ebersole, founder and president of NaturPro Scientific, to unpack what's really happening with ashwagandha. From the Indian Ministry of Commerce's export ban on leaf products to European regulatory flags and concerning case reports, Blake breaks down why most of these issues trace back to quality failures, and not the plant itself.

They dig into the tension between traditional Ayurvedic use and modern botanical science, why withaferin A being present in both leaf and root doesn't make either unsafe, and how the supply chain, from supplier to contract manufacturer to brand, too often fails consumers and the category. Blake also shares the work behind the Ashwagandha Standards Alliance, a coalition of responsible suppliers working to get ahead of the crisis with science-backed, transparent practices.

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com

Postbiotics are gaining traction. But beneath the buzz lies significant confusion about what they actually are and how they work.

Our latest global supplement survey reveals that postbiotics are far from just a trend. Consumers are actively using them for digestive health, immune support, and skin concerns, yet a critical gap still remains. Both the industry and consumers struggle to clearly define and differentiate postbiotics from their probiotic and prebiotic counterparts.

Join Steve Imgrund and Ana Aleksic, MSc, Science Writer & Editor and Fractional SEO & Content Strategist, as they cut through the noise and deliver much-needed clarity on this rapidly evolving category.

In this session, we'll explore:

• The science-backed definition of postbiotics (and what they're not)
• How terminology and regulatory frameworks are evolving globally
• Key consumer insights from our annual supplement survey
• Where the postbiotic category is headed, and what it means for the industry

Want a preview of the consumer data? Download our Snapshot Report today.

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com

What's really driving supplement purchase decisions, and how can marketers, formulators, ingredient suppliers, and investors use this data to make informed decisions?

Join Len Monheit and Steve Imgrund as they dive into the latest Industry Transparency Center data from over 4,000 supplement consumers across the US, UK, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Australia, and India to uncover how people take, use, and choose their supplements.

They'll break down regional differences reshaping the industry, explore how to craft messaging that resonates across demographics, and examine the evolving role branded ingredients play in consumer trust and purchasing behavior.

Whether you're aligning formulations to emerging health concerns, evaluating market demand, or positioning your brand for growth in 2026, this data reveals where the real opportunities are.

Want a preview of the data? Download our Snapshot Report today: https://itcstrategy.com/supp-snapshot-download/ 

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com

In this episode of the Industry Transparency podcast, Steve Imgrund and Len Monheit explore the growing importance of third-party certifications in the natural health and ingredients industry, with a spotlight on the collagen category.

As the collagen market continues to expand, theres an increased call for transparency from both consumers and clinicians alike. With the rise of many types and formats in the market, third-party certifications have become essential tools for cutting through marketing noise and helping brands and ingredient manufacturers demonstrate their commitment to quality and responsible practices. 

This conversation dives deep into why the collagen category specifically needs clearer standards, given its explosive growth, diverse sources, and widespread consumer confusion. Learn how the Collagen Stewardship Alliance was created with transparency and stewardship at its core, and hear from the pioneering companies in the NutraStrong™ Collagen Verified Program.

Hear from Javier Velasco, R&D and Quality Director at Bioiberica, Hanna Charron, Associate Director, Health Ingredients Product Management at Lonza, and Arun Nair, Chief Command Officer of Stratum Nutrition as they share their experiences going through the NutraStrong™ Collagen Verified Program and explain the value it brings to the industry.

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com

What’s driving consumer decisions in the ever-evolving world of functional food and beverage? In this episode, Len Monheit and Steve Imgrund unpack the latest findings from ITC’s 2025 Functional Food and Beverage Report offering a data-driven look at consumer expectations, ingredient preferences, and opportunities for brands to better align with real-world demand.

Tune in for a discussion around:

• The rising demand for branded ingredients
• The differences between U.S. and U.K. consumers
• The emerging idea of intuitive functionality
• Time-of-day preferences for product use
• The white space between health concerns and consumption behaviors
• What makes consumers willing to pay more
• How brands can speak to their audience more effectively

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive an exclusive discount on our 2025 Functional Food & Beverage Survey!

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com

Welcome to the debut episode of the Industry Transparency Podcast! Join Len Monheit (CEO of ITC, Executive Director of GPA and CSA) and Steve Imgrund (Marketing & Communications Director) as they unpack key takeaways from Vitafoods Europe 2025, a show that brought new energy, international reach, and candid conversations about the future of the health ingredients industry.

In this episode, they dive into:

• Major trends from the show floor: women’s health, active aging, the microbiome, third-party testing, GLP-1 support, and innovative delivery formats.
• Shifts in formulation and regulatory expectations, and why brand trust increasingly depends on transparency.
• A fresh comparison between legacy shows like SupplySide and the reinvigorated Vitafoods in Barcelona.
• Evolving narratives around collagen, probiotics, and prebiotics, and the areas where science still needs to catch up.

What’s Ahead on the Industry Transparency Podcast

This podcast is your backstage pass to the evolving world of health and nutrition. In future episodes, you’ll hear:

• Deep dives into globally relevant trends. From biotics and botanicals to longevity and metabolic health.
• Expert-driven discussions with researchers, formulators, clinicians, and ingredient innovators.
• Perspectives across categories from the Global Prebiotic Association, Collagen Stewardship Alliance, and Industry Transparency Center.
• A balance of timely event coverage, and bold questions, like what’s really happening with GLP-1 and weight loss claims?

Whether you're a brand, supplier, clinician, or R&D leader, this podcast is designed to keep you informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve.

Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit us at itcstrategy.com