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Social media drives nutraceutical consumption driven by influencer-driven marketing: Dr Sunil Chiplunkar
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Nandita Vijayasimha, Bengaluru
February 24 , 2026
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Social media significantly influences nutraceutical dietary supplement/functional food consumption by accelerating influencer-driven marketing. It is seen to foster a ‘must-buy’ impulse culture among younger consumers, particularly on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, said Dr. Sunil S Chiplunkar, vice president, business development, Group Pharmaceuticals.
Research indicates that over 50% of users in some studies report purchasing health products influenced by social media, with many turning to these platforms for wellness advice, often ahead of consulting healthcare professionals. At least 78.4% of young consumers follow fitness or wellness influencers, who act as key opinion leaders, transforming purchasing behaviour from traditional advertising to social media based decisions, he added.
Pharmacist influencers have emerged as a trusted source for evidence-based information on nutraceuticals and dietary supplements, bridging the gap between traditional pharmaceuticals and preventive wellness. They are actively involved in educating consumers, promoting specific brands, and, in some cases, launching their own nutraceutical lines, Dr Chiplunkar said in his article published in the KRPA Monthly Bulletin December 2025.
Several pharmacists have built large social media followings by providing ‘science-based’ content. Examples are Phil Cowley @philsmypharmacist with1.4M Instagram followers who focuses on making health advice relatable, including wellness tips and supplement recommendations. Dr. Jamie Hardy@drjamiehardy has 10.4K Instagram followers focusing on weight loss and wellness for professional women.
“We are waiting for young Indian influencer pharmacists to take on the social media scene with accurate scientific and persuasive presentations on nutraceuticals! And influencer pharmacists can start posting in native languages such as Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and Hindi -need not be in English! One interesting approach would be to have pharmacist influencer contests in pharmacy colleges, so it will encourage wannabe pharmacist influencers. There is no doubt that India needs to dedicated pharmacist influencers to foster a ‘must buy’ impulse for nutraceutical purchases,” Dr Chiplunkar said in a recent presentation.
This is the era of consumption encouraged by social media and e-commerce. The nutraceutical market in India is booming, driven by a rapid shift toward preventive healthcare, rising lifestyle diseases (diabetes, obesity), and increased health awareness post-pandemic, he said.
Growing disposable income, a large young population, and the convenience of e-commerce are accelerating the adoption of dietary supplements and herbal products. Covid-19 was the year of change, where preventative healthcare became the focal point. All of India was hooked onto therapies from steam inhalation to herbal decoctions for immunity boost. This pandemic caused a sea change in health habits and this paradigm shift has stayed on. People are on the lookout for health boosting nutraceuticals across age groups. To further give a fillip to the purchase of nutraceuticals, Food Safety and Standards Association of India introduced the Regulation on Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Food with Added Probiotics and Prebiotics in 2016, said Dr Chiplunkar.
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