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Not just turmeric milk, protein powders also became health fad in Covid times, survey finds

Protein supplements are prescribed to patients who have survived extreme illness, such as severe Covid-19, or were in ICU. But people can also self-prescribe.

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New Delhi: Multivitamins continue to be the top-selling items at chemist shops across India, but pharmacists are also seeing a jump in the demand for another category of health products — protein powders. A new survey has said that it found “very interesting” purchase patterns last year, and that even healthcare practitioners are prescribing protein powders to patients in some cases.

The all-India survey conducted by Pronto Consult, a firm that specialises in doctor perception studies and pharma market insights in India and the Middle East, found that out of 7,000 bills for medical purchases that were reviewed for the month of February, around 20 per cent, or 1,400 bills, showed the purchase of protein powder.

The survey, accessed by ThePrint, stated: “Retailers highlighted (it) and bills also showed an increase in the purchase of protein powders. Healthcare practitioners are also prescribing the same to the patients, in some cases.”

Dr Hari Natarajan, co-founder and managing director of Pronto Consult, told ThePrint: “The purchases include protein supplements and whey protein drinks. Apart from protein supplements, the sales of health drinks including malt-based drinks, turmeric milk, probiotic drinks, coconut water, and ORS (oral rehydration solution) have also gone up.”

Natarajan said the increase in the sales of protein supplements was noticed in pharmacy bills in June-July too. “In June-July last year, the percentage in bills was around 20-23 per cent, whereas it’s now hovering around 20-21 per cent. It had dipped to 10 per cent in the last few months,” he said.


Also read: Inhaling immune protein interferon beta improves recovery of Covid patients — Lancet study


Purchase patterns since lockdown

Dr Karishma Shah, co-founder and director of Pronto Consult, said purchase patterns had been “very interesting” all of last year.

“The most impacted products in customer bills were antibiotics and dermatology. Apart from a phenomenal jump in the mention of multivitamins in the bills, the mention of hygiene products increased by around 230 per cent when compared to pre-lockdown levels,” Shah said.

The ‘hygiene products’ classification includes hand sanitisers and liquid hand-washes.

According to Pronto’s survey, multivitamins have registered a jump of 1,160 per cent over pre-lockdown levels.

But because some people had stocked up on medicines before the lockdown was announced, the demand for anti-bacterials or antibiotics has witnessed a major drop. “Retailers expect it to be back over the next few quarters,” the survey said.

Pronto’s survey also showed that “the focus on health among consumers has grown phenomenally, which is a major reason behind the push in sales of multivitamins, nutraceuticals, health drinks, and protein supplements”.

However, it pointed out that the pharmacists have started seeing a dip in sales of multivitamins, the dominant category in terms of high sales, compared to the last six months.

Medical advice or self-prescription? 

According to Dr Kamna Kakkar, senior resident, intensive care units (ICUs) at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, protein powders can be prescribed to patients who have either survived extreme illness, such as a bout of severe Covid-19, or patients who are admitted in ICUs.

“In absence of any Covid-buster drug, the management of the disease has been entirely based on getting the patient fit. For instance, if they are diabetics, then control their diabetes. If they are malnourished, improve nutrition. Under this situation, it is possible to use protein powders, and that might have started showing in the sales of these products,” she said.

Extreme illness, Kakkar explained, may cause the breakdown of muscle protein stores.

“Additionally, patients, due to poor appetite or weakness, are unable to take in an adequate diet. Both these factors can lead to the worsening of patients’ condition. Hence, it’s imperative to supplement calories and proteins in diet to compensate for the losses,” she said, pointing out that “India is anyway a state with a huge burden of malnutrition”.

Dr Mrinal Sircar, director and head of pulmonology, chest and sleep medicine, at Fortis Hospital, Noida, said such supplements are generally prescribed by the doctors when “the patient is too sick to eat adequately”.

“If the patient eats well, there is no need for supplements and the requirement should be fulfilled by normal food only,” he said. But he added it is possible that people have been self-prescribing such supplements due to their increasing health consciousness.

“These products are available over-the-counter, without the requirement of prescriptions. However, before starting these supplements, medical advice should be taken,” Sircar insisted.

(Edited by Shreyas Sharma)


Also read: Indians bought over 500 crore pills of Vitamin C, Zinc, multivitamins to battle Covid in 2020


 

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