AI search is creating a new competitive battlefield for health and wellness brands, where traditional brand recognition does not necessarily translate into visibility. New research from Avenue Z shows that the sources influencing AI-generated answers can vary substantially depending on the product category.

Avenue Z, a digital marketing, PR and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) agency, has released its 2026 AI Visibility Index (AIVx) findings across five health and wellness segments: multivitamins, greens and gut supplements, hydration supplements, protein and performance, and GLP-1 and peptides.

The reports identify leading brands and examine the sources that AI systems cite when answering questions in each category. The findings suggest that health brands cannot rely on a single GEO or content strategy. Institutional websites, editorial media, review platforms, manufacturer content and trade publications can carry very different levels of influence depending on the market.

That matters as AI increasingly becomes part of consumer research. McKinsey reported in 2025 that half of consumers surveyed were already using AI-powered search, while 44% of AI-search users said it was their primary or preferred source of insight for purchase decisions.

AI Visibility Varies Sharply by Health Category

Avenue Z's multivitamin analysis places Nature Made at the top, followed by Thorne, Ritual, Pure Encapsulations, Garden of Life and FEEL. The six brands collectively account for 68% of AI share of voice, with Nature Made and Thorne representing 43%.

Institutional domains dominate citations in this segment, accounting for 52% of cited sources. Trade publications and editorial media each represent much smaller portions of the citation landscape.

The pattern changes in greens and gut supplements, where AG1 leads and the top three brands—AG1, Amazing Grass and Bloom—collectively capture 66% of AI share of voice. Avenue Z found a more distributed citation ecosystem in this category, with institutional domains, editorial outlets, competitor content and trade publications all contributing meaningfully.

In hydration supplements, Liquid I.V. leads a concentrated market in which Liquid I.V., LMNT, DripDrop, Ultima Replenisher and Pedialyte account for 74% of AI share of voice. Institutional, editorial and trade sources exert more influence than user-generated content, retailer pages and review platforms.

The protein and performance category is less concentrated. Optimum Nutrition leads, while Transparent Labs and Dymatize bring the top-three share to 43%. Isopure, Levels and NOW Sports reportedly recorded notable year-over-year ranking gains. Institutional sources account for 40% of citations, while review platforms and reference media play a comparatively larger role.

The most regulated segment, GLP-1 and peptides, shows another distinct pattern. Teladoc leads the category, followed by Ro, Hims, Hers, WeightWatchers Clinic and PlushCare. Institutional domains account for 67% of citations, reinforcing the importance of authoritative sources around safety, eligibility, approval, coverage and access.

Market Landscape

The findings reinforce a broader change in search optimization: brands are no longer competing only for rankings on their own websites. AI systems increasingly assemble answers from a wider source ecosystem.

McKinsey's research found that brand websites can represent only 5% to 10% of sources referenced by AI-powered search, with systems also drawing on affiliates and user-generated content.

For health and wellness marketers, that makes reputation and third-party authority strategically important. A brand may have strong first-party content yet remain underrepresented if the external sources AI systems rely upon do not reinforce its expertise.

Avenue Z recommends category-specific approaches that include concise answer-oriented content, technical optimization, relevant PR and publication strategies, and continuous monitoring of defined AI prompts.

That approach also reflects the higher stakes of health-related search. McKinsey's 2026 healthcare research notes that AI-generated health information can improve consumer experiences while raising concerns around privacy, misinformation and trust.

Strategic Outlook

The AIVx findings suggest that GEO for health and wellness is moving toward a category-level discipline rather than a generic extension of SEO.

For marketers, the objective is increasingly to understand which sources AI systems trust for a particular category, then build the content, authority and technical infrastructure needed to participate in that ecosystem.

The winners may not simply be brands producing the most content. They are likely to be companies that understand how AI systems construct answers and deliberately build credibility across the sources those systems already consult.

Top Insights

• Nature Made dominates multivitamin AI visibility, where institutional sources account for 52% of citations and create a distinct authority model for marketers.
• AG1 leads greens and gut supplements, but its category has a more diverse citation ecosystem spanning institutions, editorial media and trade publications.
• Liquid I.V. leads hydration supplements as five major brands capture 74% of AI share, highlighting concentrated competition for generative visibility.
• Optimum Nutrition leads protein and performance, while emerging brands such as Isopure and Levels show that AI visibility remains contestable.
• Teladoc leads GLP-1 and peptide visibility, where institutional sources represent 67% of citations and regulatory credibility becomes particularly important.

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