According to future market insights research (1), the cognitive health supplement market is estimated to show a CAGR of 13.3% and to almost double its size with a valuation of USD 16.8 billion by 2033 compared to 2023. Scientific research in the area of brain and cognitive health reflects this trend: the number of published brain health studies is steadily increasing and has more than tripled in the last 5 years and increased by 22 times in the last 10 years (2).

Within that buoyant market, natural and herbal ingredients (3) are the method of choice for many consumers globally and given their multifold benefits as modulators of several brain and body functions, they offer a great potential for further research.

New trends include nootropics and adaptogens and established herbal and botanical ingredients touted for their calming or energising properties. These are being paired with biotics and mushrooms to further leverage cognitive health benefits. At Finzelberg, we expect to see consistent, strong demand for brain and cognitive health-related botanicals like ashwagandha, ginseng, Rhodiola, and Sideritis, which reflects the zeitgeist of global consumers interested in effective natural ingredients.

Emerging trends include supplements for kids targeting brain and mental health, with natural botanical ingredients like lemon verbena, chamomile, and lemon balm paired with vitamins and minerals and omega 3s. While cognitive performance and brain energy seem to be more important in Asian markets, we see anxiety and stress relief as a global denominator of brain health.

Supplement brands increasingly lean on botanicals and herbals supported by new clinical research for benefits in cognitive performance, mood, and memory, targeting children or women for support with very specific needs for brain and mental health. New research focuses on the benefits of mushrooms (4) for overall brain health and pre-, pro-, and postbiotics for modulating the gut-brain axis to support the central nervous system (5) - inspiring opportunities for product developers to combine established and well-accepted ingredients with new and emerging ones.

Brain health and mental wellness remains a key category, ranking among the top shopping goals according to market research. Data shows demand is driven by both aging consumers who consider brain health an important pillar of overall health and the younger generation who adopts a proactive approach focusing on performance.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the multiple facets of brain health for their overall health and well-being. This is also driven by new research from branded ingredients pointing at the connection of stress, mood, and anxiety for cognitive performance and sleep.Brain health will evolve as there is plenty of evidence from branded ingredient research on the opportunity to progress with solutions targeting a “healthy mind for a healthy body” approach, underpinning the impact of mental health for overall health.

Branded ingredients are driving category growth and diversifying - allowing consumers to make more educated decisions. According to data from ITC (Industry Transparency Center) (6) consumer supplement survey 2024, consumer preference is shifting toward branded ingredients due to value propositions on efficacy, quality, safety, and transparency.

Branded ingredients should be clinically validated with several randomised, placebo-controlled double-blind studies following a pre-clinical assessment, tested under real-world conditions to ensure a strong acceptance in finished product use.

Stress managemnent remains a key consumer interest. A majority of consumers are exposed to stressful situations or perceive everyday life as increasingly stressful. This has specific implications for performing cognitive tasks and maintaining proper cognitive functions as stress can have major impacts on memory, focus, and cognitive performance.

According to ITC 2024 Consumer Supplement Survey (6), mental health-related concerns continue to see high reporting levels and large fulfillment gaps. Anxiety or stress had the two highest reporting rates in the US of any health concern among females.

In a 2024 Vitafoods Insights survey (7) on the major growth opportunities in the cognitive health space, respondents most frequently cited ‘mental/emotional health’ (reduction in stress and anxiety), followed by healthy aging (prevention of cognitive decline and memory loss) and solutions for infants.

“Early-life brain development” was anticipated to hold the strongest market potential for both the EU and US regions (in Asia, it came second), with “Relaxation” identified as the second most popular use case in the EU and US. Across all three regions, survey participants thought “Other” benefits would have the greatest market potential, singling out “Executive and student performance”, “Hyperactivity”, and “Mental fog (from menopause)”, among others, as the most promising areas for cognitive health products.

Regarding target demographics, more than one-third (34%) of respondents identified adults aged 30 to 65 as the most important group for cognitive health solutions, with senior citizens (aged 65-plus) trailing closely behind (32%) – a perception aligned with the strengthening healthy aging dynamic.

According to FMCG Gurus, Cognitive Health and Wellness Report 2023, (8) consumers plan to improve: mental focus (37%), brain power (33%), and cognitive performance (30%).

New opportunities will arise from accelerated big-data driven product development. More effective clinical research, backed by powerful AI tools and platforms will be leveraging the identification and selection of suitable substances and substantially increase innovation speed. We can already use smart and AI-backed technology to conduct clinical trials at a quicker pace and lower costs and apply real-world patterns of product administration and instant feedback to participants enrolled in clinical studies.

At Finzelberg, we are concerned about the impact of climate change and are strong advocates of sustainability and continue to pursue a science-based climate strategy. Our progress is checked and confirmed by independent external bodies such as TÜV, EMAS and SBTi.

In 2025 (Finzelberg’s 150th anniversary), we have already saved 88% of the CO2e emissions (Scopes 1+2) at our sites – through our own efforts compared to the base year 2020. That corresponds to an annual saving of more than 15,000 tons of CO2e. Beyond carbon footprint, sustainability means transparency across supply chains - a strong asset for our customers and the final consumer. Resilient and sustainable supply chains are relevant to secure supply ingredient transparency. As an example: we started cultivating Rhodiola rosea more than 20 years ago with full transparency over the entire supply chain - from seedling to botanical extract.

According to market research from ITC Consumer Supplement Survey 2024 (6), most consumer responses to the question: “When deciding which supplements to purchase, to what degree does the sustainability/environmental impact of a supplement ingredient influence your purchasing decision?” are in “sometimes influences” and “frequently influences”.

Emerging ingredients include ashwagandha, chamomile, ginseng, lemon verbena, lemon balm, Rhodiola, and Sideritis. Some feature multi-faceted benefits impacting the central nervous system, modulating neurotransmitters and positively affecting the endocrine system. Recently emerging ingredients include pre-, pro-, and postbiotics and mushrooms.

Any branded ingredient should be clinically validated with several randomised, placebo-controlled double-blind studies following a pre-clinical assessment and should be tested under real-world conditions to ensure strong acceptance of the finished product.

With increasing consumer awareness and understanding of a ‘healthy mind over a healthy body approach’, we see strong potential for cross-over/multi-benefit supplements combining cognitive support and brain health with mood, anxiety relief, mental resilience, and energy. However, these attributes and benefits should be backed by relevant clinical research to support any claims, and further education and information will be needed to validate the case in a successful business environment.

We anticipate a strong and sustainable growth trajectory for this category fueled by strong demand from aging populations and the requirement to cope with ever-busy lifestyles.

New opportunities will arise from accelerated big-data-driven product development and more effective clinical research, which is backed by powerful AI tools and platforms leveraging the identification and selection of suitable substances and substantially increasing the speed of innovation.

Consumers will continue to adopt bio-hacking and self-improving technologies such as wearables and trackers. The cognitive health space will benefit from more sophisticated and individualised performance goals, for example, stress and sleep trackers might be able to recommend certain ingredients and/or products in times of sleep deprivation or time zone adjustment during travel.