The market for cognitive health solutions continues to benefit from greater consumer interest in increasing and optimizing their health span. Younger people too are interested in natural products that can promote resilience to stress and improve one’s own cognitive performance during demanding tasks.

The global market for dietary supplements with cognitive function and mood claims was valued at $6.29 billion in 2024, according to Fortune Business Insights, which projected the category will reach $11.55 billion by 2032, at 8% CAGR.

Most market drivers in cognitive health are evergreen, said Matthew Oster, head of health, beauty, and hygiene insights at Euromonitor International, including “aging societies, financial insecurity, longer working years, higher competition for educational and career opportunities, and the demand for longevity writ large.”

“There are innumerable entry points for supplement companies,” he added, including “marketing around specific need, around consumer type, around life stage, and around combination benefits with other adjacencies, like sleep, gut health, or energy.”

Scott Dicker, senior director of market insights at SPINS, said today’s marketplace isn’t just about preventing or delaying “senior moments.” Instead, “It’s being sharp and focused at work, in the gym, and throughout the day.”

Across all SKUs tracked by SPINS, the fastest-growing ingredients in the cognitive health market were vitamin B complexes, magnesium, multi-minerals, matcha, and fish oil concentrates, over a 52-week period ending on July 31.

In terms of product formats, capsules and tablets are holding strong, but “gummies, chewables, tinctures, RTDs, bars, and lozenges are becoming more visible in the market as alternative ways to engage consumers.”

Considerations such as ease of use, flavor preferences, and color cues (e.g., bright or citrus options suggesting energy and focus) can help differentiate products and influence the associations consumers make with specific cognitive outcomes.

“The fastest growth is coming from ingredients with strong clinical support,” said Maria Stanieich, senior marketing manager at Kyowa Hakko USA, such as Cognizin Citicoline. “Cognizin sets itself apart as a branded, patented, clinically-researched nutrient that supports both short-term cognitive performance and long-term brain health.”

A combination of strong science and brand trust gives Cognizin a unique edge, she added, “positioning it as the gold standard in a category where trends may come and go, but clinically-validated solutions have staying power.”

Cognitive health consumers are attracted to ingredients that seem “closer to nature,” noted Vaughn DuBow, senior director of health and wellness product portfolio marketing for ADM. Guarana, green tea, yerba mate, chamomile, and lavender have strong associations with cognitive support in consumers’ minds.

“In collaboration with the University of Canberra in Australia, we’re examining the potential effects of green rooibos on everyday stress and feelings of worry,” DuBow added. “There is synergistic potential in bringing quality botanicals together with pre-, pro-, and postbiotics in tailored foods, beverages, and dietary supplements targeted for cognitive support.”

Lauren Samot, RD, commercial innovation leader at Vitaquest, noted substantial growth for magnesium, which can help support relaxation, calmness, and restful sleep, as well as L-theanine for stress, focus, relaxation, and overall mental clarity. Other standouts include citicoline for healthy overall brain function, rhodiola for adaptogenic benefits to physical and mental performance, and saffron for mood and emotional well-being.

Samot also noted demand for tailored supplements for specific use occasions. For example, gaming supplements are often designed for sustained focus and memory recall whereas pre-workout formulas often rely on caffeine and tyrosine to support alertness and mental focus.

Meanwhile, there has been more attention to women’s mid-life challenges, which include difficulties in focus, memory, and sleep quality. At the same time, the gut-brain axis has been a high-focus area.

For product developers, it’s important to consider how delivery systems can be tailored to meet the expectations of different demographics, Samot said. “Powders may meet the needs of people who are also looking to increase their water intake or prefer to blend things into smoothies, stick packs for on-the-go nutrition, and capsules/tablets for easy dosing.” For some consumers, engaging flavors may help them adhere to a supplement regimen, she added.

Oster noted scrutiny over marketing claims in the cognitive support category. “Last year’s ruling against Quincy Bioscience and Prevagen are a case in point. That said, products that are incorporating mental health/cognitive health around broader performance objectives, such as in the gym or for work, or around life stages, such as during hormonal changes stemming from perimenopause, show promise. In general, focus and clarity are popular messaging options despite the risks of unsupportable claims.”

Cognitive health supplement benefits are “among the most difficult to develop quality science for and to support messaging,” said Steve Fink, vice president of marketing at PLT Health Solutions. “At the same time, we know it is extremely important to consumers,” who, in the past few years, have a much greater sense of agency for improving their cognitive performance. Ingredient brand recognition is particularly strong in this category, Fink said, with “a clear preference and trust in products featuring recognized, trademarked ingredient names.” 

Preventive Measures

With aging populations around the world, and age-related neurodegenerative conditions on the rise, people of all generations are considering the role nutrition and lifestyle play in preserving cognitive function for the long haul. The market has been driven by the larger health span movement in the wellness industry, which prioritizes proactive care rather than reactive approaches later in life, Dicker noted.

“Consumers are focused on aging, and aging better, and supporting cognitive health throughout their lifespan is a priority,” said Samot. “The demand for cognitive health products in the nutraceutical space is multi-generational and often coupled with ingredients that are multi-functional.”

The number of people over the age of 65 is expected to double by 2050, due to increased life expectancy. “As people age, they often seek support for maintaining memory and cognitive performance,” she said. 

Longer-term studies, and formulas with multiple bioactives and strong safety profiles are often favored among product developers. “At PLT, we’re big fans of ‘stacking’ in the formulation of cognitive health products,” Fink said. “PLT’s cognitive health portfolio features ingredients with a wide range of different mechanisms of action, many of which can work in conjunction with other ingredients to create differentiated products.”

PLT Health Solutions tested Nutricog, a patented combination of haritaki and Boswellia, standardized to gallic acid, ellagic acid, and amyrins, in a 120-day study on healthy men and women between the ages of 40 and 65. Compared to placebo, the Nutricog group experienced statistically significant improvements in measures of immediate and delayed recall, overall learning, learning rate, focus, and recognition index, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentrations.

With no treatment for age-related cognitive decline validated, such as in Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, “any company that can show real pharmaceutical-based clinical data that indicates the possibility of avoiding the disease or slowing down progression of early onset can grab a large piece of the market,” said Christer Rosén, chairman and CEO of Jupiter Neurosciences, which recently launched a line of longevity supplements targeting beauty, cognition, and energy that feature its enhanced resveratrol ingredient Jotrol.

So-called “longevity biohackers” are gaining followers and influence, especially in the 35- to 55-year-old range. More information and tools for early detection are fueling the conversation as well, he noted.

Jupiter’s Nugevia PWR was validated in a study on a pre-clinical model of Alzheimer’s disease to increase mitochondria biogenesis in the brain by 17% and in the liver by 30%, Rosén noted. The ingredient combines Jotrol, a bioavailable resveratrol ingredient, with NovaSol, a stabilized CoQ10, to improve quantity and quality of mitochondria, and sustain both physical and mental performance, he said.

For long-term support, strong safety profiles are equally as important as clinical validation for neuroprotection. “This is where TocoGaia is highly relevant,” said Ariati Aris, PhD, scientific affairs specialist, and Bryan See, vice president of PhytoGaia. “In a recent human clinical trial (published in Nutrients) involving older adults between 50 and 70 years old, daily supplementation with TocoGaia not only preserved telomerase activity, a marker of cellular aging, but also improved antioxidant defenses and enhanced psychological well-being. Importantly, the study also reported excellent safety and tolerability, confirming its suitability for long-term, daily use in an aging population.”

New ways to detect Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline earlier in life “moved the interest level to a much broader and younger population,” Rosén noted.

Older people, on the other hand, might need more persuading. Only 30% of American adults aged 50 and older believe that lifestyle factors can reduce dementia risk, while 40% said they could lower their risk “a little,” per a survey conducted by AARP in March. However, respondents were open to lifestyle modifications after receiving a dementia diagnosis, such as engaging in mentally stimulating activities (78%), getting restful sleep (64%), and eating nutritious meals (63%).

There is strong consensus among researchers that diet-related metabolic disease, which impacts most American adults, has played an understated role in the rapid and disproportionate rise of neurodegenerative conditions in the aging population.

A large, two-year study supported by the Alzheimer’s Association that showed significant promise for the role of lifestyle intervention in cognition was published in JAMA in July. The U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) study tested interventions in more than 2,000 older, sedentary adults between 60 and 79. One intervention, which had greater impact in increasing cognitive composite scores and executive function measures, was a structured lifestyle intervention, which included a prescribed activity program of exercises, monitored adherence to the MIND diet, cognitive challenges, social activities, and regular reviews and goal-setting with a clinician. Significant improvements were also achieved through a self-guided lifestyle intervention, in which participants attended six peer team meetings to encourage self-selected lifestyle changes that best fit their needs and schedules, which included general encouragement but no goal-directed coaching.

“As the burden of dementia grows worldwide, U.S. POINTER affirms a vital public health message: healthy behavior has a powerful impact on brain health,” said Joanne Pike, DrPH, Alzheimer’s Association president and CEO. “The intervention was effective across a broad, representative group, regardless of sex, ethnicity, APOE genetic risk, or heart health status, demonstrating its applicability and scalability for communities across the country.”

An observational study of over 42,000 people published in Neurology in May found that those with diets high in ultra-processed foods were significantly more likely to have early signs of Parkinson’s disease compared to participants with low ultra-processed food intake, over an average follow-up period of 26 years. Specifically, 11 or more servings of ultra-processed foods per day was associated with a 2.5-fold higher likelihood of having three or more early signs of Parkinson’s compared to those who had fewer than three servings per day on average.

Cellular and mitochondrial health, emerging measures of longevity, are growing in relevance for consumers seeking nutritional solutions to protect their minds for the long haul.

“Citicoline is an important compound that affects the health of brain cells and neurons, and plays a critical role in cellular health,” noted Stanieich. “It supports neurotransmission for enhanced communication between nerve cells and the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in brain cells for cognitive function.”

Blue California recently partnered with Longevity.Technology to launch a supplement featuring Niagen nicotinamide riboside, along with other cognitive health staples such as fisetin, resveratrol, spermidine, and ErgoActive L-Ergothioneine, each of which are highlighted for their roles in supporting cellular health, mitochondrial function, and measures of biological aging.

A clinical study on ErgoActive published in Nutraceuticals this year found that the nature-identical, precision-fermented L-ergothioneine ingredient was linked to dose-dependent improvements in prospective memory, sleep initiation, reaction time, and composite memory, along with increased telomere length, in a population of 147 middle-aged adults with subjective memory complaints.

“We focused on healthy individuals with subjective memory complaints, a group often considered at higher risk for cognitive decline, yet still within the window for early intervention. These findings offer clinical evidence that ergothioneine supports neurocognitive and physiological resilience in aging humans and provide a strong foundation for future studies,” said Linda May-Zhang, PhD, vice president of science and innovation at Blue California and co-author of the study.

Fast-Acting Support

While the cognitive health category has historically focused on long-term prevention, stress, sluggishness, poor mood, and sleep issues are prevalent among younger consumers.

“We are seeing a major increase in nootropics and cognitive health ingredients being used in energy drinks and products as a way to differentiate and elevate the experience of consuming these products,” Dicker noted.

The link between mood and cognition in consumers’ minds is driven by social media, said Dominik Mattern, vice president of science, business development, and marketing at Balchem Human Nutrition and Health. “Many consumers are turning to apps such as TikTok and Instagram for advice and recommendations from influencers in the health and wellness arena.”

A survey by Kyowa Hakko of 1,000 U.S. consumers interested in cognitive health found that nearly half of respondents (46%) said they have less mental energy than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, and a similar number (48%) cited a lack of focus as a regular concern. Most (74%) said they were interested in trying dietary supplements to support their cognitive health, and 75% said they’re specifically looking for sustained energy throughout the day.

Similarly, 48% of global consumers surveyed by ADM expressed that they “feel sluggish or tired throughout the day, which may lessen abilities to cope with stressors and limit focus, energy levels, or mental acuity,” said DuBow. “With that, nearly 70% of consumers are interested in ways to support their sleep. They want more cognitive health supplements, from gummies to tablets, with sleep support as a key benefit.”

People are inundated with digital media, and many report that their attention spans are shortening, Samot noted. “The world has become increasingly more distracted, and the result is leading many people to feel that they could benefit from additional support for focus and memory.”

Demand for products that enhance focus, clarity, and productivity has surged, said Aris and See. Fast-acting bioactives like caffeine, L-theanine, ginseng, or nootropic mushrooms offer solutions, especially when applied to rapid-absorption formats like oral dissolving films, RTD shots, or effervescent formats.

Formulators shouldn’t overlook foundational nutrients, which are safe to use every day while still delivering sought-after, acute benefits.

“Magnesium, along with vitamins B6 and B12, are the top ingredients in products for brain-mood health claims,” Mattern noted. “These ingredients all have one thing in common: they have been shown to help combat stress, which can have a substantial impact on our cognitive health. Magnesium, for example, supports the normal function of the stress hormone cortisol and contributes to mood regulation by modulating glutamine uptake at the NMDA receptor.”

Chelated minerals, such as Albion Minerals’ magnesium bisglycinate chelate, are shielded by the amino acid glycine, protecting them from their environment in the body, and supporting enhanced absorption in the body, he added, with up to five-times greater absorption than other magnesium salts.

“Another particularly exciting area of research in this space is the importance of folate to support healthy brain tissues and promote normal cognitive function by regulating homocysteine levels through its methyl donor function,” said Mattern. “Balchem’s newly-launched bioactive, choline-enriched folate ingredient, Optifolin+, unlocks huge potential here. This first-of-its-kind ingredient provides several times the methyl groups found in other folate products, supporting the brain and nervous system and promoting balanced methylation as we age.”

Zembrin, PLT Health’s Sceletium tortuosum extract, which bridges the gap between “mood, balance, calm focus, serenity,” and cognitive performance, has been performing strongly thanks to these consumers’ demands, with notable mass-market launches including Nature’s Bounty Stress Comfort and Tylenol Proactive Support, Fink noted.

“Backed by extensive safety testing, Zembrin has been clinically demonstrated to improve cognitive flexibility, executive function, and mood. Other studies have shown it reduces measures of anxiety within 30 minutes of administration,” he said.

The company’s Vanizem can also be applied to mood-cognition crossover products. The Aframomum melegueta extract is standardized to bioactives called vanilloids, which target the endocannabinoid system to regulate stress and emotional responses, helping to promote production of anandamide, a neurotransmitter and endocannabinoid known to regulate a variety of physiological processes. 

Gut-Brain Connection               

There’s an intricate relationship between the gut microbiome and cognitive health, leading to interest in using probiotics with the aim of enhancing mental health, according to Jordi Riera, chief business development manager at Kaneka Probiotics. “Psychobiotics, a class of probiotics that deliver mental health benefits via the gut-brain axis, are one group of ingredients that have seen a growth in interest in recent years.”

Kaneka Probiotics has developed blends of ancestral strains shown to go beyond the gut through validated mechanisms of action, said Riera. “One of our blends that targets cognition is KABP brain, comprised of L. plantarum DR7 and L. plantarum KABP 051.”

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study published in Beneficial Microbes in 2019 found that L. plantarum DR7 may support beneficial serotonin and dopamine levels. Adults receiving the strain for 12 weeks experienced reduced stress and improved stress response compared to the placebo group.

This year, ADM launched a postbiotic, L. gasseri CP2305, which is validated in clinical studies to support emotional well-being, stress, and measures of sleep. The postbiotic has also been shown to offer mood support benefits in healthy, young women experiencing premenstrual symptoms, women experiencing menopause, and in male college athletes recovering from exercise.

New Research Methods

Many new biomarkers and imaging technologies “have been validated, and will assist in faster and more accurate evaluation of the effectiveness of a product in clinical trials,” said Rosén. “We are adopting as many of those as possible in our Parkinson’s Phase II trial to maximize the information. We expect that we will have information that informs us how well our product also works in Alzheimer’s patients, as well as in other CNS-related diseases.”

ADM’s 2022 multispecies probiotic study, conducted in collaboration with the University of Oxford, included many emerging cognitive and emotional outcome measures.

“The team employed their validated battery of cognitive and emotional assessments, including computerized tasks such as facial expression recognition, emotional categorization, and memory/attention tasks that are sensitive to subtle shifts in mood and emotional salience,” said DuBow. “These assessments allow us to understand not just whether mood improves, but how underlying cognitive and emotional processes are modulated.”

ADM has again partnered with Oxford researchers on a new trial that will utilize the same testing protocols to determine the efficacy of a biotic intervention on perimenopausal women, DuBow noted.

Aris and See said that emerging science on the neuroprotective properties of bioactives like tocotrienols, squalene, and carotenoids are worth attention. “Tocotrienols, a more potent form of natural vitamin E, are especially promising, with increasing data highlighting their neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. In fact, two scientific reviews published in 2025 reinforced tocotrienols’ potential to support brain function, memory, and healthy aging, emphasizing mechanisms such as oxidative stress reduction and inflammation modulation observed in both animal and in vitro models.”

Tocotrienols are unique thanks to their unsaturated side chain, which allows them to penetrate brain tissue more effectively than tocopherols, they said. “This structural advantage translates into significantly greater biological activity; their antioxidant effects and neuroprotective properties have been reported to be 40-60 and 1,000 times more potent, respectively, than vitamin E tocopherol.”

In August, researchers published a study (PNAS) in which they solved a decades-old mystery of how a rare compound called queuosine is absorbed by the body. This essential, vitamin-like nutrient, found in food and produced by gut bacteria, has been recognized for its roles in shielding the brain against neurodegenerative disease and mitigating cancer risk, according to Aris and See.

The new discovery of the transporter which allows queuosine to enter brain cells can one day be used to create novel drug therapies, the authors noted. It also provides insights into a critical juncture in which the microbiome can influence neurocognitive outcomes, potentially influencing future microbiome research.

Advances in Delivery and Dosage

According to DuBow, “A lack of convenience and enjoyment can deter consumers from regularly taking supplements.” Gummies, stick packs, functional chocolate, and beverage formats offer added appeal.

Consumers today consider enjoyable delivery formats part of a “complete experience,” Fink said. PLT has focused on meeting demand for clinically-backed options that don’t affect organoleptics and simplify formulation work.

Dosage technologies to enhance bioavailability can also be critical for efficacy in cognitive support.

“The core problem with most nutritional supplements is bioavailability, the amount of an active ingredient that gets into the bloodstream,” said Rosén. “The liver is a fantastic organ that doesn’t like supplements,” and getting a complex molecule to withstand the first pass effect through the liver requires specialization.

“We developed Jotrol to be able to deliver at least 250 ng/ml of resveratrol in the bloodstream without causing any GI side effects that regular resveratrol will cause due to the amount you need to ingest, 5 grams per day, to get any cognitive therapeutic effect. Our Phase I study with Jotrol showed that we had about 500 ng/ml of resveratrol in the bloodstream with only 500 mg of trans-resveratrol delivered as Jotrol.”

The Phase I study has led to the company’s present Phase II trial in a population of patients with Parkinson’s disease. “I have no information that there is any other nutraceutical product that has shown effect on IL-6, oxidative stress, and several other biomarkers in the brain,” he said.

It’s difficult to establish how much of an ingredient passes the blood-brain barrier, after first determining how much of a given ingredient reaches the bloodstream, noted Rosén. “We have indications that approximately 30% of our product will pass the blood-brain barrier. This will be further evaluated once we have completed our Phase II study on Parkinson’s disease next year,” via cerebrospinal fluid tests on all participants.

Microencapsulation can make it easier to incorporate cognitive-boosting ingredients in multi-ingredient formulations. Balchem recently launched VitaCholine Pro-Flo, a membrane-coated version of the choline ingredient that can be incorporated into existing multivitamin formulations.

“Choline is an essential nutrient for our brain, body, and nervous system, and could add significant benefits to multivitamin solutions, especially in the cognitive health space. However, due to hygroscopicity, tableted multivitamin solutions have previously been challenging for formulators,” said Mattern.

Beyond the advantages that naturally occur with certain ingredients, such as tocotrienols over tocopherols, liposomal delivery systems or self-emulsifying formulations can improve upon a range of ingredients. “When combined with these innovations, products like TocoGaia Ultra can deliver tocotrienols more efficiently, thereby maximizing their cognitive and whole-body health benefits,” Aris and See said.