Psychoactive drinks market the next big thing

The market value of food and drinks specifically bought for cognitive health purposes lies at $200 million - a relatively small, but growing market, according to Canadean.

Most of the excitement around the psychoactive drinks market for adults surrounds naturally derived ingredients from fruit, plants and roots proven to have an impact on cognitive health.

“Some properties of fruits, plants or roots such as ginseng, blueberries and chamomile have a positive impact on cognitive health,” Karin Nielsen, director of the ingredients division at Canadean says.

“For example, properties from Panax Ginseng, a root naturally occurring in Asia, appear to fight idiopathic chronic fatigue. Blueberries are said to be antioxidants with anti-inflammatory effects, while also reducing depressive symptoms. Scientists also found that the polyphenol and apigenin naturally found in chamomile, the passionflower and to some extend in the sin citrus fruits can have a positive effect on people suffering from depression and anxiety.”

However, Nielsen also notes challenges remain around the effectiveness of these types of ingredients.

“Our blood stream is the transport way for all nutrients and signal molecules, but there is a gate keeping track of what molecules are allowed to enter the brain space and impact the grey cells. This is a challenge for the food industry, as nutrients are modified during digestion, making it difficult to breach the blood-brain barrier.”