We thought this day would never come, but it has arrived. Experts now say that COVID-19 will be considered a seasonal virus. For many health brand CEOs, the pandemic was a time to supply a need for the masses, as thousands of individuals were on the hunt for the most beneficial vitamins and dietary supplements to improve immune health and overall wellness. But did the importance of cognitive support supplementation fall to the wayside during the pandemic? Surprisingly, no!
Cognitive Health Market and COVID-19
The best brain vitamins for adults and supplements for mental focus actually soared through 2020, from the beginning of the pandemic, with Vitamin D sales spiking a 162.1% gain not for immune function but for mental health. The last couple of years were plagued by loneliness for older folks, and for many people in general, a mounting stress and anxiety due to concern about the virus itself and the problems it caused—from losing jobs to missing out on important events. Nutraceutical brands have noticed that even though more focus was on immune support, consumers still sought to enhance brain activity and continue to take vitamins and supplements that will benefit their cognition.
Popular Cognitive Support Supplements
Which supplements exactly are consumers purchasing, you ask? Many consumers are doing their due diligence in research and finding they want to take not only Vitamin D, but fish oil, B complex, and folic acid.
- Vitamin D can help protect the brain from cognitive decline, and therefore dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. A study published in the journal Neurology suggested that individuals who were very much deficient in Vitamin D had twice the likeliness of developing Alzheimer’s. With over half of the U.S. population deficient in Vitamin D, and so many people seeking products rich in Vitamin D, it’s important that private label vitamin companies manufacture quality vitamins through an FDA-registered, GMP-compliant service provider like Makers Nutrition. Without these qualifications, your business has no evidence to prove to prospective customers that your vitamins and supplements are safe, pure, and manufactured in an environment suitable for production.
- Fish Oil is probably one of the most used ingredients in manufacturing cognitive supplements. In fact, a recent study indicated that certain dosages of fish oil may help delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Remember, quality fish oil comes from quality fish sources, and Makers Nutrition ensures all clients that we globally source only the finest raw materials to manufacture, package, and deliver high-quality products. While we are not formulators, we are most familiar with the manufacturing of omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosatetraenoic acid—the most commonly sought-after fish oil supplement ingredients.
- Large B Complex dosages may reduce the rate of brain shrinkage by half in elderly individuals with memory issues. A two-year clinical trial in England showed that B vitamins, including B6, B12, and folic acid (B9), hindered mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition which is a major risk for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Dr. Gustavo C. Roman, medical director of the Alzheimer & Dementia Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, Texas, reported that patients who already exhibit signs of dementia and test positive for high levels of homocysteine are more likely to respond well to large doses of Vitamin B. “I’m not saying that everyone who takes B vitamins will prevent dementia,” said Roman. “But in the right dosage and for the appropriate patients, the Vitamin B12 treatment could be a step toward modifying disease progression.”
Supplying a Need for Better Brain Health
According to NIH, around 10-20% of individuals aged 65 or older with MCI develop dementia over a one-year period. Think of the power your private label supplement brand holds when offering the many retired, many lonely people who already have neurodegenerative diseases. With the right marketing and branding, your Vitamin B-rich dietary supplement could benefit individuals in priceless ways. Even a day longer without forgetting loved ones’ names could improve the quality of life for people facing cognitive impairment.
COVID and Supplement Sales
During high stress scenarios, shots of cortisol are released, the amygdala taking precedence over other brain regions responsible for activities such as memory. Prolonged stress, say, from a pandemic that is constantly broadcast on a news channel you struggle to switch, may make the division of labor in the brain more permanent, creating long-lasting negative effects. These effects include weakened ability to focus, concentrate, and process information, while increasing skills used for primitive survival, which is quite interesting. Stress pumps up the cortisol levels in the body, causing inflammation and eventually cell damage that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The key takeaway here, now that we can relax a bit about the pandemic: it’s time to manufacture even more high-quality, self-care, cognitive function supporting supplements… because people are interested!
Adolescent Stresses During COVID-19
A 2021 study published in 2021 in Canadian Journal of School Psychology, of more than 2,000 12–18-year-old students assessed their self-reported pandemic-related stress and their behavior and cognitive functioning during the first few weeks returning to school. Student stress levels were above critical thresholds for 25% of the sample; Females and older adolescents (15-18 years) generally reported higher stress indicators as compared to males and younger students (12-14 years). Stress indicators were highly associated with self-reported behavioral concerns, like conduct problems and cognitive issues/inattention. When overstressed, the ability to control attention is reduced and when that happens, intrusive thoughts enter the mind and can lead individuals, especially adolescents, down a slippery slope of mental health.
In addition to the virus’ indirect side effects on the brain, younger consumers are very much interested in nootropics, or products that optimize brain function for learning and gaming. Ingredients such as botanical extracts like panax ginseng, bacopa monnieri, and rhodiola rosea can give the brain power teens are looking to achieve, while creatine, phosphatidylserine, and resveratrol can help support creativity, memory, focus and neurological health.
Forecasting the Brain Health Supplement Market
The global brain health supplements market is on track to reach over $19,730 million by 2030, registering at a CAGR of 9.9% from 2021 to 2030. With the pandemic receding, and people relearning how to balance working from the office and home life, and children socializing in person with one another again, different stresses take the stage. If your vitamin brand would like to shine a line on some darkness many people face daily, then submit a formula for a free quote. We will get back to you within 48 hours. Unlike other supplement manufacturers, we are eager to work with you on your next, or first, cognitive health product.
Why Makers Nutrition Beats Your Nutraceutical Supplement Manufacturer
That’s one of the greatest things about Makers Nutrition. We take the workload off your back by serving as your contract manufacturer, graphic designer, co-packager, and order fulfillment center. The purpose of this is to give you ample time and opportunity to mold your marketing technique as best you can to launch your product and meet your sales goals. With competition so high in the nutraceutical industry, you need a manufacturing service provider that will help guide you in an innovative direction. There are many directions in which you can take your private label brain supplement. You can target younger generations/adolescents, or the aging population of individuals in need of some supplemental brain boosting. If you aren’t quite sure just yet and wish to bounce some ideas around with one of our product specialists, call us at 1-844-625-3771. We are all ears!
Sources
- Schofield, Lisa. “Brainstorming The Cognitive Support Market.” Vitamin Retailer, Dec. 2021, pp. 24-28.
- https://www.alzheimers.net/what-experts-say-are-the-best-supplements-for-your-brain
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101027155126.htm
- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/brain-health-supplements-market
- https://www.thorne.com/take-5-daily/article/what-is-a-nootropic-and-where-do-nootropics-come-from