Innova Market Insights builds trends forecasts on a foundation of global megatrends that cut across countries, cultures, and demographics. During the past few years, we’ve monitored a rise in consumer concerns about mental health and wellbeing. And there are plenty of reasons for consumers to feel stressed—including worry about the environment; as well as concern about personal health and access to health care. Moreover, there also are uncertainties about global, local, and household economies; and even threats of war.

Consumers also may feel more pressure to perform at work. Job markets are softening, companies are pushing employees to do more with less, and artificial intelligence (AI) threatens to take over many human jobs. So, it’s no wonder that cognitive health is a priority among consumers. In their quest for holistic health and well-being, consumers seek solutions for both physical and mental wellness.

Food and Beverage Trends Point Toward Cognitive Health

Innova’s Top 10 Trends for 2025 include two trends that speak directly to the relationship between what we eat and drink and cognitive health. The first is our Trend #2: “Precision Wellness.” This trend encompasses personalization, ingredients, and functional nutrition—all of which relate to brain health benefits.

Consumers take different approaches that target nutrition to personal needs. These can include pursuit of balance for mind and body; or adaptations based on age, where mental functioning changes over years of life. There also are lifestyle solutions where people need mental sharpness—from workers to gamers. Other consumers simply want to address health conditions that otherwise would negatively impact mental health. And finally, there are those consumers looking for enhanced performance on the job and for sports, games, and fitness pursuits.

Our Trend #9, “Mood Food: Mindful Choices,” speaks directly to the need for cognitive health as part of holistic wellness. In our annual consumer trends surveys, solid numbers participants report that feeling well mentally or emotionally is a top health goal. They report purchasing functional food and beverage products for stress and anxiety and for tiredness and fatigue. Consumers also look for products that are fortified with key B vitamins, as well as vitamins D and C, to improve their mental health.

All in all, however, many consumers still do not yet purchase products to improve their cognitive health and performance. This presents an opportunity for food and beverage brands to promote product benefits.

Consumers Take Health Action

Innova’s consumer trend surveys show that high proportions of consumers are increasingly proactive in managing their health and taking action to live healthily. Their top reason for healthy living is to feel well. They also describe themselves as self-sufficient, in control, and able to manage their health. Self-sufficiency is an important skill, needless to say, with health systems under pressure and deteriorating in the quality of services they provide. Consumers feel the need to “own” their own health.

Consumers want to manage their cognitive health in a way that is convenient, saves money, is personalized, and allows them to make health decisions from home. Several factors influence consumer engagement with cognitive health. Control over healthcare decisions and actions is a main motivator, especially among consumers aged 55 years and older. Actions and solutions must be tailored to individual needs and focused on preventing cognitive health issues. Cost is a critical factor, especially since consumers worry about their personal finances.

Mental health is a concern in the US as well as around the world. It is estimated that half of the world’s population will experience a mental health issue at some point in their life and increasing numbers will be living with a mental health challenge. Depression and anxiety are prevalent. This helps explain why consumers of all ages name mental and emotional wellness as a top health goal and purchase functional food and beverage products for acute mental health issues, such as stress and anxiety, tiredness and fatigue, and sleep and insomnia.

Other mental health issues for which they purchase food and beverage products, although less commonly, are mood improvement, concentration and focus, memory improvement, depression, mental sharpness and agility, and clarity and clear thinking.

Our annual consumer trends surveys show that consumers use a number of strategies for maintaining and improving their cognitive health. Exercise is a key element, as are better sleep habits and changes to diet. Consumers want to improve their sleep and deal with insomnia. Diet changes toward cognitive health include selecting more fresh foods and limiting unhealthy ingredients.

Diet and Nutrition Roles in Cognitive Health

Diet can’t be separated from cognitive health. In fact, consumers do believe they can boost mental health as they tilt the scale toward fresh, high-quality ingredients and steer away from unhealthy components. Consumers demand freshness, nutrient density, and natural ingredients coupled with an absence of unhealthy ones. Ingredients should have a positive impact on health. And what are their go-to sources for nutrition information? Nutrition facts panels, nutrition information, and ingredient lists.

Consumers see food and beverage products with functional nutrition claims as an easy fix for health issues. On our surveys, they say they are highly interested in functional foods, especially for hydration, appearance, physical health, and, of course, mental health. That is why targeted nutrition—through regular and nutrition-fortified foods and beverages—is so important.

Once again, however, we see a gap between interest and actual purchases of food and beverage products for cognitive health. This can be explained in part by the growing cost of products and services for self-care. Consumers also report being confused and anxious about the best course of action to improve their health. They are overloaded with information that can be hard to sort through.

Emerging Trends and Innovations

The future of cognitive health will be shaped by the trends and innovations of today and tomorrow. Precision wellness that tailors nutrition to personal nutrition needs—calls for personalized solutions. AI can be a tool for personalizing diet to mental health conditions.

Consumer needs vary and generations view cognitive health and its solutions differently. Gen Z and Millennial consumers tend to turn to digital sources like social media for health information. Millennials are particularly interested in personalized nutrition solutions, while Boomers tend to rely on traditional approaches. As consumers age, their mental health focus may shift from aspects of performance—including focus, mental agility—and shift to age-related concerns such as memory and daily cognition.

US consumers differ from consumers in other parts of the world. They are less apt to choose foods for specific health issues such as cognitive health and less interested in targeted nutrition approaches. However, they match the global average for being somewhat or very self-sufficient about their health.

Self-care requires digital technology, so US consumers increasingly will need access to online health platforms and services, apps, and AI assistants that offer cognitive health information, products, and solutions tailored to their individual cognitive health needs.

Brands need to watch trending ingredients and stay a step ahead by using AI to identify additional functional ingredients for cognitive health. Ingredients promoted for cognitive health include lion’s mane, reishi, chaga, and cordyceps mushrooms; ashwagandha; and L-theanine. These ingredients demonstrated combined annual growth in the US of about 7% (CAGR, 2020-2024).

It’s important to note that labeling restrictions could limit on-pack promotion of functional ingredient benefits.

Cognitive Health Provides Growth Opportunities

Cognitive health is a major area of interest and concern for consumers as part of holistic well-being. US consumers are looking for ways to improve their mental and emotional health with convenient and personalized solutions. They are changing their diet and incorporating functional foods for better cognitive health and accessing digital tools for information and guidance.

Precision wellness products and AI-powered solutions available today and in the future can help consumers shape their nutrition approach to their personal cognitive health needs.