Every day, everywhere, more and more consumers are turning to foods and beverages to boost their memory, focus, attention and energy levels, to help them sleep and to manage their mood.

Over the last few years leading-edge brands have introduced two new buzzwords to describe this space – nootropics and adaptogens:

Nootropics are substances taken to improve cognitive function or mental performance in healthy people. 

Adaptogens include plants and herbs described as “helping the body manage stress and maintain balance”. Examples include ashwagandha, cordyceps and reishi mushrooms. 

But while there’s strong consumer demand for their benefits, nootropic & adaptogenic brands mostly don’t perform as well as their owners hoped – in fact, most fail.

This concise 22-page report explores why so many brands fail, what the success factors are, highlights the opportunities and how to avoid common pitfalls. It examines:

• Which ingredients to use and which are most likely to produce growth
• Which benefits to target and which consumer groups they are most relevant to
• Which ingredients and benefits get most consumer attention on social media
• Brands that use nootropic & adaptogenic ingredients, their marketing and messaging

Finally, the report outlines four strategies for success in this emerging area.