World Brain Day 2024: 3 ‘smart’ predictions that will make you re-think the future of nootropics

Summary

• This year’s World Brain Day is dedicated to championing the importance of brain health, empowering individuals, communities and nations to secure their futures and forge a healthier world for generations to come.
• Within the brain health realm, nootropic supplements have emerged as an exciting area of innovation – demonstrating benefits for improved cognitive function, greater motivation, memory and productivity. But how can brands stay ahead of the curve in this evolving market?
• Explore three ‘smart’ predictions for the future of the nootropics market, from a greater focus on personalization and the rise in nootropic “stacking” to growing demand for nootropic+ products.

Brain health plays a vital role in everything we do, from our thoughts and feelings to what we say and how we move. Looking after our brain health is becoming a key priority for consumers of all ages, as we adapt to increasingly fast-paced lifestyles, rising stress and fatigue, performance culture and digital-age challenges. This year’s World Brain Day, taking place July 22, is an opportunity to acknowledge the World Federation of Neurology’s mission to champion better brain health for all. This purpose is supported by neurological associations across the globe, as well as the World Health Organization.

Championing nootropics this World Brain Day

In light of World Brain Day, we’re highlighting the emergence of next generation brain health solutions in the dietary supplements space – nootropics. Also known as ‘brain boosters’ or ‘cognitive enhancers’ – nootropics are compounds that support improved cognitive function. Promising market insights reveal that the nootropics supplement industry is expected to grow at an annual compound growth rate of 9.2% from 2023 to 2032, reaching a staggering US$ 4.7 billion.1 Notably, North America makes up a significant share of this market, accounting for US$ 690.5 million in 2022 – over 25% of the total nootropics market.1

As the nootropics industry expands with new research, novel ingredient launches and evolving consumer demands, staying ahead requires brands to think smarter, not harder. To help dietary supplement manufacturers capture the hearts (and minds) of consumers with more enticing nootropics solutions, we asked our brain health experts – what’s in store for the future? Here’s their top three predictions that are worth thinking about:

1. Personalized nootropics will go mainstream

The nootropics market is set to witness a surge in personalized solutions catering to the distinct cognitive needs of consumer groups. From athletes and gamers to working professionals and students, brands can create distinct supplements by tailoring formulations to address specific brain health requirements.

Take athletes as an example. Our proprietary research revealed that the top benefits athletes desire are productivity, quality sleep and feeling energized, as shown in figure 1.2 By choosing ingredients that support these needs and are also well-recognized by this group, such as caffeine, vitamin B, magnesium, creatine and melatonin, brain health brands can create solutions catering to the unique demands of athletic consumers.

Figure 1. Leading nootropics users are guided by specific ingredients and health claims. These are the top ingredients and health benefits that professionals, athletes, gamers and students seek from nootropics solutions.²

A top tip from us: Our experts encourage dietary supplement manufacturers to think about nootropic users and their distinctive health concerns or goals. They also emphasize that brands must not forget other consumers who could also benefit from nootropics too, like menopausal women, and should educate them about the advantages of cognitive enhancers.

2. “Stacking” is set to unlock new innovation opportunities

With nootropics users increasingly drawn to personalized solutions, nootropic “stacking” has gained popularity. This concept takes tailored health products to a whole new level. It involves the strategic combination of different nootropic ingredients to address multiple cognitive functions simultaneously. Our dietary supplements specialist, Martin Dos Ramos (Global Vice President Dietary Supplements), predicts that this trend will inspire a new wave of nootropic supplements. Here, he provides his insights and top tips for brain health brands looking to tap into the “stacking” movement.

“Firstly, dietary supplement manufacturers should consider educating consumers about the concept of “stacking”, as well as providing guidance on creating effective and safe “stacks”. Not only will education empower consumers to design personalized nootropic solutions based on their own needs and preferences, but it also puts brands top of mind in the expanding nootropics space. Secondly, if brands want to launch their own “stacks”, they should always be backed by scientific research. Such an approach not only elevates a product's efficacy but also establishes a strong foundation of trust and credibility between brands and consumers.”

3. Nootropics will transcend beyond cognitive boosters

We live in a world that is increasingly ‘switched on’, leading to rising demand for products that can help consumers ‘keep up’, but also ‘switch off’. This trend was demonstrated in our Global Health Concerns Study which revealed that the biggest concerns facing consumers are energy levels and tiredness, ranked by 68% of respondents, followed by mental and emotional health (63%) and mental performance (60%).³ Given this, consumers are eager to find solutions that support their mental wellbeing, sleep quality, stress levels and cognitive performance.

As such, there is an opportunity to create next generation dietary supplements that go beyond cognitive enhancement to support all aspects of brain health more holistically. This has given rise to the concept of "nootropic+" solutions, i.e. dietary supplements that combine nootropics with other ingredients to address a broader range of concerns, such as mood enhancement, stress management and sleep support. Our experts say that brands can seize new opportunities in the nootropics+ landscape by aligning with broader wellness trends and not limiting focus to cognitive enhancement and performance innovation alone.

The future of nootropics looks bright

This World Brain Day, the potential is clear – nootropics is a growing category within the wider brain health supplements space and there are numerous opportunities to innovate. As the nootropics market continues to evolve, brands that prioritize personalization, education, “stacking” and holistic health solutions will be able to win over the minds of more consumers.

We reveal more predictions like this in The Nootropics Report 2.0. The report includes six insights to help companies develop consumer-inspired products that champion the true power of the mind. It also uncovers how dsm-firmenich can help dietary supplement brands ‘unlock brilliance’ in the nootropics – and wider brain health – landscapes with high-quality products, end-to-end expert services and customized solutions.