Mood support supplements sales surge with novel microbiome opportunities

Such growth comes as no surprise: After two years of pandemic uncertainty, Americans are more stressed than ever. According to a 2021 survey by the American Psychological Association​, 32% of Americans said they were sometime so stressed about the pandemic that they struggled to make even basic decisions. And the stats were even higher for younger people (48% of Millennials, for example), and for parents vs non-parents.

As a result, sales of products to improve and sleep, manage stress, and boost mood have sky-rocketed over the past two years.

Sales of these supplements in the mass channels* and natural channels** totaled almost $140 million from February 2021 to February 2022, compared with $79.2million for the February 2020-21, according to data provided by SPINS.

“Stress management is intimately linked with overall mental well-being, and consumers are becoming more aware of this symbiotic relationship,”​ Sophie Zillinger Molenaar, Global Marketing Lead Biotis, FrieslandCampina Ingredients, told us.

“We see that as stress levels rise, so too does consumer interest in cognitive health products. For example, in 2018 53% of global consumers stated that they were interested in cognitive health products, even when not suffering from specific health problems. In 2021, this figure increased to 66% of global consumers. This dramatic leap shows that people are proactively looking to improve their mental well-being, and with more consumers taking action, the stigma around mental health issues is also decreasing. This lack of stigma and increased awareness means many consumers are looking for functional foods and drinks that target mental health,” she added.