The Muscle Mag
Cognition has become a significant focus for supplements and functional food and beverage products in the global brain health supplements market, which was valued at $8.63 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.3% from 2023 to 2030.
Scientific validation of brain health benefits is essential for promoting these products, yet the alignment between standardized cognitive tests in clinical trials and consumer-desired outcomes is often overlooked.
This knowledge gap poses a challenge to scientifically substantiating cognitive health benefits from nutrition, as highlighted in a recent study published in the journal Nutrients.
“For the first time, we have explored how consumers perceive the potential benefits of nutrition on brain health,” the researchers from the United States stated. “It is crucial to understand consumers’ expectations from functional foods, beverages, and supplements, especially concerning daily benefits, and to provide scientifically supported information accordingly.”
They emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between science and consumers, as well as promoting collaborative approaches to nutrition research to develop products and dietary recommendations that support achievable cognitive benefits for public health.
Methodology
The researchers compared consumer expectation research with insights from an expert panel to identify gaps in cognitive health research methodology.
The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) conducted four focus groups involving ‘mainstream’ consumers of cognitive health supplements and functional foods to understand the benefits consumers anticipated from nutritional products and how they perceived these benefits in their daily lives.
An expert panel comprising scientists specializing in cognitive health, psychometrically robust measurements, diet effects on cognition and brain health, and consumer research, was consulted to evaluate whether current cognitive tests can validate specific cognitive benefits articulated by consumers.
Prospective Memory, Flow, and Presence
Experts confirmed the existence of validated tests to assess efficacy of nutrition interventions for certain benefits, such as focused attention, sustained attention, episodic memory, energy levels, and anxiety, as mentioned by consumers.
However, prospective memory, an aspect often mentioned by consumers in terms of remembering daily tasks, has not been extensively studied in relation to nutrition. It remains uncertain if existing tests like the Cambridge Prospective Memory Test are sensitive enough.
Consumers also expressed a desire to experience ‘flow’ states, where they are fully immersed in a task; however, the impact of nutrition on achieving these states has not been thoroughly studied. Well-validated scales like the Flow State Scale exist but their effectiveness in testing this aspect is unknown.
Consumers frequently mentioned being ‘present’ or ‘in the moment’ as indicators of brain health when considering supplements. While mindfulness questionnaires contain subscales that could measure presence, their sensitivity to nutrition effects remains unexplored.
The study urged researchers to consider reverse causality, as mindfulness has been linked to eating behaviors.
Source: Nutrients
doi: 10.3390/nu16121950
“Alignment of Consumers’ Expected Brain Benefits from Food and Supplements with Measurable Cognitive Performance Tests”
Authors: Young, H.A. et al.
