Rethinking brain healthRethinking brain health

The big “C.” For decades, cancer was the health condition people most feared. And while cancer remains loathed all over the world, a new C—cognitive health—has overtaken cancer in the minds of Americans. Whether it’s the inevitable decline that comes with an aging population that continues to push the limits of longevity, or abject Alzheimer’s disease seen in a parent or grandparent that seemingly completely destroys a person’s memory, a need to improve sleep or stress (it’s all in the head!), or even just a desire to keep an agile mind around the office, cognitive health is hot.

In surveys conducted by AARP and ASA-MetLife Foundation, nearly 9 out of 10 consumers believe it’s possible to improve cognitive fitness, and more than 4 out of 5 people older than 50 say “staying mentally sharp” is their No. 1 concern. A deteriorating mental state concerns baby boomers more than death itself. Take that, Grim Reaper.

Except that deaths from Alzheimer’s increased 68 percent between 2000 and 2010, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, while deaths from other major diseases— breast and prostate cancer, heart disease and stroke, and HIV—decreased.

Despite consumer demand, though, brain supplements remain underdeveloped compared with other supplement categories. The heart-health supplement category is four times the size of the brain health category, and joint health is more than three times the size, according to the Natural Marketing Institute.

That market potential gap spells opportunity for supplement companies seeking to fill the void and for retailers looking to capitalize on this trend. (Check out our gallery of top supplement picks for brain health.)

Nutrition Business Journal reported that brain health “will do for the supplement industry what heart health did 10 years ago. But brains are more than smarts—mood, stress, sleep and outlook tumble around in there as well.”

The good news: Nutrition science around ingredients for cognitive health has started to catch up to market demand. In the last year alone, a suite of ingredients that target various aspects of brain health has begun to hit the market.

Longevity science is pushing human lifespans toward 120 years of age. Most Americans say they don’t want that many years added to their lives, only more life to their years (as the saying goes). But that’s because of the fear of having their bodies—and, worse, their brains—break down. Compelling research—and product offerings—to address various aspects of cognitive health may well change that consumer perception, and help all of us age as gracefully as we can now only dream.