Functional beverages have quickly become an invaluable source of hydration, digestive support, and cognitive enhancement as consumers increasingly prioritize health trends such as hydration, digestive support and cognitive enhancement. Utilizing nootropics or adaptogens such as ashwagandha or l-theanine for their formulation, functional beverages provide scientific solutions to optimize metabolic pathways and energy regulation.
This wellness beverage category aligns perfectly with holistic wellness trends and provides a healthier alternative to sugary sodas and energy drinks.
Hydration
Hydration is essential to quenching thirst, but its benefits extend much further: It regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, delivers nutrients to cells, enhances sleep quality and brain performance, protects organ function and helps prevent illnesses associated with dehydration.
Drinking plenty of water supports natural detoxification processes by eliminating waste and toxins through urination, breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Incorporating more hydration may also reduce headache symptoms; however, further high-quality research must be completed first.
Functional beverages offer many health advantages, yet it’s best to stick with water as your source of hydration. Many functional drinks contain added ingredients such as sugar and sodium while lacking important vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium. Some contain food additives called carrageenan which may cause digestive difficulties for some individuals. Also be mindful of ingredients which could interfere with medications or diet restrictions before purchasing any beverage products.
Weight Management
As more and more consumers turn to calorie-restricted diets and weight loss challenges, beverage innovation has become an indispensable ally in meeting their overall health and weight management goals. Icon Foods’ Rocheleau notes how advancements in clean label and hydration offer numerous advantages for weight-conscious consumers, including portable portion control that is easily trackable via smartphone apps; easy intake tracking capabilities; and reliable nutrient delivery.
Beverage ingredients that promote metabolic health are another rising beverage trend, according to her. Plant-based proteins and botanical extracts such as acerola powder, ginseng and soy may all aid energy metabolism within the body.
And in addition to offering low-calorie alternatives to sugary sodas, many beverage innovators are also creating cognitive-support beverages containing nootropics like ashwagandha and l-theanine that have been shown to boost mood when tested through controlled trials. These nutritious beverages can even be combined with food to add an additional nutritive experience and can even help balance out mood when combined with specific food items for an enhanced dining experience.
Gut Health
The gut microbiome plays a central role in overall wellbeing, shaping digestion, immune function and mood. To support their gut, many consumers are turning to digestive health beverages containing probiotics, prebiotics and other ingredients known to be helpful to digestive wellbeing.
Innova’s research indicates that having a balanced gut microbiome is integral to overall wellness. Therefore, probiotic drinks like kombucha, kefir and yogurt smoothies have rapidly gained in popularity over time.
Formulators have added ingredients like adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms to enhance hydration drinks for holistic well-being, but these drinks must be combined with healthy eating and physical exercise to reap their full benefits. Probiotic drinks have many health advantages that include balancing digestion, improving nutrient absorption and alleviating symptoms such as gas and bloating while simultaneously relieving stress and increasing energy levels.
Energy
Consumers want their energy levels boosted, according to a recent beverage consumer study commissioned by Ingredion. A key functional claim in beverages that support metabolism health and energy/performance regulation includes metabolism support. Innovative beverages meet this desire by selecting ingredients with carefully designed functions to facilitate metabolic regulation.
These ingredients include adaptogens like ashwagandha or turmeric, as well as nootropics like l-theanine to improve mental clarity and cognitive function. Many of these substances also have calming properties to help relieve stress and anxiety for consumers.
Wellness drinks have quickly become an increasing market segment with healthy options catering to consumer desires for improved mood, digestive health and more. There has been an increased emphasis on clean labeling and sustainable practices among these products; moreover, brands are taking steps to distinguish themselves in this highly competitive space through unique formulations or niche claims that set them apart from competitors.
