Cognitive Health Q&A with Jennifer Montgomery
Cognitive Health
How long has your company been producing ingredients for the nutritional/dietary supplement industry? How long have cognitive health ingredients been a part of your program?
We recently launched HOWARU Calm earlier this year which was our first ever probiotic for brain health. What is interesting about this product is that it has been shown to reduce perceived stress in adults. In addition, HOWARU Calm promotes a balanced mood, a relaxed state of mind and supports overall mental well-being. We have just begun to really explore probiotics for brain health but are confident there will be additional strains that can help manage stress, anxiety, mood, sleep and concentration.
What is the market for cognitive health supplements? Has there been any recent news/developments that have affected the market positively or negatively?
Stress is a common occurrence for 65 percent of adults who report having some form of it in their daily lives. In a recent clinical study, we showed that HOWARU Calm (Lpc-37) helps reduce perceived stress in adults. That’s a big development for dietary supplements. It gives consumers a scientifically studied way to help manage their daily stress by taking a probiotic they can buy online or in a store.
What should manufacturers consider in terms of some of the leading ingredients that best support cognitive health? Are there specific checkpoints they should have in mind?
Manufacturers should select ingredients that have been scientifically proven to deliver brain health benefits to consumers. Some of the more well-known ingredients don’t have a lot of clinical substantiation.
How can product manufacturers make their message heard amid all the competing products that purport to help consumers with their cognitive health?
Manufacturers need to focus on products driven by proven health benefits rather than ingredients. They also need to get the products out of the crowded digestive and dietary supplement aisles.
What are some of the category’s challenges and how are you working to create ingredients to help manufacturers overcome them?
There is significant consumer demand in this category but there are few ingredients that have been proven to address the health needs. We are focused on delivering ingredients with clinically proven brain health benefits.
For more information, visit www.iff-health.com.
