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An ancient flower blossoms into a valued ingredient.

Ingredient Spotlight: Hibiscus

 and reminds us to soak in all the amazing achievements women have made to the nutraceutical space.

 is putting the spotlight on women by compiling women-related content, new and old. From research to health and wellness, women are such an important part of the nutraceutical space that 

is dedicated to covering closely. Enjoy International Women’s Day 2025!

Read more on women-led omega-3 research advances wellness for all women’s life stages.

Highlighting research on women's health and wellness, part I

In this compilation, we present recent research on menstruation and skin health. Check out studies on pain management, natural supplements for skin appearance, and even stress and sleep support.

Celebrating International Women's Day: Highlighting research on women's health and wellness, Part II

In the second part of our research spotlight, we present recent research on pregnancy and menopause.

To celebrate International Women's Day (March 8) we are highlighting articles and roundtables, produced in partnership with Women in Nutraceuticals, on women’s health research and the role of women leaders driving innovation and equity in the industry.

Stay tuned for more International Women's Day-themed content! We will be updating this landing page throughout this week.

International Women’s Day. International Women’s day 2025 campaign theme: Accelerate action 

Check out our exciting 2025 International Women's Day coverage!

Women In Nutraceuticals

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Nutritional Outlook celebrates International Women's Day 2025

OmniActive Health Technologies (Bridgewater, NJ and Mumbai, India) has announced a partnership with the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, D.C.) to educate and raise awareness about the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in supporting maternal and fetal health during pregnancy among obstetricians, gynecologists, and other maternal healthcare practitioners. This knowledge will be shared at The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s (ACOG) Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting. OmniActive is 

one of six companies CRN has partnered with

 to showcase the latest research and developments in prenatal nutrition through a specially designed “Prenatal Nutrition Center” at the conference. 

“It’s wonderful to have OmniActive as one of our featured partners during the ACOG annual event to help spread the word on the importance of prenatal nutrition,” said Andrea Wong, PhD, senior vice president, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for CRN, in a press release. “CRN continues our efforts in supporting supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers in bringing clinically studied products to consumers to help meet their nutritional needs. Advancing awareness at the physician’s level is a huge part of this equation and this meeting is an effective way of reaching them.”

Citing market research from SkyQuest Technology, OmniActive explains in its press release that prenatal supplement sales were estimated to be at $740 million in 2023 and projected to rise to $1.4 billion by 2031. Similarly, a recent 

 found that about 60% of gynecologists think that 80-100% of their pregnant patients take dietary supplements. There is therefore a great deal of opportunity to grow and advance this category. Lutein and zeaxanthin are known for their support of eye health, but these benefits are relevant during pregnancy as well, says Deshanie Rai, PhD, FACN, vice president of Global Science, Regulatory and Advocacy at OmniActive Health Technologies.

“Current evidence supports the preferential accumulation of lutein and zeaxanthin in the human eye and neural tissues during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester. This suggests that lutein may play a functional and protective role in infant visual and cognitive development. As part of our Lutein for Every Age campaign, our goal is to help educate healthcare practitioners on this latest nutritional science research and the benefits of achieving adequate dietary lutein during pregnancy,” said Rai, in a press release. “OmniActive is proud to partner with the CRN Foundation’s Prenatal Nutrition Centre to promote awareness among healthcare practitioners on the nutritional relevance of lutein for both mom and baby.”

The educational initiative, “Lutein for Every Age,” focuses on raising awareness of early and consistent lutein and zeaxanthin intake to help support eye, cognitive, and general health throughout life, explains OmniActive. The AOCG meeting is taking place from May 17-19, 2024 in San Francisco, CA.

OmniActive Health Technologies has announced a partnership with the Council for Responsible Nutrition to educate and raise awareness about the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in supporting maternal and fetal health during pregnancy among obstetricians, gynecologists, and other maternal healthcare practitioners. 

OmniActive partners with CRN to raise awareness about macular carotenoids for prenatal health

, Monteloeder, a subsidiary of SuanNutra, announced results from a 

 on its nootropic formulation Mindrevive. The study helped select the current botanical combination with the best cognitive support: Sage extract (

). It also tested its ability to support healthy cognitive aging in older adults. The two-phase study, “Development of a Herb-Based Dietary Ingredient with Potential Nootropic Properties: From Bench to Bedside,” was published in 

 stage of the study, the nootropic and neuronal functions of nine plant extracts were analyzed: bilberry, blueberry, bacopa, sage, saffron, rhodiola, ginkgo biloba, panax ginseng roots, gotu kola, and Japanese pagoda tree. Overall, tests on sage resulted in the most significant results, with positive results in suppressing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Out of all the extracts, it was the only one to significantly increased expression of all three trophic factors: nerve growth factor (NGF), a protein that supports neuronal function; vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which helps circulate oxygen and nutrients to the brain; and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2). Next, sage in combination with rutin (S

demonstrated a significant increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein expression. Acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity, which inhibits neurotransmission, was also decreased.

"The nine botanicals selected for analysis are widely recognized for their antioxidant properties and role in supporting cognitive function, with extensive documentation in scientific research," stated Jonathan Jones, chief scientific officer, at Monteloeder, in the press release. "Some of these ingredients have been evaluated in clinical studies exploring cognitive health. Sage, in particular, has often been overlooked in discussions about cognitive support, yet it stood out in our screening trials. In fact, sage was the only extract to increase the expression of all analyzed factors associated with neuronal function and antioxidant defenses. When combined with rutin, we observed significant enhancements in the production of BDNF, a key molecule involved in brain signaling and cognitive processes. Specifically, it is the major growth factor implicated in memory processes and learning. Research suggests that maintaining optimal BDNF levels is important for overall brain health."

In the clinical phase of the study, 121 participants ages 50-65 with mild cognitive impairment were assigned into three groups: the placebo group, the sage/rutin (Mindrevive) at 250 mg group, the sage/rutin (Mindrevive) at 400 mg group. Participants were instructed to take one oral capsule daily after breakfast, with evaluations completed on day 0, at 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after the first ingestion. Compared with placebo, both sage/rutin groups improved compared to their baseline on the cognition questionnaires. Significant improvement was seen with the MoCa test (assessing short-term memory recall, visuospatial memory, executive function, attention/concentration, language, abstract reasoning and orientation in time and place) with the 400 mg dose when comparing weeks 6 and 12, particularly with abstract reasoning. Compared with placebo, both doses were shown to improve scores on the ADAS-Cog test (assessing memory and new learning, language, and praxis) after 12 weeks.

"Cognitive function naturally changes with age," explained Mariana Ortega, science marketing manager of SuanNutra. "Mindrevive is formulated with clinically studied ingredients to help maintain cognitive performance and support brain health. This is especially relevant for older adults who are proactively looking for natural solutions to preserve mental sharpness and overall well-being."

Monteloeder. Two-Phase Study Leads to Monteloeder's Newest Nootropic for Cognitive Performance 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/two-phase-study-leads-to-monteloeders-newest-nootropic-for-cognitive-performance-302384620.html

Navarro, P.; Meissner, J.; Mullor, JL.; Caturla, N.; Jones, J. Development of a Herb-Based Dietary Ingredient with Potential Nootropic Properties: From Bench to Bedside. 

The study demonstrated that supplementation with Mindrevive – a blend of sage and Japanese pagoda tree – led to improvements in various cognition function and brain health in adults ages 50-65.

Two-phase study discovers and tests nootropic botanical extracts for cognition support in older adults

For full Ingredients to Watch coverage and sales data from SPINS, click 

According to the most recent SPINS data shared with 

, mushrooms placed in the top ten functional ingredients in the cognitive health category of the mainstream multi-outlet channel. Within that category, sales increased 133.3% over the past 52 weeks ending October 6, 2024, to reach $6,715,830. In the same timeframe, mushrooms also placed in the top 25 functional ingredients in the natural channel with $24,417,923 in sales, a 19.1% increase from the previous year. Finally, mushrooms were at the top of the list of functional ingredients in the cognitive health category of the natural channel with $12,668,401 in sales, a 28.6% increase from last year. Mushrooms also placed in the top 10 of the immune health category in the same channel with $7,313,490 in sales, a 0.5% increase in sales.

Scott Dicker, market insights director at SPINS LLC, explains that the presence and growth of mushrooms is in tandem with the growth of the cognitive health category. “People are very interested in cognitive health, whether it’s focus or memory support,” says Dicker. “Cognitive health really expanded; it used to be for more of an aging population, targeting ‘senior moments,’ for example. It’s expanded into mental performance, so to speak, which includes focus and being sharp. As the health focus category gains interest, we see what known ingredients could fit right in. That’s why last year we predicted lion’s mane was the mushroom to watch. It was, and that is the one that’s driving a lot of the cognitive health [growth], as well as mushroom combination formulas. There’s a lot of interest in mushrooms, both functional and other, so it makes it ripe for being trendy.”

Sara Slowik, chief commercial officer at Om, expanded on consumer behavior trends for these categories and what is motivating their choice of mushroom. “Overall, I’d say consumers select mushrooms driven by its benefits over its species. Thinking about the supplement category, and general consumer behavior, they are almost always driven by outcome (versus ingredient),” says Slowik. “As the mushroom category matures and becomes mainstream, I do think this will shift over to type of mushrooms because the consumer will be more knowledgeable about them. However, as mentioned, we are still a bit away from that and it’s our job as a brand to help bring the consumer along.”

One species of mushroom, lion’s mane, seems to be driving the category forward. As Dicker notes, “that seems to be the one that’s most connected to cognitive health. It’s really continuing to do well, and I expect to continue to do well in 2025 as well.”

Expanding on the mushroom’s nootropic benefits, Slowik added: “Lion’s mane is a species that has been most researched and consequently, well known by consumers for its cognitive health benefits.” For example, she noted a 

 demonstrating the potential positive impacts lion’s mane supplementation may have on cognitive function.

“I think we are still in the infancy of functional mushroom knowledge and awareness by consumers,” Slowik predicts. “Lion’s mane leads the mushroom pack in awareness, however there is still more education to be done by brands to let the consumer understand what functional mushrooms are, what they do, and which they should take.”

In addition tocognitive benefits, mushrooms have other functions as well. “One of the more exciting findings is digestive/gut health benefit tied to mushrooms,” says Slowik. “This is a health benefit that continues to grow in both interest and engagement, as many consumers are tying whole body health to gut health.”

Other species are also gaining recognition. As evidenced in the SPINS’ data, reishi mushrooms made the list in the cognitive health category of the natural channel, with sales increasing 23.0% to reach $1,533,906. Chaga mushrooms also made the list in the immune category in the same channel, with sales increasing 6.1% to reach $1,633,326.

Lesser-known cordyceps are anticipated to become more popular as well, Slowik added. “We have learned that cordyceps help support endurance and recovery. Specifically, it is known for optimizing oxygen delivery to muscles and supporting mitochondrial health,” she explains. “These benefits bode well for those who are fitness enthusiasts, particularly endurance athletes (e.g. runners, cyclists) looking to drive their athletic performance. It’s a prime mushroom to propel into the sports nutrition category.”

As Skye Chilton, CEO of Nammex, Organic Mushroom Extracts explained during an interview with 

 at SupplySide West 2024, turkey tail mushrooms have been seeing growth over the past few years. “In the last five years, we started cultivating turkey tail on a mass scale,” he stated. “Typically, it’s been wild crafted, but that leads to an inconsistent quality. Cultivation is obviously more sustainable, too. So, we’ll cultivate sustainably and then start to scale that up to slowly phase out wild craft demand. We’ve been scaling that up 100 plus percent every year, trying to double the capacity, and ultimately want to get to about 250 tons a year of dry, which is very big.”

Apart from mushrooms for human consumption, there are the beginnings of growth in the market for pets as well. “My hunch is that as consumers learn and adopt functional mushrooms, they are open to consider [mushrooms] for their pets,” says Slowik. “It’s no secret that humans view pets like a family member—and with any family member, what you do for yourself you’ll also want for your them. As functional mushrooms grow in awareness and adoption, I anticipate more options available in the pet market. Additionally, we’ve seen several functional mushroom brands for humans opening the door by creating a pet line as the science holds true for both, and there is constant R&D for applications accordingly.”

Another factor in the growth of mushrooms is the growing availability of different dosage formats, which is helping to drive growth of the ingredient as more manufacturers are able to utilize it in palatable formats such as gummies. “You see this through the growth stages of an ingredient. It grows in a couple different ways. [Either] it finds a new health focus, or a new format,” says Dicker. “For a while there were a lot of the mushroom powders, and then pills. A lot of people really like gummies for supplements, and a lot of manufacturers really like to make gummies as well. All those things play a role in the growth, because it brings new people into the category who either hate swallowing pills or don’t like the thought of making another mix powder, like a ready-to-drink. It’s additive to the category, and it also usually makes people purchase more of them, because they go through those gummies faster.”

Slowik confirmed this observation. “Our biggest mantra is to meet the consumer where he/she is at,” she states. “Functional mushrooms are still new for many consumers, and so as a brand we try to make it approachable and appealing as possible. We offer functional mushrooms in a variety of formats – capsule, powders, and gummies. This will let the consumer choose what he/she wants – a quick-and-easy intake via capsules, incorporating into an established routine of a smoothie/coffee via powders, or a delicious, tasty experience via gummies.”

The rapid growth of mushrooms across cognitive, immune, and digestive health categories reflects rising consumer interest in functional benefits, with anticipated growth as consumers become more familiar and informed on the various functions of mushrooms. Expansion of formats is also expected to drive consumer interest and access and point to mushrooms’ transformative potential across multiple wellness markets.

Saitsu, Y.; Nishide, A.; Kikushima, K.; Shimizu, K.; Ohnuki, K. Improvement of cognitive functions by oral intake of Hericium erinaceus. 

Mushrooms are emerging as powerhouse ingredients in wellness, with consumer trends and innovation driving growth in multiple categories.

Functional mushrooms take center stage: consumer trends and future opportunities

Finding success from one category to another and offering a variety of benefits, beet root has recently achieved explosive sales growth.

 show beet root in the top ten functional ingredients in the cardiovascular health category in the mainstream multi-outlet channel. Within that category, sales have increased 161.3% in the 52 weeks ending October 6, 2024, to reach $46,783,721. Additionally, in the cardiovascular health category of the natural channel, beet root’s sales increased by 293.7% to reach $2,101,525.

Scott Dicker, market insights director at SPINS LLC, explains that what is driving the growth of beet root in cardiovascular health is its success in active nutrition. “It’s a great example of a long-standing ingredient that has found success in an adjacent health focus category,” says Dicker. “Typically, we think of beet root usually as a vasodilator for active nutrition, which it still is, but you see that translating into what brands are advertising as cardiovascular support, blood pressure support, things like that. But it’s a great example of an ingredient that had a home but had matured, so to speak, and then found an adjacent health focus. And that’s usually where we see the top growth ingredients.”

Irfan Qureshi, ND, Global Head of Product Development at Metagenics, explains that beetroot is a versatile ingredient that lends itself well to the active nutrition category. “In general, beet root extracts are a great addition to functional health products targeting a variety of benefit platforms,” he states. “For athletic performance, beet root extract can be combined with functional mushrooms, caffeine, citrulline, and other ingredients. For products targeting energy enhancement, beet root extract combined with adaptogens of various types could be an appealing combination while for products targeting blood pressure, combining beet root extract with other extracts rich in polyphenolic compounds may be a good choice.”

Interventional cardiologist and member of 1MD Nutrition’s scientific advisory board, Heather Shenkman, MD, agrees. In addition to beet root’s benefits on lipids, glucose, and blood pressure, “it can help improve athletic performance and reduce muscle soreness after exercise” while also playing well with other ingredients. In 1MD’s CardioFitMD product, for example, Shenkman explains that beet root is “paired with prebiotics and probiotics, fiber, and a multivitamin, to support healthy blood pressure and circulation.”

The complementary benefits and pairings allow beet root to comfortably straddle multiple categories, with cardiovascular health being a natural progression. “The fundamental way beet root extract supports heart health is through its impact on the vascular system,” explains Qureshi. “As beet roots are a source of nitrates, the extract can support the generation of nitric oxide resulting in improved blood flow through widened arteries. By acting on the endothelial lining of blood vessels, beet root extract may also support healthy blood pressure. Additionally, beet roots are a source of antioxidants in the form of polyphenols and other compounds. These compounds can scavenge free radicals that damage healthy blood vessels as well as quench inflammation in vascular tissue.”

“Beetroot is popular in the cardiovascular product space because its actions may not only promote heart health but may also improve energy levels,” adds Shenkman. “Beetroot’s main action in supporting heart health is through its high content of nitrates. Nitrates help to improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and can increase exercise performance. Beetroot is also an excellent source of fiber, folate, manganese, potassium, vitamin C, and iron.”

This concept is easy for consumers to translate into practical uses. “As a natural source of nitrates that can be directly converted into nitric oxide, the logic of beets being good for cardiovascular health is easy to understand for people,” says Qureshi. “That coupled with the bright red color of beets makes the education component less of a burden.”

Consumer education on the health benefits is already prevalent, adds Qureshi. “Given the proliferation of education around the benefits of increased circulation and blood flow for other health categories, consumers readily make the association between the health benefits of beet roots and, for example, athletic performance and men’s sexual health,” he explains. “Since the functionality of beets is readily understood, in the mind of consumers they are a great natural alternative for supporting these key areas of health.”

One of the challenges of utilizing beet root is the flavor. “The flavor of beets can be divisive,” Qureshi explains. “While beets are a natural source of sugar and therefore have an element of sweetness to them, they also impart an earthy flavor. If one is accustomed to consuming beets, this may be palatable, but if not, it can be off-putting.”

“I think that’s why a lot of times [beet root products are in] the pill format,” says Dicker. “But it also depends on the dose; people aren’t going to want to take three or four or five or six pills.”

That’s where alternative dosage formats come in. With all this in mind, it’s crucial to have the right product format for the intended benefits, says Qureshi. “Since the effective dose of beets for various applications is on the higher side, powdered drink mixes and ready-to-drink products are good options,” he says. “Soft chews can also be an option if flavor masking is done well. Keep in mind that beet root powders may impart more of an earthy flavor than beet root extracts that are standardized to nitrate content. It’s also important to experiment with different suppliers and sources as extracts from various sources can have distinct organoleptic properties varying from more earthy to more neutral and sweeter. From a formulator’s perspective, dialing in the desired taste and texture in coordination with other ingredients that may be present in the product is important.”

Beet root makes an excellent addition to an active nutrition and cardiovascular health supplement, and with the right know-how is a versatile ingredient that can neatly complement a wide range of formulas. Well-recognized by consumers, it can make your product an easier sell as the ingredient crosses over into other categories.

A multipurpose supplement with growing popularity, beet root is shaping up to be a noteworthy and versatile ingredient to watch.

Terry R. Lack

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