Beverage Suppliers Highlight Ingredients for Cognitive Health and Energy

Ingredients like botanicals, prebiotics, and postbiotics are gaining popularity for supporting mental well-being and mood.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 12:15am

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Given the increased consumer interest in cognitive health and the role of energy drinks in daily routines, beverage suppliers are highlighting the ingredients they offer that support cognitive health and energy needs. Ingredients like chamomile, magnesium, melatonin, B vitamins, omega-3s, protein, prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics are in demand for their ability to support mental well-being, mood, and stress reduction. Suppliers like ADM and BENEO are leveraging botanical extracts, prebiotics, and postbiotics in their ingredient portfolios to meet these consumer needs.

Why it matters

As consumers become more aware of the connection between gut health, mental health, and overall well-being, there is growing demand for beverages and supplements that can support cognitive function, mood, and energy levels through science-backed ingredients. Beverage brands that can formulate products with these types of functional ingredients are well-positioned to meet this evolving consumer need.

The details

Suppliers like ADM and BENEO are highlighting ingredients like botanical extracts, prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics that can support cognitive health, mood, and energy. ADM leverages green tea, guarana, and yerba mate to provide natural sources of caffeine, and also offers ingredients like acerola powder (vitamin C) and Novatol (natural vitamin E) that can help protect cells from oxidative stress. BENEO's prebiotic chicory root fiber and its Palatinose carbohydrate have been shown in studies to have positive effects on mood, memory, and energy levels. Suppliers are also exploring the potential of combining these types of ingredients to create synergistic formulations.

  • The increased consumer interest in cognitive health and the role of energy drinks in daily routines has been an ongoing trend.

The players

ADM

A global agricultural processing and food ingredient company that provides a range of ingredients, including botanical extracts, vitamins, and probiotics, for use in beverages and other food products.

BENEO

A manufacturer of functional ingredients, including prebiotics, probiotics, and carbohydrates, that are used in a variety of food and beverage applications.

Vaughn DuBow

The senior director of product portfolio marketing and health and wellness at ADM.

Kyle Krause

The regional product manager of functional fibers and carbohydrates for North America at BENEO.

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What they’re saying

“For mental well-being, consumers are drawn to ingredients like B vitamins, omega 3-fatty acids, protein and pre-, pro- and postbiotics.”

— Vaughn DuBow, Senior Director of Product Portfolio Marketing and Health and Wellness

“Solutions like our Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 postbiotic have clinical studies showing it may support emotional well-being, may support reduced stress and may be associated with better sleep efficiency, reduced time to fall asleep/reduced sleep latency, healthy overall sleep quality and improved total sleep duration.”

— Vaughn DuBow, Senior Director of Product Portfolio Marketing and Health and Wellness

“BENEO's prebiotic chicory root fiber (oligofructose) offers interesting potential for mood improvement. A scientific study, conducted by Jackson et al., demonstrated that the intake of the prebiotic dietary fiber oligofructose alone, or in combination with the human milk oligosaccharide 2'fucosyllactose, promotes a significant increase in bifidobacteria in the gut and can result in substantial improvements in mood in healthy adults with mild to moderate feelings of anxiety and depression.”

— Kyle Krause, Regional Product Manager of Functional Fibers and Carbohydrates for North America

What’s next

Beverage brands will likely continue to explore new formulations and ingredient combinations that can support cognitive health, mood, and energy, as consumer demand for these types of functional benefits continues to grow.

The takeaway

As consumers become more conscious of the connection between gut health, mental well-being, and overall wellness, beverage suppliers are responding by highlighting a range of science-backed ingredients like botanicals, prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics that can be leveraged to create functional beverages targeting these emerging consumer needs.