Mental-Care & Nootropic Ingredients Market by Ingredient Type, Function/Benefit, Formulation, Application, Distribution Channel, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2035

What is the Mental-Care & Nootropic Ingredients Market Size?

The global mental-care & nootropic ingredients market was valued at USD 4.75 billion in 2024. This market is expected to reach USD 12.73 billion by 2035 from USD 5.22 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 9.5% from 2025 to 2035.

The rise in mental health disorders like stress, anxiety, and depression is making people more aware of cognitive health and brain wellness. There is a higher demand for natural and plant-based mental wellness solutions. An aging population is increasingly worried about cognitive decline, and more people accept preventive mental healthcare. Improvements in ingredient effectiveness and clinical validation are also helping the use of mental-care and nootropic ingredients in dietary supplements, functional foods and drinks, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products worldwide.

Market Highlights: Mental-Care & Nootropic Ingredients

• In terms of revenue, the global mental-care & nootropic ingredients market is valued at USD 5.22 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 12.73 billion by 2035.
• The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.5% from 2025 to 2035.
• North America dominates the global mental-care & nootropic ingredients market with the largest market share of 35-40% in 2025.
• Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.
• By ingredient type, the botanical extracts/adaptogens segment holds the largest market share in 2025.
• By ingredient type, the probiotics/microbiome-based segment is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.
• By function, the stress/anxiety relief segment holds the largest share of the overall mental-care & nootropic ingredients market in 2025.
• By function, the cognitive performance segment is expected to witness significant CAGR during the forecast period.
• By formulation, the beverages/RTD segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.
• By application, the dietary supplements segment holds the largest share in 2025.
• By application, the functional foods & beverages segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

Market Overview and Insights

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The mental care and nootropic ingredients include those sourced from botanical extracts, synthesized compounds, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids. Mental-care ingredients target stress, anxiety, mood disorders, and emotional wellness, whereas nootropics address cognitive improvement: memory, focus, learning capabilities, clarity of mind, and neuroprotection.

It contains traditional adaptogens such as ashwagandha, rhodiola, and ginseng to help the body deal with stress responses; amino acids such as L-theanine and GABA for relaxation and mental calmness; B-vitamins and magnesium to support neurological function; omega-3 fatty acids like DHA and EPA important for brain structure and function; and emerging probiotics to influence the gut-brain axis. These ingredients are formulated into a range of delivery formats including capsules, tablets, powders, beverages, gummies, and functional foods in order to cater for diverse consumer preferences and usage occasions.

Mental wellness is increasingly recognized as integral to overall health, and consumers are gradually shifting from reactive treatment to proactive prevention and daily cognitive optimization. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated awareness of mental health issues and self-care practices, normalizing conversations around anxiety, stress management, and emotional resilience. Growing scientific research that validates the efficacy of natural nootropics and adaptogens, regulatory acceptance of mental wellness claims in various markets, the rise of personalized nutrition approaches targeting individual cognitive needs, and strong investment by supplement manufacturers and functional beverage brands in mental wellness categories propel the growth of the overall mental care & nootropic ingredients market.

What are the Key Trends in the Mental-Care & Nootropic Ingredients Market?

Gut-brain axis and psychobiotic innovation: One of the transformative trends in the growth of the mental-care and nootropic ingredients market has been the increased focus on the gut-brain axis and developing psychobiotics, a probiotic selectively chosen for mental health functionality. Emerging evidence places the gut microbiome as influencing mood, cognition, stress response, and neurological health through diverse mechanisms that include neurotransmitter production, immune system modulation, and vagal nerve signaling. Certain strains like Lactobacillus helveticus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus have shown promising clinical evidence for reducing anxiety, improving mood, and enhancing resilience to stress.

The trend is pushing ingredient innovation beyond traditional botanical adaptogens and amino acids to microbiome-targeting solutions. Probiotic manufacturers are developing multi-strain probiotic formulations optimized for mental well-being, while combining psychobiotics with prebiotics and postbiotics to ramp up gut health and mental health outcomes. Scientific validation of the gut-brain connection-what happens in the gut does make its way to the brain-is rewriting product development strategies for both cognitive and mood support, as brands increasingly incorporate digestive health ingredients into their formulations. This approach finds particular appeal among health-conscious consumers looking for holistic, root-cause solutions rather than symptom management.

Functional beverage expansion and nootropic coffee alternatives: Another significant trend driving market growth is the rapid expansion of functional beverages that feature mental care and nootropic ingredients as an alternative or enhancement to traditional caffeinated beverages. Consumers increasingly seek out beverages that offer mental benefits beyond energy alone, including sustained focus without jitters, stress relief, mood enhancement, and improved cognitive performance. This has spawned new beverages in categories including adaptogenic coffee blends that combine traditional coffee with ashwagandha or lion's mane mushroom, nootropic energy drinks featuring L-theanine, GABA, and B-vitamins for calm alertness, and mushroom-based coffee alternatives with lion's mane and cordyceps.

Major beverage companies are entering the functional mental wellness space through product innovation, acquisitions of specialized brands, and partnerships with ingredient suppliers. The trend is especially strong among younger consumers who favor experiential products and are willing to pay premium prices for beverages supporting their mental performance and emotional wellbeing. This trend is creating substantial opportunities for ingredient suppliers to develop beverage-optimized formulations that feature good taste profiles, stability in liquid formats, and appropriate dosing for frequent consumption patterns.

Market Scope

Mrket Dynamics

Drivers

Growing Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders and Stress-Related Conditions

A rapid increase in mental health disorders and stress-related conditions is one of the main factors driving the market for mental-care and nootropic ingredients. Based on data from the World Health Organization, it is estimated that together, depression and anxiety cost the global economy approximately USD 1 trillion in lost productivity annually. Today, an estimated 280 million people live with depression, and roughly 301 million with anxiety disorders. These numbers have grown sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic, which intensified mental health struggles due to social isolation, financial uncertainty, and disrupted daily routines.

Modern living also plays a major role in heightening mental strain: long work hours, constant digital engagement leading to attention fatigue, irregular sleep, inadequate diet, and social disconnection all combine in widespread burnout and emotional exhaustion. Meanwhile, an aging population worldwide is increasingly concerned about cognitive decline, dementia, and the desire to keep their mental faculties sharp. This has increased interest in neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing ingredients. At the other end of the demographic spectrum, young people, particularly millennials and Gen Z are showing an increasing sensitivity to mental wellness. They increasingly turn to preventive and performance-supportive solutions to help them master everyday stress, improve focus, and maintain emotional balance for success in both studies and work.

Opportunity

Expanding Clinical Validation and Regulatory Acceptance of Mental Wellness Claims

Together, a growing body of clinical research validating mental-care and nootropic ingredients and evolving regulations that permit mental wellness and cognitive function claims are opening significant market opportunities. Historically, strict regulations had constrained the claims manufacturers could make about mental and cognitive benefits. Today, stronger scientific evidence such as ashwagandha’s stress-reducing effects, L-theanine’s calming properties, lion’s mane mushroom’s neuroprotective benefits, and omega-3 fatty acids’ role in brain health supports regulatory acceptance.

Regulatory bodies are bringing clarity to pathways for mental wellness claims: the European Food Safety Authority enables certain claims for DHA, B-vitamins, and magnesium; the U.S. FDA's structure/function framework allows science-based communication of benefits for mental wellness. Likewise, Japan's Foods with Function Claims and China's health food registration processes are driving new opportunities in Asia.

This move enables brands to communicate specific mental health benefits, rather than general wellness benefits. Clinical validation of traditional botanicals increases consumer confidence and connects traditional knowledge with evidence-based nutrition, particularly for China and India. The investment in clinical trials, proprietary formulation, and regulatory approval provides companies with a competitive advantage through premium positioning. Biomarkers for mental well-being, personalized formulation, and integrated digital solutions that link ingredient intake to cognitive performance are some areas where future growth will be focused.

Ingredient Type Insights

Why Do Botanical Extracts/Adaptogens Dominate the Market?

The botanical extracts/adaptogens segment is expected to hold the largest share of the overall mental-care & nootropic ingredients market in 2025, driven primarily by the strong consumer preference for natural, plant-based solutions to mental wellness challenges, the extensive traditional use histories of adaptogenic herbs in both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine systems, and the growing clinical validation of their stress-modulating and cognitive-supporting effects.

However, the probiotics/microbiome-based segment is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period, driven by emerging research on the gut-brain axis, increasing consumer awareness of microbiome influence on mental health, and development of clinically validated psychobiotic strains that specifically target mental wellness outcomes through mechanisms different from those of traditional cognitive supplements.

Function/Benefit Insights

How Does Stress/Anxiety Relief Lead the Market?

The stress/anxiety relief segment commands the largest share of the overall mental-care & nootropic ingredients market in 2025. This is because stress-related conditions are widely prevalent among people of all age groups and demographics, the management of stress in modern life is of universal relevance, and improving emotional well-being and mental calmness is being increasingly prioritized by consumers as basic to health and productivity.

The ingredients for stress and anxiety relief include adaptogens that modulate cortisol responses and enhance stress resilience, such as ashwagandha and rhodiola; amino acids that promote relaxation without sedation, like L-theanine and GABA; magnesium, which plays an important role in supporting nervous system function and regulation of stress responses; and botanical extracts like passionflower and lemon balm, known for their calming properties.

Among the application segments, the cognitive performance/memory/focus/learning segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is driven by increased competition in educational and professional settings that require sustained mental performance; increased interest on the part of students and professionals looking to enhance their cognitive capabilities for competitive advantage; increased concern about age-associated cognitive decline and the desire to remain mentally sharp; and emergence of work-from-home arrangements and digital learning environments that require extended periods of time spent focusing and maintaining mental stamina in the absence of traditional workplace or classroom structures.

Application Insights

How Do Dietary Supplements Drive Market Demand?

Dietary supplements, by application, represent the leading market share in 2025 owing to established consumer behavior related to the use of dietary supplements for targeted health benefits, significant investment in product innovation and marketing in the supplement category, regulatory frameworks in most markets that allow cognitive and mental wellness claims in dietary supplements, and wide availability through multiple distribution channels such as specialty health stores, pharmacies, and e-commerce.

The functional foods & beverages segment is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is driven by consumer preference for delivering health benefits through regular food and beverage consumption rather than medicinal-feeling pills, the success of functional beverage brands positioning cognitive and mood benefits as core product attributes, the ability to reach consumers outside traditional supplement buyer demographics through food and beverage channels, innovations in food technology enabling the incorporation of effective doses of mental wellness ingredients without compromising taste and texture, and lifestyle-oriented positioning of functional foods and beverages that puts mental wellness in sync with broader wellness trends including fitness, mindfulness, and self-care.

Distribution Channel Insights

Why Does B2B Lead the Market?

B2B segment holds the largest share of the overall market, as the mental-care & nootropic ingredients market is largely characterized by ingredient suppliers selling to manufacturers of finished consumer products. The segment includes transactions between raw material producers, ingredient processors and standardizers, and finished product manufacturers, including supplement brands, functional food companies, beverage manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies.

The extensive reformulation activity is driven by the B2B segment as brands across categories integrate ingredients for mental wellness into existing lines and launch products in cognitive health and stress management categories. Long-term supply contracts with ingredient suppliers and large manufacturers give stable revenue channels and allow for capacity planning of cultivation, extraction, and processing operations. The segment includes both commodity ingredients that are mainly sold on price and specification and proprietary branded ingredients commanding premium pricing through clinical validation, patented extraction processes, or superior bioavailability profiles.

U.S. Mental-Care & Nootropic Ingredients Market Size and Growth 2025 to 2035

The U.S. mental-care & nootropic ingredients market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% from 2025 to 2035.

How is North America Maintaining Dominance in the Mental-Care & Nootropic Ingredients Market?

North America dominates the global market for mental-care & nootropic ingredients with a share of around 35-40% in 2025, driven by high consumer awareness of mental wellness and cognitive health, high market penetration of dietary supplements and functional foods, significant marketing investment by large supplement and beverage brands in mental wellness categories, a relatively permissive regulatory environment regarding structure/function claims related to cognitive and psychological function, high healthcare costs increasing consumer interest in preventive and complementary approaches, and high levels of research and development activity in neuroscience and nutritional psychiatry.

The U.S. leads the North American market with the largest dietary supplement industry globally, valued at over $50 billion annually. Mental wellness and cognitive health are two of the fast-growing subcategories. Compared to the rest of the world, a significantly higher number of US consumers is willing to pay for high-quality products offering improved mental performance, stress mitigation, and longer-term cognitive health.

This is further supported by a very strong ecosystem of ingredient suppliers, contract manufacturers, supplement brands, and functional food and beverage companies, as well as retail channels specializing in health and wellness products. E-commerce penetration is exceptionally high, with Amazon, iHerb, and direct-to-consumer brands making mental wellness products highly accessible. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated mental wellness awareness in North America, with reported increases in anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms driving demand for natural support solutions.

Which Factors Support the Growth of the Asia Pacific Mental-Care & Nootropic Ingredients Market?

Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR between 2025 and 2035. Such exceptional growth is supported by several factors, such as fast-increasing mental health awareness and destigmatization of mental health issues in traditionally conservative societies, rising stress levels associated with rapid urbanization, intense educational and workplace competition, and changing family structures reducing traditional support systems. Additionally, factors such as a growing middle class having disposable income to invest in wellness products and preventive healthcare, strong cultural traditions of using botanical medicines for mental and cognitive support in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and other traditional systems, creating acceptance for plant-based mental wellness ingredients; increasing prevalence of lifestyle-related mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and stress disorders across the region; and expanding regulatory frameworks within countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea that enable mental wellness and cognitive function claims further drive the growth of this market.

The large and growing population of the region, especially in China and India, provides enormous market potential even at relatively low per-capita consumption compared to developed Western markets. Economic development across Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Philippines, is extending the addressable market for mental wellness products beyond traditional high-income countries such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia. Regulatory reforms and the health food registration system continue to open up the market for mental wellness ingredients and products in China, although regulatory complexity remains a challenge.

The younger demographic profile in many Asia Pacific countries therefore creates a large consumer base interested in cognitive enhancement for competitive advantage in education and at work. At both ends of the age spectrum, demand is growing driven by growing mental health challenges among students facing intense academic pressure, young professionals navigating demanding workplaces, and elderly populations concerned about cognitive aging.

The region also serves as a major manufacturing base, both for ingredient production and finished product manufacturing, with contract manufacturers in China, India, and Southeast Asia supplying global markets. The rapid growth of e-commerce and digital payment systems throughout Asia Pacific accelerates market accessibility, especially for innovative functional beverage brands and direct-to-consumer supplement companies using social commerce and influencer marketing to reach consumers.

Segments Covered in the Report

By Ingredient Type

• Botanical Extracts / Adaptogens
• Amino Acids
• Vitamins & Minerals
• Omega-3 / Lipids
• Probiotics / Microbiome-Based
• Synthetic Nootropics
• Others

By Function

• Stress / Anxiety Relief
• Mood Enhancement / Emotional Well-Being
• Cognitive Performance (Memory, Focus, Learning)
• Neuroprotection / Brain Health
• Sleep / Recovery
• Energy & Mental Fatigue

By Formulation

• Capsules / Tablets
• Powder / Drink Mixes
• Liquids / Drops / Tinctures
• Beverages / RTD (Ready-to-Drink)
• Gummies / Chewables
• Functional Foods
• Others

By Application / End-Use Industry

• Dietary Supplements
• Functional Foods & Beverages
• Personal Care / Nutraceutical Cosmetics
• Pharmaceuticals / Clinical Mental Health Use
• Sports Nutrition
• Others

By Distribution Channel

• Direct sales to manufacturers
• Distributors and Ingredient Brokers
• Online B2B Platforms
• Others

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East & Africa

Frequently Asked Questions