An active lifestyle improves mental health, the microbiome influences immunity and performance and our mental states can alter organ function. In 2016, neuroscientists published evidence for the neural basis of a mind-body connection (Dun et al., PNAS)
The consciousness, that everything is connected, and the interest in a more holistic health approach are reflected in the multifunctionality of final product offerings.
They often present two-in-one solutions, attacking a problem from two sides or solving two problems at once, such as combinations of prebiotics & probiotics, mental & physical health, performance & recovery, beauty & active nutrition....
The challenge when combining many ingredients is to get volume, taste, solubility and stability right, this is specially true for botanicals that tend to be bitter, not soluble, brownish. Here we need consumer education and the acceptance that botanicals are not taste- and colorfree. Their bis´g advantage is that they aree multicomponent systems in its own right, efficiently attacking several physiological pathways at once.
Examples:
- Passiflora incarnata is used to fight anxiety and helps with better sleep
- Opuntia ficus-indica increases insulin levels in athletes, replenishes glycogen stores and accelerates recovery
- Rhodiola rosea as a classical adaptogen helps to balance the mind and the body