Balchem on brain health: Trending ingredients for mental performance

As consumer interest in cognitive health continues to surge, nutrition companies are stepping up with science-backed solutions aimed at boosting mental performance, mood, and focus. We talk with Balchem Human Nutrition and Health to discuss how its next-generation ingredients and novel delivery systems can tap into emerging trends and meet evolving market demands.

Nutrition Insight sits down with Dominik Mattern, Balchem’s vice president of science, business development, and marketing, to discuss the latest innovations in cognition-supporting supplements — from the viral rise of magnesium glycinate to the growing role of choline and folate in brain health across the lifespan.

What are the emerging trends in cognition-boosting supplements that you’re currently focusing on?
Mattern: The link between cognitive health and mood is becoming more important to consumers, with research from Innova Market Insights indicating a 14% rise in brain-mood health claims for supplements from October 2022 to September 2024. Europe, in particular, is leading the launches for supplements with brain-mood claims (44%), closely followed by North America (38%).

Social media is playing a key role in shaping this consumer perception, impacting today’s cognitive health trends. Many consumers are turning to apps such as TikTok and Instagram for advice and recommendations from influencers in the health and wellness arena.Dominik Mattern, Balchem’s vice president of science, business development, and marketing.

One nutrient that has emerged as a viral social media sensation is magnesium. Innova Market Insights also reports that magnesium, along with vitamins B6 and B12, are the top ingredients in products with brain-mood health claims. These ingredients all have one thing in common — they have been shown to help combat stress, which can have a substantial impact on our cognitive health.

Magnesium, for example, supports the normal function of the stress hormone cortisol and contributes to mood regulation by modulating glutamine uptake at the NMDA receptor.

But not all magnesium ingredients are equal, and today’s ultra-informed consumers are buzzing about one in particular. The hashtag #MagnesiumGlycinate on TikTok has been used on more than 60K posts, with users touting the bioavailability, tolerability, and efficacy of the chelated magnesium form, also known as magnesium bisglycinate.

Chelated minerals, such as Albion Minerals’ magnesium bisglycinate chelate, are shielded by the amino acid glycine, protecting them from their environment in the body and supporting enhanced absorption in the body. In fact, Albion’s magnesium bisglycinate has been shown in laboratory testing to have up to five times greater absorption than other magnesium salts, as well as demonstrating safety and tolerance for supplement users.

Can you discuss new ingredients that show promise in recent cognitive health research?
Mattern: There is a good deal of exciting new research emerging that underlines the critical role of choline in cognition support. For example, one recent clinical trial showed that supplementation with Balchem’s choline ingredient, VitaCholine, during pregnancy delivered long-term benefits for the baby’s cognitive health — lasting even after their seventh birthday.

A study published this year also highlighted the importance of choline intake for cognition in later life. The study, which followed more than 125,000 people (with an average starting age of 56) over the course of nearly 12 years, reported individuals with relatively high choline intake (>465 mg/day) had better cognitive performance.Balchem and VitaCholine recently partnered with the New York Jets football team.

Additionally, researchers saw that adequate daily intake of choline was associated with better performance across a number of cognitive tests, including visual attention, fluid intelligence, and complex processing speed.

Another particularly exciting area of research in this space is the importance of folate in supporting healthy brain tissues and promoting normal cognitive function by regulating homocysteine levels through its methyl donor function.

Balchem’s newly launched bioactive, choline-enriched folate ingredient, Optifolin+, unlocks huge potential here. This first-of-its-kind ingredient provides seven times the methyl groups found in other folate products, supporting the brain and nervous system and promoting balanced methylation as we age.

What unique formulations or delivery systems are you developing to enhance the efficacy of cognitive supplements?
Mattern: We recently launched our first-of-its-kind microencapsulated choline ingredient, VitaCholine Pro-Flo. Choline is an essential nutrient for our brain, body, and nervous system, and could add significant benefits to multivitamin solutions, especially in the cognitive health space. However, due to choline hygroscopicity, tableted multivitamin solutions have previously been challenging for formulators.

Through the cutting-edge, patented particle science from our partners at Group-IPS, we have coated the industry-leading VitaCholine in a membrane for maximum protection. With this, VitaCholine Pro-Flo flows smoothly, compresses efficiently, and can be seamlessly added to existing multivitamin formulations.

The company is spotlights the efficacy of its Albion Minerals’ magnesium bisglycinate chelate offering.According to Innova Market Insights, the most popular formats for launches in the brain-mood category are capsules, which represented 40% of global launches from October 2023 to September 2024, followed by tablets (21%) and gummies (12%). VitaCholine Pro-Flo offers a unique solution to quickly and easily incorporate this essential nutrient into a range of multivitamin formats that appeal to today’s consumers.

Are there any specific demographics that your new cognitive products are targeting?
Mattern: Everyone can benefit from cognitive support to enhance their performance every day and for specific goals. VitaCholine, for example, offers benefits throughout life — from infants to young fitness lovers and older people looking to stay mentally active.

One group of consumers we believe holds great potential is the growing category around e-sports. E-gamers require a sharp mind, focus, and mental stamina over extended periods, so brain support solutions can serve as pre-workout supplements, fueling the mind for optimized performance.

Choline is an ideal nutrient to support these emerging needs and even has scientific backing to show its potential here. In a clinical trial exploring the impact of choline on the brain, participants were given the supplement prior to performing a point-and-click mouse gaming session.

Within 70 minutes, choline supplementation was shown to significantly improve accuracy, decrease errors, and improve spatial coordination of hand and arm movements.

What else would you like to say on this topic?
Mattern: At Balchem, we are focused on inspiring everyday people to realize how they can thrive with the right cognitive support. We’re partnering with influencers and organizations to convey the benefits of our health ingredients in an authentic and relatable way that truly connects with consumers.

Tapping into this trust and connection, we’re bridging the gap from B2B2C by collaborating with influencers, such as Olympic speed skater Joey Mantia, to raise awareness of choline and its science-backed cognitive benefits.

We have also partnered with the New York Jets for our VitaCholine brand, pairing a leading sports franchise that depends on precision, agility, and accuracy with a nutrient that has been clinically shown to convey accuracy benefits by supporting muscle control.