Pandemic stress sustains demand for nutritional solutions, flags Gencor

20 May 2021 --- While COVID-19 may have spurred increased stress levels, an end to the viral pandemic is by no means an end to mental health concerns. Ahead of Gencor’s upcoming webinar, NutritionInsight speaks with marketing director Maggie McNamara about the bidirectional relationship between mood and diet.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the lives of all US Americans, and it will continue to do so. It has disrupted work, education, health care, the economy and relationships, with some groups more negatively impacted than others,” says marketing director Maggie McNamara.

Within this, the pandemic and resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders.

“Although the symptoms that we are now witnessing may be accentuated by the stress caused by the pandemic, the pre-existing conditions didn’t simply vanish during COVID-19. If anything, these societal stressors that have been pervasive in previous years have now been compounded by COVID-19 stress,” she details. 

COVID-19 provokes haywire eating
COVID-19 imposed a new set of challenges for the individual to maintain a healthy diet. While lockdown measures and social distancing were crucial in limiting the spread of the virus, they also had severe repercussions on both food access and utilization. 

“The changes in dietary patterns during the outbreak of COVID-19 may be driven by the fear and anxiety many people around the globe are experiencing,” says McNamara.

“Compelling evidence showed that dietary habits are affected by conditions of stress, distress and emotional disturbance, whereby elevated distress levels are associated with unhealthy dietary patterns and poor quality of the diet.” 

Furthermore, emotions like fear and sadness are associated with less desire or motivation to eat and with lessened enjoyment during eating, she adds.

“On one side of the spectrum, consumers are well aware of the mind-body connection and how nutrition can influence whole-body health, whereas on the other side, consumers are unaware of how nutrition can impact stress entirely.”

The knowledge gaps arise from a lack of education or information on such topics. “People also may be unaware of how certain compounds can interact with bodily processes to manage mood, stress and anxiety, explains McNamara.Stress can trigger increased appetite or suppressed appetite in different people. 

Nutrition’s impact
The nutritional status of individuals is an indicator of resilience against destabilization. Substantial stressors, such as inadequate nutrition, can lead to long-lasting effects that are linked to health, states McNamara.

“In fact, poor diet quality has been associated not only with physical but also mental health. Optimal nutrition and dietary intake is a resource that transcends the individual and the community to reach global influence,” she details. 

Conversely, while a person’s diet can impact their mood, mood can also influence eating habits and digestion. For example, stress can lead to appetite fluctuations and digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome. 

This is because the activated fight or flight response in the central nervous system immediately shuts down digestion – restricting blood flow, slowing the contractions of the digestive muscles and decreasing secretions needed for digestion. 

“This is so that the body can prioritize more important functions, such as heart and breathing rate in order to prepare the body to attack or escape from a perceived threat,” McNamara states.

Adaptogens for long and short-term relief
McNamara explains that adaptogens can help the body react or recover from both short- and long-term physical or mental stress. Some also boost immunity and overall well-being. 

“Research shows adaptogens can combat fatigue, enhance mental performance, ease depression and anxiety, and help you thrive rather than just muddle through.” 

She explains that while anti-stress products typically contain the same types of ingredients, the positioning – for acute or chronic stress, for example – is ultimately up to how the brand communicates the specific end-benefit.  

“Some products targeting specific episodes of stress may contain certain vitamins and minerals that can provide an acute ‘calming’ sensation, in a similar way as caffeine increases alertness and energy.”  

The use of certain ingredients also depends on their mode of action, such as Levagen+ providing quick relief compared to Calmaluma that takes a few weeks to feel anxiolytic benefits. In this case, products can be formulated to position them for long-term versus short-term stress relief.Affron and Calmaluma were in the pipeline long before COVID-19 but have been the subject of new research. 

Avoiding the “Sea of Sameness”
As many ingredients used in stress products are typically the same, companies must avoid a “Sea of Sameness.” McNamara explains that this expression evokes old wives’ tales that have no innovation.  

“A lot of these products also have reported adverse events, such as CBD for hepatotoxicity and valerian for drowsiness. New ingredients with solid evidence and safety profile are needed to innovate this sector,” she states.

Mariko Hill, global innovation manager, flags restricted delivery formats as another challenge for well-established stress or sleep ingredients like lavender oil. 

“However, unique delivery technologies, such as CPO by Pharmako Biotechnologies, allow oils to be compressed into a powder and prevent leaching. Other technologies such as AquaCelle allow such oils to be mixed in water, thus expanding format offerings into powders and RTD drinks,” she concludes. 

On May 27, Gencor will present a webinar further detailing ingredient solutions for sleep, stress and mood health, as well as the science behind them. Registration is now open here. 

By Katherine Durrell