Even with the accelerated pace of the world today, the consumer’s search for healthy eating and wellness is moving faster. Health has been redefined by consumers, expanding far beyond just diet and exercise, to encompass a wide-range of aspects from a healthy environment to getting enough sleep.

New research from HealthFocus International looks into this evolution of health. Our findings show that U.S. consumers now rank mental/emotional health as the #1 contributor to their overall health—ahead of physical health, balanced diet, and exercise (see Figure 1).

FIGURE 1. Top Contributors to Overall Health

Tiredness, Stress, & Sleep
Tiredness, stress, and sleep problems are the top Unresolved Afflictions that are currently plaguing U.S. consumers. Unresolved Afflictions (from the HealthFocus International Health Condition Strategic Opportunity Quadrant) represents the most important consumer need area for new products with higher margins.

It is important to understand the complexity of these health issues consumers are facing. For example, consumers have long struggled with tiredness; and despite the countless energy products on the market, it still remains a top unmet need area. The problem of tiredness and lack of energy is not one-dimensional, but carries a physical, mental, and emotional component. In our busy and competitive world consumers are under a great deal of stress and are seeking dietary help with relaxation, stress relief, and emotional balance.

We also found the issues of tiredness, stress, and sleep problems to be drastically higher among younger consumers, signaling continued growth and higher future demand for products that can address these unmet needs.

‘Good Mood Food’
Stress is at an all-time high, and we are seeing more and more people seeking out solutions to help them feel better. There is a strong belief in the emotional impact of food, with six out of 10 U.S. consumers saying their food and beverage choices impact their mood. Nearly 30% of consumers specifically look for food and beverage products that can provide mood-boosting benefits, up more than 10 percentage points since 2018. Younger shoppers are fueling this “Mood Food” trend with over half saying they always or usually choose foods and beverages to help improve or enhance their mood (see Figure 2).

FIGURE 2. Choose foods/beverages to help improve/enhance my mood 

‘Kitchen Medicine’
We see the growing “Mood Food” trend as part of a bigger shift toward the use of Kitchen Medicine. An increased focus on immunity, along with the rising costs and concerns about the safety and efficacy of prescription drugs, has fueled a global resurgence of “food as medicine.”

Our research shows that the majority of U.S. consumers believe certain foods, beverages, and ingredients have medicinal benefits; and this trend is on the rise, with nearly 40% saying their belief has become stronger in the last two years. This strong belief in the healing power of food is growing most notably among the youth (with four out of 10 finding it extremely believable) and continues to drive consumer interest in functional ingredients like CBD, hemp oil, turmeric, and bone broth (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. Certain foods/beverages/ingredients have medicinal benefits

We continue to see increased interest in the functional food and beverage space. As such, HealthFocus International dives into this topic to determine which ingredients show the most promise, identifying the specific benefits consumers are seeking from food and beverage products.

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HealthFocus International is a full-service market research and strategic consulting company specializing in understanding consumer attitudes toward health and nutrition, and we help to apply those insights to brand development and innovation. Since 1990, HealthFocus International has been talking to consumers in over 40 countries about their interests, knowledge, and motivations around food, nutrition, and healthy living. For more information: www.healthfocus.com.