There are several trends impacting functional beverages identified by Ohad Cohen, CEO of Gadot Biochemical Industries, a global leader in the supply of quality minerals for foods, supplements, and pharma.
“Recent research and market data illustrate a confluence of consumer desires for functional beverages and the science demonstrating health values provided by minerals,” Cohen commented. “The global functional drinks market size was estimated to be worth $204.8 billion in 2022, expected to achieve a CAGR of 7.1% from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.”
One trend impacting the growth is the switch from traditional sports nutrition beverages to everyday energy for active lifestyle consumers, who also want those energy beverages to provide useful ingredients for well-being, notably vitamins, as well as the minerals offered by Gadot. Additionally, consumers are expecting these beverages to also ensure hydration and better recovery, as working out and being active is enmeshed in their daily lives. Millennials, women, and families in general have also traded sodas for energy and sports drinks. Plus, women of all ages especially need essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
“Customising our ingredients (products) that meet the needs of our customers and their customers has been one of the keys to our success,” expressed Cohen. “We have the technical know-how to provide innovative solutions and help enhance sports beverages with key minerals.”
Hydration is looked at by consumers as a critical component of sustaining good health — helping the kidneys and liver to flush and detox, helping the skin to remain moist and supple, and to help promote healthy digestion. “For today’s active consumers, hydrating beverages are not just water, but those that provide electrolytes, chiefly calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium,” noted Cohen. Electrolytes are essential for basic life functioning. They play a role in conducting nervous impulses, contracting muscles, keeping us hydrated by maintaining the balance between fluids inside and outside our cells, as well as regulating our body’s pH levels.
Recovery, once a goal only athletes sought, is now a common desire for active consumers who don’t want to give up a workout, match, or game because of sore muscles. Functional beverages that include magnesium, potassium, and zinc will help them enjoy daily fitness.
Personalised functional beverages are on the rise, giving brands room to root and flourish. According to FMCG Gurus “Personalised Nutrition Report 2021,” in 2020, 63% of global consumers were interested in beverages that were customised to meet their health and well-being needs and goals.
Customising our ingredients (products) that meet the needs of our customers and their customers has been one of the keys to our success
Recent studies on key minerals present compelling support for inclusion into functional beverages for people with an active lifestyle. For example, the results of a 2021 meta-analysis found that magnesium supplementation significantly improved plasma glucose and improved insulin sensitivity markers. The review suggests a beneficial role of magnesium supplementation compared to placebo in improving glucose parameters in subjects as well as glucose and insulin sensitivity markers in subjects at high risk of diabetes.
This is an example of how powerful magnesium is as a supplement to keep people healthy. The positive link with magnesium consumption and supporting stable and normalised blood sugar is exciting.
And there’s more related findings for essential minerals. An editorial published in a prestigious journal, provided compelling evidence of a potential link between low serum calcium and increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease.
Similarly, potassium has a hero role in protecting blood pressure and cardiovascular health, as a study "The role of potassium in hypertension and cardiovascular disease" (2020). That review article summarised the evidence for the role of potassium in hypertension and cardiovascular disease, including its effects on blood pressure, vascular function, and cardiac arrhythmias.
“These recent studies suggest that maintaining healthy levels of calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium all play important roles in various physiological processes,” said Cohen. “We can begin to see how valuable they are as additions to functional beverages for today’s health-conscious consumer.”
Gadot is approaching its 60th anniversary, delivering high bioavailable ingredients, including tailor-made solutions, soluble minerals, and ingredient base blends. Gadot´s portfolio includes an array of ingredients including magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium, and sodium in different forms, such as citrates, gluconates, and bisglycinates, and continues to expand its offerings based on market demand.
