In “The Impossible Dream” (“The Quest,”) the signature tune in the 1965 musical “Man of LaMancha,” the song extols the “mad” knight Don Quixote “to dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe, to bear with unbearable sorrow, to run where the brave dare not go” in his quest to “reach the unreachable star.” When it comes to beverage fortification, beverage-makers have embarked on their own quest to provide consumers with functional cognitive performance and energy, and ingredient suppliers ensuring brand owners have more options that will support these dual benefits.
Several trends are influencing the use of cognitive health and energy ingredients within beverages, experts note. These include increased awareness of overall wellness due to the Internet and social media, improved research and proof of efficacy of functional ingredients, and the rise of nootropics to enhance cognition and memory and to facilitate learning.