Functional beverages, also known as functional drinks, are designed to provide health benefits beyond their primary nutritional value. They are typically fortified with vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other active ingredients believed to have health-promoting effects. Therefore making functional beverage trends a prominent one to look for brands.
Some examples of functional beverages include:
- Energy drinks: Energy drinks are beverages designed to boost mental and physical energy. They typically contain caffeine, sugar, and other ingredients, such as taurine and guarana, which are believed to have energizing effects.
- Sports drinks: Sports drinks are beverages designed to help athletes replace electrolytes and carbohydrates lost through sweat during exercise. They typically contain water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes such as sodium and potassium.
- Probiotic drinks: Probiotic drinks contain live bacteria and yeast that are beneficial for the digestive system. They are believed to help restore the balance of good bacteria in the gut, which can improve digestive health and boost the immune system.
- Vitamin waters: Vitamin waters are fortified with vitamins and minerals. They are designed to provide a convenient way to get the daily recommended intake of essential vitamins and minerals.
- Herbal teas: Herbal teas are beverages made from the infusion of herbs, spices, and other plant materials. They are often marketed as having health-promoting effects, such as improving digestion or boosting the immune system.
What Does the Data Show?
Over the past few years, there has been a significant rise in the popularity of functional beverage trends. Consumers are increasingly looking for ways to improve their health and well-being, and functional beverages are convenient and tasty.
In the United States, the functional beverage trends is seeing a 12.5% two-year CAGR, driven primarily by health, especially gut health and immunity. It is a growing theme in the United States. As a driver, ‘Functional’ attributes for beverages such as fortification with vitamins and minerals, has a four-year CAGR of 18%
Functional beverage trends are also increasingly being adopted in the alcoholic beverage category. This category is an emerging theme in the United States, United Kingdom and Vietnam. It is also a growing theme in Japan and Mexico. In the UK, this trend has a two-year CAGR of 77.4% and a four-year CAGR of over 40%.
Why Do Consumers Love These Beverages?
One of the key drivers of the rise of functional beverage trends is the growing awareness of the importance of nutrition and the role that diet plays in overall health. As people become more educated about the nutrients their bodies need, they are more likely to seek sources of those nutrients, such as functional beverages.
In addition, the rise of functional beverages can be attributed to the increasing demand for convenience. Many people are busy and don’t have the time to prepare healthy meals, so functional beverages offer a quick and easy way to get the nutrients they need.
Another factor contributing to the rise of functional beverages is the growth of the wellness industry. The wellness industry has recently experienced significant growth as people focus more on their health and well-being. This has led to an increase in the availability of functional beverages as more and more companies seek to capitalize on the trend.
Advances in technology and innovation have also fueled the rise of functional beverage trends. Many functional beverages are made using natural ingredients and are free of artificial additives and preservatives. Additionally, advances in manufacturing and packaging technology have made it possible to create functional beverages that are more shelf-stable and easier to transport.
Conclusion
Overall, the rise of functional beverage trends reflects consumers’ increasing attention on their health and well-being. As people become more focused on nutrition and convenience, functional beverages offer a tasty and convenient way to get the nutrients their bodies need.
