On World Mental Health Day, we jump on the bandwagon to raise awareness about mental well-being around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health care.
The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community”. With globally one third of consumers that are not satisfied with their mental well-being[1] it is indeed quite concerning and worth talking about.
Mental Well-being in Healthy Individuals
One of the burdens of modern lifestyle is everyday stress – heavily impacting overall mental well-being. Stress is common across the globe, but in the last two years it has been drastically increasing, with half of the population stating they experience stress most of the time or all the time[2]. No matter their age, half of global consumers claim that they are currently undergoing moderate, high, or extreme stress levels[3]. Just as stress, stress-induced digestive discomfort, and anxiety-like symptoms, can in turns impact sleep quality, hence worsening mental well-being… establishing an unwelcomed pattern[4].
When asked about what they think causes their stress and troubles their sleep, consumers mention being most concerned about the health and well-being of loved ones, followed by being concerned about their own health, financial situation, work obligations, or feeling insecure about worldwide problems such as global warming[5]. Recurring bad night sleep can in turn impact learning capacity, memory, decision making, and even creativity.
But there are good news! A large majority of consumers have a proactive approach towards their mental health and stress management turning to natural solutions[6] such as increasing physical activities and more. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and other sources, being physically active on a regular basis, is one of the most important things people can do to improve both physical and mental health[7]. Other solutions include taking actions to address familial, work, or financial issues. Consumers also understand that by improving their mental wellbeing, they can improve their quality of sleep. Establishing a soothing bedtime routine is also relevant. Warm comforting drinks such as herbal tea or milk, and taking nutritional supplements, such as melatonin, are cited by consumers to help lowering stress levels before bedtime[8]. Specific probiotic supplements also appeal to consumers to improve sleep, as they help cope with day-to-day stressors[9].
The Most Documented Probiotic to Support a Healthy Response to Occasional Day-To-Day Stress
In 2019, a good proportion of consumers bought probiotic products to support mental health. This proportion is in constant increase and in 2020, it has raised to reach 23.7% globally[10].
Cerebiome® is clinically proven to offer natural support to help enhance mood and help in times of occasional stress. It acts on the microbiome-gut brain axis to support a healthy response to everyday stress.
Cerebiome® can also be formulated with other relevant ingredients that promote relaxation, sleep, emotional and mood balance, such as saffron extracts, melatonin and ashwagandha. You can read more about this strategy and why it is gaining in popularity in this previous article Why Combine Probiotics with Botanical Extracts to Target Mental Wellness?
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[1] FMCG GURUS: Stress and Sleep Management Survey, 15 consumers in 15 countries, 2020 [2] FMCG GURUS: Stress and Sleep Management Survey, 15 000 consumers in 15 countries, 2019 and 2021 [3] Euromonitor’s Health and Nutrition Survey 2020, 21 countries, 21 000 respondents [4] FMCG GURUS: Stress and Sleep Management Survey, 15 consumers in 15 countries, 2020 [5] FMCG GURUS: Stress and Sleep Management Survey, 15 consumers in 15 countries, 2020 [6] FMCG Gurus: Mental Wellbeing: Targeting Stressed and Anxious Consumers in 2020 and beyond October 2020 [7] https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf [8] FMCG GURUS: Stress and Sleep Management Survey, 15 consumers in 15 countries, 2020 [9] FMCG GURUS: Stress and Sleep Management Survey, 15 consumers in 15 countries, 2020 [10] FMCG GURUS: Probiotic Survey, 15 000 consumers in 15 countries 2019 & 2020