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Modern mood boosters are built on better studies, higher efficacy, and more effective formulations than past products.

Mood supplements are seeing a surge of research and development activity as suppliers and brands work to provide better validated and more effective products. While a number of legacy ingredients still hold a strong market position, newer ingredients are giving formulators more options for contemporary blends. Meanwhile, improvements in quality control and production processes are leading to better standardization, more efficient extraction techniques, and synergistic formulations involving multiple mechanisms of action. Here are some of the ways brands are modernizing mood supplements.

Mood Supplements: A Category of Its Own

While several natural ingredients have mood-boosting properties, these ingredients have traditionally been sold as sleep-health supplements. Recently, though, mood and sleep have started to diverge as separate categories.

Scott Dicker, senior market insights analyst for SPINS (Chicago) and a member of Nutritional Outlook’s Editorial Advisory Board, says consumers are now looking for supplements that provide stress relief and relaxation without the grogginess of sleep-health ingredients.

“This differentiation has continued to expand with formulas that focus on overall calming without the need for sleep,” Dicker says. “Researchers are also starting to further differentiate between mood-support ingredients and cognitive health ingredients, while maintaining the idea that both can help each other.”

Dicker points to the growth of functional drinks with mood-specific claims as further evidence that mood support is becoming established as its own vertical. SPINS data show that sales of mood-boosting wellness shots are growing by over 500% year-over-year. Furthermore, the ingredients seeing the most growth are non-sleep-inducing.

“Ashwagandha remains one of the top trending ingredients in this category, with 94% growth and $91 million in total revenue. Other trending ingredients include GABA, chamomile, theanine, and kava,” Dicker reports.

Mood R&D Gets Smarter

As modern mood supplements continue their upward trajectory, suppliers and brands are increasingly using a more robust scientific approach to extracting ingredients and formulating products.

David Foreman, RPh, founder of Herbal Pharmacist Media (Palm Harbor, FL) and a member of Nutritional Outlook’s Editorial Advisory Board, says the research on mood supplements is increasingly using a more clinical approach in assessing research outcomes. “The research being completed on these supplements is now targeting the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS),” Foreman says. “Looking for markers like cortisol, impact on blood pressure, or blood sugar can show an impact leading to positive mood changes as well,” he adds.

Mood ingredient suppliers are making advances in extraction and standardization technology to extract more of the active compound from the raw ingredients, Foreman says. On the formulator side, brands are creating better-rounded supplements by blending multiple ingredients with different mechanisms of action.

Emerging Products Leverage Gut-Brain Axis

Continuing research on mood-boosting ingredients has illuminated the link between gut health and mood, opening up roles for probiotics and phospholipids to play in the mood space.

Peyton Rudy, global marketing manager, Active Living, Nutiani (Auckland, New Zealand), says mood-support ingredients are now advanced enough to work amidst natural variations in hormone levels during different points of life. Furthermore, she explains, the natural age-associated decline in brain phospholipids has opened up the opportunity for more accurate and effective dosing of phospholipid ingredients.

“Functional foods and beverages to enhance mood are early in their existence, but they’re increasing,” Rudy explains. “There’s been a proliferation of low- or no-calorie mood beverages containing nootropics and botanicals, and there’s plenty of room left for more nutrient density. Broad-spectrum phospholipids are well placed for snacks such as bars and yogurts.”

Nutiani, a B2B wellbeing-solutions brand owned by Fonterra (Auckland, New Zealand), recently launched the second phase of its Project Happy initiative in partnership with Sun Genomics (San Diego, CA). Project Happy is a six-week randomized clinical trial to validate the findings of a previous consumer research pilot study.

The pilot study examined the effects of Nutiani’s proprietary LactoB HN001 probiotic strain on 52 customers of Sun Genomics’ B2C brand Floré. All subjects were screened for mental disorders, and subjects with mental illnesses were excluded. All 52 subjects consumed a probiotic formulation including LactoB HN001 every day. The subjects completed the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire at baseline and after 30 and 60 days. After 60 days, the group reported an average increase in their rating of psychological wellbeing.

Delivery Formats Diversify

While taking a pill is relatively fast and convenient, experts say the ability to be flexible with delivery systems is an important prerequisite to succeed in the mood space. Maggie McNamara, marketing director for Gencor (Irvine, CA), says companies are now finding ways to make their ingredients more effective in liquid solutions and gummies to appeal to a broader consumer demographic.

“Innovative delivery technologies are increasing the effectiveness of ingredients,” McNamara says. “New technologies are also improving the efficacy and speed of action of these ingredients. For example, Gencor’s branded HydroCurc is clinically proven to have the most bioavailable curcumin per single dose in the market as a result of its unique delivery technology…Lipisperse.”

Lipisperse, a cold-water-dispersion technology, enables solid and powdered lipophilic ingredients with traditionally poor bioavailability and poor solubility to be easily dispersed in cold water. Gencor has also created another branded delivery system, AquaCelle, a customizable self–micro-emulsifying delivery system that optimizes the bioavailability of oily lipophilic ingredients like resveratrol. As delivery technologies advance, they will enable further experimentation with new delivery formats for mood ingredients.

Consumers Look for Multipronged Solutions

While some industry trends are transitory, experts say the growth of mood-support ingredients is expected to continue. Kristen Marshall, digital marketing manager for Verdure Sciences (Noblesville, IN), says the mood-support niche will maintain its momentum. She notes that consumer demand is mirroring larger conversations around mental wellbeing and balanced lifestyles.

“Consumers want to more specifically target their needs, and they want multiple tangible benefits from a single offering,” Marshall says. “Upticks in multiprong support have spurred innovation as consumers recognize the direct links between multiple areas of health. For instance, mental and physical fatigue may lead to impaired immune health.”

One rising star in the mood support market is starting to show its power. Bacopa monnieri extract, an herbal ingredient sourced from the water hyssop plant, is demonstrating a variety of mental wellbeing effects in clinical trials.

One 2021 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial¹ on Verdure’s branded Bacognize examined the effects of Bacopa monnieri on mental wellness in 89 healthy adults with self-reported poor sleep. Verdure Sciences funded this trial and provided the Bacognize capsules.

Subjects completed the Bergen Insomnia Scale and the DASS-21 depression and anxiety scale at baseline and on study conclusion. The subjects also had their salivary cortisol measured every morning and evening, and their dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) measured once daily. The study authors note that DHEA-S is a biomarker for stress, trauma, and PTSD. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either two 150-mg Bacognize capsules per day, or a matching placebo, for 27 days.

After 27 days, the Bacognize group exhibited a 14% improvement in emotional wellbeing, while the placebo group saw only a 6% improvement. On the sleep measure, the study authors say the placebo effect proved to be unusually strong. The study authors determined that while Bacognize did not perform better than placebo on measures of sleep patterns, the supplement did outperform the placebo in the emotional component of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36). The study authors recommend that further investigation into Bacopa monnieri’s anti-anxiety effect is warranted.

Marshall says the mood supplements category is moving away from finished products that have an effect on mood; rather, companies are positioning their products based on the mechanisms of action that are associated with a mood-related end result.

Still Room to Run

Mood supplements have captured consumer and supplier attention in recent years, and modern ingredients are becoming more advanced. As more consumers look for natural health solutions for mood concerns, this space will attract further research and development. Personalized solutions and multiprong mood supplements will define mood supplements going forward as the category comes into its own.

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CLEARWATER, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Magazine Law Group has officially announced a series of philanthropic events and activities to kick off the holiday season, one of which is a ‘Magical Mixer’ event on December 8th to celebrate the opening of Magazine’s new Palm Harbor location as well as announcing new hire Benjamin Light.

On December 10th, Magazine Law Group founder Jim Magazine will host a party to herald the Season of Giving.

During the event, Jim Magazine will be working with the popular big box chain store Target to open one store location for a special shopping spree for children and teens at the Joshua House to come to Target and shop for holiday gifts with Jim.

Having launched this annual event for the first time in 2003, this event will carry on a now 19-year-and-counting tradition for Jim Magazine. In almost two decades of hosting the event, Jim has donated over $250,000 to brighten the smiles and enrich the lives of needy children and teens during the holidays.

And Jim didn't forget about Thanksgiving! In addition to the Magical Mixer, Jim Magazine and Magazine Law Group sponsored Turkey Giveaway, Inc., a nonprofit coalition organized by the lawyers, staff, and families at the former Farmer Jaffe Weissing et al. firm. This year’s mission? To beat last year’s milestone of 2,400 people fed on Thanksgiving Day. How? Magazine Law Group and other civic-minded organizations and philanthropists funded the purchase of 850 turkeys to be hand-delivered to 3,000 hungry people on Thanksgiving.

This year's Turkey Giveaway, Inc. event took place on Saturday, November 19^th, at 12:00 p.m. and was organized at:

Golden Acres Community Center 1050 NW 18^th Dr. Pompano Beach, FL 33069

About Magazine Law Group: With an ever-expanding team of knowledgeable attorneys specializing in a wide range of legal fields, Magazine Law Group can offer its unique approach to client representation in multiple legal areas. Bringing more than 50 years of combined experience to the Tampa Bay Area, Magazine Law Group specializes in personal injury, wrongful death, accidents caused by others’ negligence, property damage, and accidents, injuries, and deaths caused by defective or harmful products. Magazine Law Group was founded by Jim Magazine, an award-winning attorney with accolades like a Lifetime Achievement selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys. He's also a 2021 recipient of the Best Lawyers in America award for his work in Personal Injury Litigation.

For 14 years and 17 Grand Slam doubles titles, she thought winning was everything. And then she learned the joy of a game through coaching.

PALM HARBOR — Fierce was not an option; it was a requirement.

Single-minded probably was, too. Athletic, dedicated and talented, for sure.

But fierce, definitely.

You don’t win Grand Slam titles or Olympic gold without a killer instinct. They certainly don’t elect you to the International Tennis Hall of Fame just because you had a million-dollar smile.

So for the better part of her early life, Gigi Fernandez treated tennis courts as the battleground they were meant to be. Losses may have been inevitable, but that didn’t mean they were acceptable. Why were you playing if you weren’t on your way to winning?

Now, all these years later, Fernandez understands why.

The newly hired touring pro at Innisbrook Resort has discovered a kinder, gentler, more social world exists within the baselines. Years of coaching children and adults in clinics around the world has shown Fernandez the game’s joy in different ways than winning always had.

“I had the misconception that adults couldn’t improve in tennis, but when I got on the court with them and watched them get better, it became a lot of fun for me,” Fernandez said. “That’s when I started learning the social side of tennis. Tennis is supposed to be social, right? I never knew that.

“To me, tennis was cutthroat, competitive, dog-eat-dog. That was my only experience. I have made some amazing friends through tennis — all of my best friends have been through tennis — after retiring. Not while playing. So this, to me, is great. I’ve been very fortunate and blessed to have this second career.”

That second career is getting new roots this month. Fernandez, 58, has been doing camps and clinics for years — and spent a few seasons as the tennis coach at the University of South Florida — as well as coaching doubles players on the WTA Tour.

Fernandez had family living in Tampa Bay in the 1990s, and she often trained here during her playing days at Bardmoor or Saddlebrook. Although she had been working out of a tennis club in Connecticut in recent years, she was familiar with Innisbrook from clinics she had done previously.

With an eye toward moving back to the area with her wife, former LPGA major winner Jane Geddes, and two children, Fernandez worked out a deal to expand the tennis program at Innisbrook.

“The goal is to get more people here, to get more people playing tennis. We have a beautiful facility and resort that’s been underutilized,” she said. “So we’re hoping to attract players in the area, adults that want to get better or junior players that want to hopefully play college tennis one day, or even further.”

Fernandez is particularly interested in expanding interest in doubles play, where she obviously excelled as a pro. Fernandez won 17 Grand Slam doubles titles, mostly with Natasha Zverera but also with Jana Novotna and Martina Navratilova.

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“I’ve had this gripe with tennis instruction in this country for many, many years. We don’t teach people how to play doubles, we just teach you to play singles as a junior,” Fernandez said. “But when we become adults, we all play doubles. And the instruction for doubles is not up to standard in this country. And when you look at clubs, that’s what a lot of people are playing.”

Innisbrook will be making its first big push in the tennis community with a junior tryout and adult festival on Dec. 10 at the resort.

Fernandez, meanwhile, is not limiting her time on the court to lessons and clinics. She recently got into pickleball and has been playing internationally. She recently moved into the top 10 world rankings for doubles for senior women.

So, that competitive streak that propelled her to the Hall of Fame? Yeah, still there.

“I’m competitive to a fault,” she said. “Unfortunately, I don’t know how to get rid of it.”

• • •

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Beginning early morning Tuesday, Sept. 6, eastbound and westbound Florida Avenue will close to the east of Alternate U.S. 19 for four days.

PALM HARBOR, FL - Beginning early morning Tuesday, Sept. 6, eastbound and westbound Florida Avenue will close to the east of Alternate U.S. 19 (Palm Harbor Boulevard) for about four days for construction of the long-planned roundabout aimed at reducing traffic on the heavily traveled road.

All drivers traveling east and west on Florida Avenue will detour around the work zone using 11th Street, Georgia Avenue and Alternate U.S. 19. Travel lanes on northbound and southbound Alternate U.S. 19 will remain open during this temporary closure.

Advanced warning signs and electronic message boards will assist drivers traveling through the area.

This closure is necessary for crews to perform drainage installation work as part of the Alternate U.S. 19 roundabout under construction at Florida Avenue.

The $2.6 million project includes building a circular intersection in which traffic flows around a center island.

The project will also include drainage improvements, roadway resurfacing, new sidewalks, a shared-use path and landscaping.

This project is expected to finish in the summer of 2023.

The Florida Department of Transportation is actively promoting the installation of modern roundabouts throughout the state highway system due to their proven safety and operational benefits.

Studies show they reduce fatal crashes by 90 percent and crashes with serious injuries by 76 percent. Roundabouts are also shown to reduce pedestrian and bicycle crashes by 10 to 40 percent.

Additionally, said the FDOT, roundabouts are safer for beginner and elderly drivers, and they increase traffic capacity by 30 to 50 percent because there are no stop signs or traffic signals.

Roundabouts eliminate the traditional four-way intersections with traffic signals in which drivers are permitted to make left turns, where 85 percent of fatal accidents at intersections take place.

The basic operating principle of the roundabout is that traffic travels counterclockwise around a central island in the middle of the intersection at about 20 mph, and entering traffic must yield to the circulating traffic already within the roundabout.

Currently, there are about 20 roundabouts on the state highway system and more than 300 roundabouts on local roads throughout the state.

Besides reducing congestion and serious crashes, the state said the existing roundabouts have shown to have other advantages:

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Over the course of November, Adult Tri Level and Adult 55 and over Mixed tennis teams from across the state have been gathering to compete in the 2022 Sectional Championships.

USTA Florida hosted six different divisions in Tri Level and three in the 55 and over Mixed. The competition was as fierce as ever. Matches were back and forth, with every championship being decided by a single line.

Tri-Level League is a doubles format designed for a unique opportunity by combining players of differing NTRP levels on teams in local competition. Teams can advance to State and Regional Championships, and winners of those earn a bid to the National Championships.

The winners of each division have advanced to the 2022 USTA League Tom Fey Tri-Level National Invitational, which is being held on March 17-19, 2023, at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, California.

Those competing in the Mixed 55 and over division will receive automatic bids to the 2022 Mixed 55 & Over National Invitational, which takes place April 21-23, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Full results from the Tri Level and Mixed competition can be found below:

Mixed 55 & Over 6.0

Final: Alachua County (DB Racquet Club) finished first in the round robin with a record of 2-1 to win the Mixed 55 and over 6.0 division

Alachua County Season Roster: Irina Madorsky (Captain), Tania Alavi, Colleen Anderson, Silvia Menendez, Thomas Yonge, Paul Lipori, Hank Dudding, Mickie Anderson, Paul Folkers, Julia Morrisroe, Jeff Fox, James Poss

Mixed 55 & Over 7.0

Final: Pinellas County (Safety Harbor Resort and Spa) d. Orange County (Sanlando Park) 2-1

No. 1 Doubles: Alida Astudillo/Janusz Pytel (Orange) d. Martha Cornatzer/Brian Hodapp 7-6, 6-3

No. 2 Doubles: Robyn Houston/Ray Pasinski (Pinellas) d. Rob Haben/Deidre Parker 6-2, 7-5

No. 3 Doubles: Chris Eversole/Barbara Birge (Pinellas) d. Jaqueline Pelliccia/Gary Graham 6-4, 6-2

Pinellas County Season Roster: Chris Donahue (Captain), Tobey Hartigan, Chris Eversole, Robyn Houston, Ray Pasinski, Martha Cornatzer, Kenneth Herd, Janet Karpan, Stephen Welner, Brian Hodapp, Barbara Birge

Mixed 55 & Over 8.0

Final: Hillsborough County (Abrams/HCC Tennis Complex) d. Hillsborough County (Alhadeff/HCC Tennis Complex) 2-1

No. 1 Doubles: Zobeida Smith/Chris Canfield (Hills/Abrams) d. Monty Johnson/Rhonda Mendoza 6-2, 6-0

No. 2 Doubles: Albert Alhadeff/Lynn O’Brien (Hills/Alhadeff) d. Linda Thomson/Chris New 3-6, 2-3 RET.

No. 3 Doubles: Anne-Lucie Bouchard/Ray Pasinski (Hills/Abrams) d. Chris Eversole/Laurie Smith 6-0, 6-2

Hillsborough County Season Roster: Karen Abrams (Captain), Chris Canfield, Ray Pasinski, Chris New, Randall Meisner, Brad Armagost, Janet Karpan, Anne-Lucie Bouchard, Linda Thomson, Zobeida Smith, Emiliya Clark

Women’s 3.5/3.0/2.5

Final: Hillsborough County (Carrollwood Country Club) d. Marion County (Fort King Tennis Center) 2-1

3.5 Doubles: Beth Riendeau/Julie Haynes (Marion) d. Nicole Archer/Kristine Glein 6-4, 6-1

3.0 Doubles: Sally Farkas/Andrea Cottrel (Hills) d. Monique Foster/Rhonda Sangster 6-0, 6-2

2.5 Doubles: Brittany Cooper/Krista Mills (Hills) d. Cara Owens/Shawn Ridgely 3-6, 6-3, 1-0

Hillsborough County Season Roster: Lisa Polk, Sally Farkas, Andrea Cottrell, Brittany Cooper, Nathalie Crane, Krista Mills, Shelley Weathers, Jackie Botet, Karen Devorace, Karen Wingard, Kathryn Stallings, Lacy Gregory, Kristine Glein, Sabine Wahl, Valerie Carrillo, Ashley Gagne, Nicole Archer, Lydia Atkinson

Men’s 3.5/3.0/2.5

Final: Escambia County finished first in the round robin with a record of 3-0 to win the Tri Level Men’s 3.5/3.0/2.5 division

Escambia County Season Roster: Robert Fabbro (Captain), Zach Pohlmann, Christopher Zuber, James Craft, Addison Van Pelt, Craig Abel, Colton Wilson, Patrick Williams, Miller Frederick

Women’s 4.0/3.5/3.0

Final: Alachua County (DB Racquet Club) d. Hillsborough County (Northdale Golf & Tennis Club) 2-1

4.0 Doubles: Megan Molyneux/Haile Ratliff (Alachua) d. Kim Fernald/Olivia Rivas 6-2, 6-1

3.5 Doubles: Angie Jones/Abbe Malone (Hills) d. Heather Gibson/Wheeler Crawford 6-2, 6-3

3.0 Doubles: Tiffany Thomas/Rhoda Wilburn (Alachua) d. Katherine Cowley/Andrew McKinney 6-1, 6-1

Alachua County Season Roster: Haile Ratliff (Captain), Megan Molyneux (Captain), Mara Rodriguez, Tara Bromirski, Tiffany Thomas, Kelly Banes, Rhoda Wilburn, Tania Alavi, Debbie Mcmillan, Aubrey Hall, Andrea Love, Wheeler Crawford, Heather Gibson

Men’s 4.0/3.5/3.0

4.0 Doubles: Brandon Bachman/Joel Huddleston (Okaloosa) d. Troy Patton/Darren Odendaal 6-4, 3-6, 1-0

3.5 Doubles: Brendon Vavrica/Ashton Fritz (Duval) d. Kelly Thrift/Jay Coppic 6-0, 6-3

3.0 Doubles: Hermann Gonzalez/Todd Hancock (Okaloosa) d. Ryan Chandler/Billy Hutchinson II 6-1, 6-1

Okaloosa County Season Roster: Brandon Bachman (Captain), Todd Zaborski, Jack Steed, Mark Violette, Jay Coppic, Brad Marshall, John Hooks, Joel Huddleston, Todd Hancock, Kelly Thrift, William Schopke, Robert Abbott, Hermann Gonzalez

Women’s 4.5/4.0/3.5

Final: Escambia County d. Broward County (Midtown Athletic Club) 2-1

4.5 Doubles: Lori Gonzalez/Kim Pennington (Escambia) d. Monica Toledo/Rosamaria Rodriguez 3-6, 6-2, 1-0

4.0 Doubles: Mikaela McManus/Whitney Sumrall (Escambia) d. Gloria Coursey/Ivy Touchstone 7-6, 2-6, 1-0

3.5 Doubles: Garbine De La Mora/Patricia Velez (Broward) d. Cherie Krohn/Shannon Schluter 6-4, 2-6, 1-0

Escambia County Season Roster: Lori Gonzalez (Captain) , Shannon Schluter, Jacqueline Wallace, Denise Lebert, Carel Demanss, Kim Pennington, Cherie Krohn, Mikaela McManus, Claudia Simmons, Jennifer Passeretti, Arlene Doyle, Whitney Sumrall

Men’s 4.5/4.0/3.5

Final: Miami-Dade County (Alper JCC) d. Lee County (Florida Gulf Coast University) 2-1

4.5 Doubles: Alejandro Aller/Matthew Hickey (Miami) d. Kevin Tran/Henrique Baggio 6-1, 6-3

4.0 Doubles: Juan Santiago Rodriguez/Alberto Cortes (Miami) d. Matt Rob Maguire/Jacob Toffler 6-4, 2-6, 1-0

3.5 Doubles: Adrian Agulto/Ruman Meman (Lee) d. Luis Felipe Fuenmayor/Brett Helms 6-4, 6-1

Miami-Dade County Season Roster: Eli Panell (Captain), Armando Cabane (Captain), Brett Helms, Juan Santiago Rodriguez, Jairo Furniel, Jorge Rassi, Alejandro Bonet, Ramon Hudec, Gabriele Ghini, Alberto Cortes, Javier Martinez, Alejandro Aller, Matthew Hickey, Francisco Romano, Luis Felipe Fuenmayor, Ismael Betancourt, Javier Gomez