Omega-3 reigns supreme, and Coenzyme Q10 has the fastest growth rate.
The brain, as an important organ of the human body, governs various life activities such as thinking, memory, action, and perception. Its health condition directly determines one’s quality of life, cognitive ability, and physical and mental state.
The series of papers in the “Brain Health” section of the British Medical Journal propose that there are six pillars for brain health, namely physical activity, intellectual exercise, healthy diet and nutrition, social interaction, adequate sleep and relaxation, and control of vascular risk factors. However, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits are currently affecting people’s brain health.
Brain nutrition: a major potential market segment with the increasing public attention to brain health and the intensifying aging population. The market size of brain nutrition in China has expanded rapidly. The “2025 Annual Review and Summary of the Big Health Market Segment” (hereinafter referred to as “The Summary”) released by Mogeye Insight pointed out: Brain nutrition is a highly potential sub-segment in the health food industry, with sales exceeding 10 billion yuan, ranking at the top of the market, and also being the leading segment in emerging markets. This market has a year-on-year growth rate of over 50%, higher than the 20% average growth rate of the health food market.
In addition, the social media buzz related to the core topic of “brain nutrition” has increased by 303.4% within a year. The core consumer groups of the brain nutrition market cover infants, teenagers, office workers, and middle-aged and elderly people, and the consumption scenarios focus on overtime work, insomnia, staying up late, and fitness.
Source: Mogeye Insight
Key ingredients in the brain nutrition market
Based on the report of Mogeye Insight, Justgood Health summarized the key ingredients of the brain nutrition market in 2025, mainly including: γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), Omega-3 fatty acids, vegetable oil, lysine, herbal ingredients, phospholipids, probiotics, PQQ, minerals, vitamins, proteins and peptides, and coenzyme Q10.
Among them, the sales of Omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, proteins and peptides, and coenzyme Q10 have a year-on-year growth rate of over 35%, while amino acids, PQQ, herbal ingredients show negative growth.
Source: Magic Mirror Insights
1) The main raw material in the market, Omega-3 fatty acid, remains the primary component of brain nutrition products. In 2025, its sales reached 8.57 billion yuan, increasing by 35.2% year-on-year, and it occupied 71.9% of the brain nutrition market share.
Omega-3 fatty acid is a necessary polyunsaturated fatty acid for the human body. The human body cannot synthesize it on its own and needs to be ingested from the outside. Omega-3 fatty acid mainly includes alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids are crucial for maintaining cardiovascular health, reducing triglyceride levels, and supporting brain and eye health. Among them, DHA is the key component for brain health.
DHA is commonly known as “brain gold” and is an important component of the brain cell membrane. It participates in the proliferation and development of brain cells, the generation of nerve axons and synapses, and ensures the normal physiological activities of nerve cells. It is involved in the formation of brain thinking and memory processes. The sources of DHA include deep-sea fish, shellfish, seaweed, and microalgae. Among them, deep-sea fish is the main source of DHA, especially cold-water fatty fish (salmon, herring, tuna, etc.), which are rich in DHA. In recent years, the proportion of algae-derived DHA has gradually increased, and it is often used in the production of DHA. The microalgae from which DHA is derived include Chlorella, Chaetoceros, and Usikosphaera.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) Phosphatidylserine (Phosphatidylserine, PS) is a type of anionic phospholipid in eukaryotic cell membranes, accounting for 5-10% of the total lipids in cells. PS is mainly located in the inner layer of the cell membrane and can combine with various proteins and participate in many biological processes, including enzyme activation, cell apoptosis, neural transmission, and synaptic refinement.
PS is considered one of the most important brain nutrients. It can regulate the activity of receptors, enzymes, ion channels, and signaling molecules and participate in regulating membrane fluidity. It is beneficial to various neurotransmitter systems, such as acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
The main sources of PS include plants (such as soybeans, sunflowers), marine animals (deep-sea fish, krill), and microbial fermentation.
The National Health Commission approved PS as a new resource food (Announcement No. 15 of 2010), with a daily intake of ≤ 600 milligrams, and it is clearly not for use in infant food. In the EU, PS passed the EFSA “improving memory and cognitive function in the elderly” health claim. At the same time, PS derived from soybean phospholipids can be released to the market as a new food. In the United States, PS passed the FDA’s GRAS certification.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) Gamma-aminobutyric acid (Gama-aminobutyric acid, GABA) is a four-carbon non-protein amino acid that is naturally present in the human brain, animals, plants, and microorganisms. This substance is produced by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) catalyzing L-glutamic acid through an α-decarboxylation reaction. Industrial production includes three methods: chemical synthesis, plant extraction, and biological synthesis. Currently, the biological synthesis method is the main production method.
GABA is a major neurotransmitter in the brain and plays a crucial role in behavior, cognition, and the stress response of the body. It can reduce the excitability of neurons and help the brain enter a relaxed state.
The National Health Commission approved GABA as a new resource food in 2009 (Announcement No. 12), and it can be used in beverages, cocoa products, chocolate and chocolate products, candies, baked goods, and expanded foods. In the United States, GABA passed the FDA’s GRAS certification and can be labeled with “mental health” related health claims. In the EU, EFSA approved it for labeling “mental health” related health claims.
2) The high-growth potential raw materials, apart from mainstream ones such as DHA and PS, have shown remarkable growth rates for coenzyme Q10, proteins, and peptides. All of them have led the brain nutrition market with growth rates of nearly 150%.
Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, is a natural fat-soluble antioxidant that is mainly divided into oxidized and reduced forms. Coenzyme Q10 has poor water solubility and high crystallinity, resulting in a relatively low bioavailability.
Coenzyme Q10 exists in all cells of the human body, mainly in the mitochondria, and can drive cellular energy production, accelerate cell renewal, and activate cell activity, thereby enhancing the ability of cells to absorb nutrients.
A literature review published in 2025 pointed out that the core functions of coenzyme Q10 are concentrated in the mitochondrial electron transport chain: by transferring electrons from complex I, II to complex III, it plays a key role in the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the core energy source for cell functions and is essential for maintaining the health and energy supply of various organs, especially for organs with high energy consumption such as the heart and brain.
In addition to coenzyme Q10, proteins and peptides are also high-growth raw material categories in the brain nutrition market.
For example, brain protein hydrolysates derived from animal-origin peptides are mainly extracted from animal brain tissues such as pig brain tissue and obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis, rich in small molecule peptides and free amino acids, and have biological effects similar to neurotrophic factors. It is a peptide-based neurotrophic drug specific to the brain, whose mechanism of action directly targets the central nervous system, promoting nerve cell regeneration, accelerating synaptic formation speed, and repairing neuronal damage to protect the nervous system, and has a positive effect on improving attention, memory, and cognitive functions.
Market efficacy demands and popular dosage forms
Traditional brain nutrition foods are mainly health foods, mainly in the form of tablets, capsules, and powders. Under the trend of precise and diverse market demands, the industry has gradually transformed from traditional single-component products to “core component compounding + targeted technology empowerment + dosage form innovation”.
In terms of efficacy demand scenarios, intelligence is the largest demand sector, accounting for 40.1%, followed by enhancement (34.1%) and anti-aging (25.7%).
Source: Mogu Insight
Dosage forms: Capsules remain the mainstream, accounting for 58.5% of the sales in 2025. In addition, tablets, chewable tablets, etc., which are convenient to take without dilution and easy to carry, are favored by consumers; appetizing products such as functional gummies and ready-to-drink preparations have an annual growth rate of 28.7%.
Source: Mogu Insight 1) Justgood Deep Sea Fish Oil Gummies Ingredients: EPA, DHA Claimed Effects: Support heart and cardiovascular health, maintain brain, eye, and lipid health
Source: Alibaba
Justgood Little Golden Star Plus Capsules Ingredients: Omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, CognienXtra® mixture (phosphatidylserine, neuroic acid, PQQ, etc.) Claimed Effects: Support brain health, protect eye health
Post time: Jun-16-2026