Liquid Mental Massages

Many people claim an inability to “get going” without their morning cup of coffee. And for some demographic segments, energy drinks provide the occasional liquid-adrenaline burst. For other folks, a cup of tea in the afternoon sharpens focus. Sometimes after work, a beer or cocktail provides relaxation. And now, when it comes to bedtime, perhaps sleep beverages will supplant the somewhat-antiquated warm glass of milk to help usher us into slumber.

At least that’s what the folks who recently released what they claim is the first “all-natural sleep beverage dietary supplement” (how’s that for a mouthful…) the other week—I believe primarily around Beantown—would like us to buy into. Personally, I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. But I’ve known friends and family who have had notorious trouble sleeping. If such drinks can actually massage some relaxation magic into insomnia-prone folks (or perhaps others who just prefer a more slacklike existence…), this move could prove a nice foil to the glut of get-up-and-go beverages on the market.

Switching to a wider angle, I think such product launches—expanding beyond beverages and into all modes of mood food—point to a desire for consumers to gain a better handle on their mental state via dietary means. Of course, a little exercise (biking, running, swimming, walking, chasing toddlers, yoga, etc.) every day can do wonders to sharpen anyone’s mental state, but I think the food industry has a number of great opportunities to tie into various lifestyle-oriented dietary openings via mood-associated foods.