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Review

Consumer Psychology in Functional Beverages: From Nutritional Awareness to Habit Formation

by
Tariq A. Alalwan
Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Sakhir P.O. Box 32038, Bahrain
Beverages 2025, 11(5), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11050126
Submission received: 13 June 2025 / Revised: 16 July 2025 / Accepted: 22 August 2025 / Published: 1 September 2025
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Abstract

The functional beverage sector has experienced a remarkable transformation driven by evolving consumer decision-making patterns emphasizing therapeutic benefits alongside taste preferences. This comprehensive narrative review investigates how consumer psychology, neurobiological processes, and scientific product development converge through a hierarchical framework illustrating their dynamic interactions. Today’s consumers exhibit unprecedented sophistication when assessing bioactive ingredients, conducting independent research using scientific databases rather than relying on conventional marketing. Our analysis explores mechanisms underlying habit development, behavioral adaptation, and social proof factors driving functional beverage integration into daily routines. We trace evolution from broad-spectrum wellness drinks toward personalized nutrition solutions, recognizing individual metabolic requirements, with consumers viewing these products as preventive health investments requiring evidence-based validation. Key findings underscore the importance of clinically validated formulations at therapeutic dosages, nutritional transparency, and understanding consumer psychology for fostering lasting consumption behaviors driven by cost–benefit analysis. Results indicate future innovations must merge sophisticated bioactive delivery technologies with insights into consumer information-seeking patterns, social validation processes, and evidence-driven decision-making mechanisms.

1. Introduction

Contemporary beverage consumption patterns reflect a fundamental paradigm shift from hydration-focused choices to deliberate nutritional interventions that support specific health objectives [1]. This transformation has catalyzed unprecedented innovation in the functional beverage sector, where consumers increasingly seek products that deliver measurable physiological benefits beyond basic nutritional requirements [2]. The evolution represents a convergence of heightened health consciousness, personalized nutrition awareness, and sophisticated integration of traditional wellness knowledge with evidence-based nutritional science.
Functional beverages, as defined for this review, encompass drinks enhanced with bioactive ingredients, including probiotics, polyphenolic compounds, adaptogenic herbs, plant-derived proteins, and targeted nutrients that demonstrate verified benefits beyond conventional nutrition and hydration [3,4]. This classification includes fermented beverages like kombucha [5,6], probiotic-enriched drinks [7,8], adaptogen-infused teas [9,10], antioxidant-packed juices [11,12], and innovative plant-based alternatives [2], while excluding traditional carbonated beverages, standard sports drinks, and alcoholic products unless they contain verified bioactive components with demonstrated physiological impacts [13].
Understanding this evolution requires acknowledging that human fluid consumption operates through sophisticated physiological and psychological mechanisms that transcend basic homeostatic needs [14,15]. Contemporary neuroscience research has illuminated how thirst and drinking behaviors involve complex neural pathways that integrate homeostatic signals (including plasma osmolality, circulatory volume, and blood pressure) with non-homeostatic elements such as sensory preferences, acquired behaviors, environmental triggers, and motivational factors [16].
Global functional beverage market analysis reveals extraordinary growth trajectories, driven by heightened health awareness and consumer readiness to invest premium amounts for products delivering therapeutic advantages beyond fundamental nutrition [13,17]. This neurobiological understanding provides crucial insight into functional beverages’ market prominence, as these products simultaneously address physiological hydration requirements and psychological satisfaction through enhanced sensory experiences and perceived health benefits [18]. The intersection of scientific knowledge regarding human drinking behavior with technological advances in food science and bioactive compound delivery has established ideal conditions for functional beverage innovation and market expansion [13].
The functional beverage industry exemplifies this transformation, representing the convergence of ancient fermentation wisdom with advanced nutritional research [6]. From kombucha tea’s 2000-year brewing tradition in Northeast China to contemporary adaptogenic mushroom beverages, these products embody humanity’s persistent pursuit of nature’s bioactive compounds for health optimization [5]. This evolution gains particular significance as consumers increasingly demand products that satisfy neurobiological drives for hydration and reward while delivering measurable health benefits through scientifically validated bioactive compounds [16].
The scientific foundation for functional beverages extends beyond conventional nutritional frameworks, incorporating bioactive compounds that demonstrate quantifiable physiological effects [3]. Recent advances in food science and nutrition research have clarified extraction methodologies and mechanisms through which polyphenols, probiotics, adaptogens, and plant proteins contribute to human health outcomes [8,19,20]. Public awareness of the relationship between dietary choices and health outcomes has increased substantially, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic [21,22]. This heightened health consciousness has generated marked increases in consumer demand for beverages formulated with immune-modulating compounds and bioactive ingredients supporting physiological well-being [23].
This growing health awareness coincides with emerging research revealing substantial individual variations in daily fluid intake approaches. Scientific studies demonstrate striking differences in water consumption among healthy individuals, ranging from 0.74 to 2.70 L daily, with both groups maintaining comparable health markers [16]. These consumption patterns appear more influenced by personal habits, environmental factors, and psychological variables than basic biological thirst signals, explaining functional beverages’ particular appeal to health-conscious consumers seeking to enhance hydration routines while simultaneously obtaining targeted nutritional benefits [17]. The World Health Organization’s recognition of functional foods and beverages as essential preventive healthcare tools has further strengthened market acceptance and scientific credibility [5].
Despite comprehensive research across individual domains, consumer psychology, drinking behavior neuroscience, and functional food science, critical conceptual knowledge gaps persist that limit our theoretical understanding of functional beverage adoption and sustained consumption. Three fundamental gaps constrain the field: first, the mechanistic integration gap, where research examines neurobiological mechanisms, consumer psychology, and product development in isolation, lacking theoretical frameworks explaining how brain reward systems, cognitive processes, and beverage characteristics interact [24,25]; second, the behavioral transformation gap, reflecting incomplete understanding of how initial product trial transforms into sustained consumption habits through neurobiological and psychological processes [26,27]; and third, the individual variation gap, where the field lacks theoretical frameworks explaining how genetic variations, lifestyle factors, and personal health histories influence functional beverage preferences and optimal consumption patterns [16,28,29,30,31]. Additionally, the cross-disciplinary translation challenge persists, where scientific findings from neuroscience and psychology rarely translate effectively into practical product development and marketing applications [31].
This review provides the first comprehensive theoretical integration of neurobiological foundations, consumer psychology processes, and product development strategies within the functional beverage domain. Unlike previous reviews focusing on isolated aspects such as bioactive ingredient effects [3,4] or consumer demographics [17], this analysis establishes theoretical linkages between brain reward systems, cognitive decision-making mechanisms, and sustainable consumption behaviors. The unique contribution lies in developing a hierarchical framework (Figure 1) demonstrating how neurobiological drives establish the foundation for psychological processes, which inform product development strategies capable of influencing long-term consumption patterns.
Figure 1 presents this proposed framework, illustrating the dynamic interactions between neurobiological foundations, consumer psychological processes, and strategic product development approaches in functional beverage adoption. By systematically addressing these conceptual knowledge gaps, this review establishes the theoretical foundation for understanding functional beverage adoption through principled integration of neuroscience insights, psychological mechanisms, and personalized nutrition concepts, providing a comprehensive evidence-based framework for understanding the complex mechanisms driving sustainable consumption behaviors and informing strategic approaches aligned with fundamental biological and psychological principles.

2. Literature Review Approach

This narrative review draws from peer-reviewed literature published primarily between 2010 and 2025, with seminal earlier works included where they are foundational to current understanding. Sources were identified through searches of major databases (PubMed, Google Scholar) using terms related to functional beverages, consumer psychology, neurobiological mechanisms, thirst regulation, and nutrition education. The review integrates findings from neuroscience, psychology, food science, and marketing research to provide a comprehensive understanding of how neurobiological drives influence consumer behavior in functional beverage adoption. Both human studies and relevant animal models are included to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying drinking behavior and reward processing.
Inclusion criteria prioritized peer-reviewed research published in English focusing on functional beverages, consumer psychology, neurobiological mechanisms, and related behavioral studies. Studies involving purely technical processing research and non-peer-reviewed sources were excluded.

3. Neurobiological Foundations of Drinking Behavior

Understanding functional beverage adoption requires examination of the fundamental neurobiological mechanisms that drive fluid consumption beyond basic homeostatic needs. Modern neuroscience research has revealed that drinking behavior involves sophisticated neural circuits that integrate physiological signals with reward processing, environmental cues, and learned behaviors [16].
The hypothalamus serves as the primary integration center for thirst regulation, with specialized nuclei, including the subfornical organ (SFO) and organum vasculosum laminae terminalis (OVLT), that detect circulating hormones and osmotic changes [15]. These regions connect with reward circuits in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens, explaining why drinking can be motivated by factors beyond physiological need, such as the perceived health benefits of functional beverages [32].
Hormonal regulation involves complex interactions between angiotensin II (promoting thirst), vasopressin (regulating water balance and influenced by osmotic changes), and atrial natriuretic peptide (inhibiting water intake), creating a dynamic system that can be influenced by beverage composition, particularly sugar content, which affects vasopressin secretion and metabolic outcomes [33,34,35]. The integration of these homeostatic signals with dopaminergic reward pathways helps explain consumer preferences for functional beverages that provide both hydration and perceived health benefits [36].
Individual differences in neurobiological responses, including genetic variations in neurotransmitter systems and age-related changes in thirst sensitivity, have important implications for functional beverage development and targeted marketing strategies. These neurobiological foundations provide the basis for understanding how consumer psychology and product development strategies can effectively influence beverage adoption patterns [16,24,25].

4. Consumer Psychology and Decision-Making Frameworks

Research into consumer psychology reveals that individuals’ choices in functional beverages follow unique behavioral patterns that go far beyond simply wanting something to drink. Studies show that health-conscious individuals actively seek out beverages that match their personal wellness goals, making decisions based on perceived health benefits, how they expect the drink to taste and feel, and what others around them are choosing [17]. The probiotic beverage market perfectly illustrates this shift, as consumers are drawn to these products not because they taste great or provide refreshment, but because they understand how probiotics can improve their gut health and trust the science behind these claims [8].

4.1. Nutritional Value as a Primary Decision Factor

Nutritional transparency drives modern purchasing decisions, with consumers prioritizing measurable health benefits over taste preferences, extending even to sugar source selection based on social contexts [37,38]. This fundamental shift has transformed consumer priorities toward quantifiable nutritional benefits—antioxidant capacity, probiotic viability, and specific bioactive concentrations—over conventional taste and brand considerations [4,39]. This prompts manufacturers to emphasize measurable nutritional data, including oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values, polyphenol content, and clinically effective dosages [11,40].
This sophisticated approach manifests differently across bioactive compound categories. Consumer awareness of polyphenolic content, specific probiotic strains, and adaptogenic ingredients significantly shapes purchasing decisions [4]. Regarding polyphenolics, education has reached unprecedented levels, with individuals actively seeking beverages containing specific flavonoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids for their documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [2,12].
Similarly, the probiotic beverage market illustrates this shift toward ingredient-specific knowledge, where consumers increasingly understand the importance of bacterial strains, viable cell counts (CFUs), and delivery methods for optimal gut health benefits [7,41]. Meanwhile, adaptogenic ingredient awareness represents an emerging frontier, with growing recognition of compounds like ashwagandha, rhodiola, and ginseng for stress management and cognitive enhancement [9,10].

4.2. Cognitive Processing of Health Claims

Scientific credibility assessment has evolved into sophisticated consumer behavior, where individuals evaluate health claims based on communicated information such as front-of-pack labels and health claims, with their previous knowledge significantly affecting how this information influences their perception of product healthiness [42]. This targeted approach reflects a shift from generic “healthy drink” consumption to precision nutrition strategies, acknowledging individual physiological needs and life stage requirements.
Nutritional goal alignment drives product selection, with consumers matching specific functional beverages to their individual health objectives, reflecting an increasingly personalized approach to nutrition and wellness [39]. Athletic populations seek beverages with tailored amino acid compositions to optimize post-exercise recovery, whereas mature consumers select antioxidant-concentrated formulations to support cellular health [43,44]. This personalized methodology demonstrates the evolution from broad-spectrum “health beverage” consumption toward targeted nutritional strategies that address individual biological requirements across different life stages [2].
Modern market analysis shows clear drinking preferences that align with individuals’ demographics, health conditions, and lifestyle choices. Athletic communities display impressive knowledge about performance nutrition, deliberately choosing beverages with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), creatine, or precisely balanced electrolytes that support their specific training goals and recovery processes [44,45]. Likewise, health-focused older adults are gravitating toward functional beverages enriched with polyphenolic compounds, omega-3 fatty acids, or memory-supporting nutrients such as phosphatidylserine, demonstrating their understanding of age-specific nutritional needs for preserving cellular health and mental acuity [46,47].
This cognitive sophistication suggests a fundamental shift from impulse-driven to deliberative beverage consumption, with implications for both marketing strategies and public health outcomes [4,37]. The industry has responded with increasingly specialized products and precise marketing that clearly links ingredients to specific health outcomes, empowering consumers to select beverages that address their individual wellness objectives rather than relying on broad health claims [39].
Consumers conduct their own cost–benefit calculations when deciding whether to pay premium prices for functional beverages, weighing the potential health gains against the additional expense to determine if the nutritional benefits make the higher cost worthwhile [48,49]. Research demonstrates that consumers willingly pay more for beverages with proven bioactive benefits compared to conventional alternatives, indicating that nutritional value has become a primary value proposition rather than a secondary consideration [17,50]. This purchasing behavior demonstrates a significant shift in consumer mindset, with functional beverages now regarded as health investments rather than optional treats, leading people to perform detailed cost–benefit analyses that weigh future wellness gains against current spending [47].
Table 1 summarizes the key consumer decision-making factors that influence functional beverage selection, integrating neurobiological foundations with practical marketing implications for product developers and marketers.

4.3. Digital Media and Modern Nutrition Education Paradigms

Contemporary nutrition education has experienced a profound shift as digital platforms reshape how individuals learn about functional beverages and form purchasing decisions [54]. Social media platforms and online health communities have become dominant sources of nutrition information, often surpassing traditional healthcare channels in terms of accessibility and influence [55].
Health and wellness micro-influencers have proven exceptionally effective in promoting functional beverages, achieving engagement levels that substantially outperform conventional celebrity marketing [56]. Evidence suggests consumers regard influencers as more genuine and credible than traditional celebrities, especially regarding health product recommendations, due to higher perceived similarity and trustworthiness [54,57]. This evolution signifies a move from authority-based nutrition guidance toward community-centered knowledge exchange.
Audio content through podcasts has become increasingly influential in nutrition learning, offering extended discussions of sophisticated topics such as bioactive mechanisms, metabolic processes, and individualized nutrition approaches [55]. Leading health podcasts regularly examine nutrition topics, providing sustained exposure that markedly shapes consumer attitudes and purchasing patterns [58]. The personal listening experience, typically during daily activities like commuting or exercising, may strengthen information retention and behavioral modification.
Personalized content algorithms generate distinct information ecosystems for users, which can reinforce pre-existing viewpoints while restricting exposure to alternative perspectives [59]. This technological filtering of nutrition content affects functional beverage knowledge distribution across populations and may foster specialized consumer groups characterized by unique information channels and product inclinations.

5. Nutritional Education and Consumer Behavior

5.1. Consumer Research and Information-Seeking Patterns

Building on the nutritional transparency trends discussed in Section 4.1, functional beverage consumers have moved far beyond relying on traditional advertising, conducting their own thorough research into ingredient mechanisms, proper dosages, and potential interactions using scientific databases, healthcare professional advice, and peer-reviewed studies [4,60].
The digital era has revolutionized how consumers approach health research, enabling wellness-minded individuals to access scientific journals, medical databases, and evidence-based health platforms to grasp the biological mechanisms behind functional ingredient claims [61,62]. This thorough investigation extends to examining manufacturing processes, ingredient sourcing practices, quality certifications, and independent testing protocols, demonstrating consumer understanding that product effectiveness relies equally on ingredient quality and production standards as it does on formulation choices [60]. Furthermore, consumers actively seek information about potential drug-nutrient interactions, appropriate dosing schedules, and contraindications for specific health conditions, demonstrating recognition that functional beverages can have meaningful physiological effects requiring careful consideration rather than casual consumption [53].
This educated approach to functional beverage selection has created demand for transparency in product information, with consumers expecting detailed ingredient profiles, clinical research summaries, and clear guidance on appropriate usage patterns from manufacturers [63]. The information-seeking behavior particularly intensifies for higher-priced premium products, where consumers invest considerable time researching ingredient efficacy, comparing formulations across brands, and evaluating cost-effectiveness relative to alternative supplementation strategies, reflecting the significant financial and health investment these products represent [64].
Table 2 demonstrates how various digital media platforms contribute to functional beverage decision-making through distinct content formats and influence mechanisms, with social media platforms particularly effective for product discovery while professional platforms establish scientific credibility.

5.2. Social Proof and Community-Driven Nutritional Decision-Making

Peer influence and testimonial validation particularly impact nutritional decision-making in beverage consumption, where consumers seek social proof of health benefits through community feedback, expert endorsements, and documented health outcomes. Research demonstrates that consumers’ tendency towards conspicuous consumption is positively related to functional beverage category evaluation, while descriptive normative susceptibility to peer influence is positively related to the evaluation of functional beverage distinctiveness [68]. Studies on functional drink consumption show that subjective norm, determined by beliefs about whether important people approve or disapprove of performing certain beverage consumption behaviors, significantly affects consumers’ intention to buy functional beverages [52].
The rise in nutritionally focused social media communities has created platforms for sharing experiences with specific functional beverage formulations and their perceived health impacts [66]. Social media platforms facilitate rapid dissemination of beverage-related information and trends, with micro-influencers conveying warmer and more relatable messages about functional beverages to their followers, often reaching significant numbers of targeted consumers [65]. This shift from authority-based to peer-driven nutrition information creates potential risks where misinformation spreads alongside legitimate health insights, requiring consumers to develop critical evaluation skills that distinguish credible sources from marketing-driven content [59].
Consumer testimonial validation has become increasingly sophisticated in the beverage sector, with health-conscious individuals seeking documented health outcomes and peer experiences before making functional beverage purchases [67,69]. Studies of food and beverage brand mentions on social media reveal that posts create normalization effects, with peer influence being particularly important among youth who are vulnerable to beverage marketing through earned media and peer-shared content [70,71]. Research on healthy beverage demand in hospitality settings confirms that social and motivational factors significantly influence consumers’ willingness to pay premiums for functional beverages [17]. This community-driven approach to beverage decision-making reflects a broader shift toward democratized health information, where consumer experiences and peer validation often carry equal or greater weight than traditional marketing claims in influencing functional beverage choices [68].

5.3. Preventive Health Investment and Long-Term Consumption Commitment

Long-term health investment perspective characterizes modern functional beverage consumption, creating unique purchasing patterns where consumers prioritize ongoing brand loyalty over one-off transactions [2]. This mindset shift enables sustained consumption patterns and brand loyalty based on perceived nutritional benefits rather than taste preferences alone [51]. Contemporary research demonstrates that consumer demand for functional beverages is significantly driven by the shift towards preventive health measures, with individuals becoming more aware of the link between diet and wellness [2]. The growing emphasis on preventive healthcare, combined with consumers’ increasing commitment to maintaining balanced diets, has driven substantial demand for wellness-oriented products [72]. Functional beverages formulated with essential nutrients, probiotics, and antioxidants particularly appeal to health-conscious individuals who prioritize beverages offering genuine nutritional advantages [4,73]. Current trends in functional beverage development demonstrate that companies are increasingly adopting consumer-focused strategies that align with evolving market demands and diverse consumer perspectives [2]. Research reveals that companies are leveraging digital marketing, influencer partnerships, and personalized nutrition trends to strengthen brand loyalty, with subscription models and personalized pricing schemes offering monthly delivery services that help bring per-unit prices down while increasing customer loyalty [74,75,76,77].
Table 3 synthesizes the key psychological mechanisms driving functional beverage adoption identified throughout this review, linking each mechanism to its consumer impact and corresponding industry applications.

6. Implications for Product Development and Marketing

Understanding the neurobiological basis of drinking behavior and sophisticated consumer psychology offers valuable insights for functional beverage development, with implications extending across formulation science, marketing strategy, and consumer engagement approaches [2,17].

6.1. Scientific Formulation and Evidence-Based Development

Product development strategies must prioritize evidence-based formulation with clinically validated ingredients at therapeutic dosages rather than token amounts for marketing purposes [85]. Modern consumers increasingly recognize and reject “fairy dusting” practices where functional ingredients are present in insufficient quantities to provide meaningful health benefits [92]. Successful formulation requires integration of bioavailability considerations, ingredient synergies, and stability optimization to ensure that bioactive compounds maintain their efficacy throughout product shelf life and consumption [93].
The neurobiological understanding of reward processing suggests that functional beverages should optimize both immediate sensory rewards and longer-term perceived health benefits. This dual optimization approach requires sophisticated formulation techniques that enhance palatability while preserving bioactive compound integrity, potentially through advanced delivery systems such as microencapsulation, liposomal formulations, or time-release mechanisms [87,88,89]. Recent advances in encapsulation technologies have demonstrated that sophisticated delivery systems can simultaneously protect bioactive compounds from degradation during processing and storage while maintaining the fresh character and desired flavor profile of functional beverages, thereby addressing both nutritional efficacy and consumer acceptability requirements [90].

6.2. Personalization and Targeted Market Segmentation

Individual customization strategies should acknowledge substantial individual variation in drinking patterns, health goals, and nutritional needs [76]. Recognition of diverse consumer segments suggests opportunities for personalized functional beverage recommendations based on individual consumption profiles, health objectives, and lifestyle factors [28,29,53,68]. This personalization may involve developing product lines targeting specific demographic groups (athletes, aging adults, stress-management seekers), health conditions (digestive support, immune enhancement, cognitive function), or consumption contexts (pre-workout, recovery, daily wellness maintenance) [80,81,82,83].
Advanced personalization approaches could incorporate consumer health data, genetic information, microbiome analysis, or lifestyle tracking to recommend optimal functional beverage formulations for individual needs [30,31]. This precision nutrition approach represents the evolution from generic functional beverages to targeted nutritional interventions that align with personal health optimization strategies [31].

6.3. Behavioral Conditioning and Habit Formation

Behavioral conditioning strategies should leverage understanding of how environmental cues and routine establishment influence drinking behavior [26]. Marketing and consumption recommendations should incorporate insights about how specific contexts (time of day, exercise routines, stress situations) can be linked with functional beverage consumption to create sustainable habit formation [4]. This approach involves identifying optimal consumption timing, developing ritual-based marketing messages, and creating packaging designs that serve as environmental cues for beneficial consumption patterns [78].
Product positioning should emphasize the creation of positive consumption rituals that integrate functional beverages into existing daily routines, making health-promoting behaviors more automatic and sustainable [79]. This might involve morning wellness routines, post-exercise recovery protocols, or evening stress-management practices that become associated with specific functional beverage formulations [27].

7. Current Research Challenges and Knowledge Gaps

Despite significant advances in understanding functional beverage consumer behavior, several methodological and conceptual challenges limit our ability to fully comprehend the complex interactions between neurobiological drives, psychological processes, and consumption patterns. These limitations have important implications for both academic research and the practical application of consumer insights in product development.

7.1. Methodological Limitations in Cross-Disciplinary Research

The integration of neuroscience, psychology, and food science research presents unique methodological challenges that constrain our understanding of functional beverage adoption. Neurobiological studies often employ animal models or controlled laboratory conditions that may not accurately reflect real-world consumer decision-making environments [24]. The translation from basic neuroscience findings about thirst regulation to complex human behaviors involving functional beverages requires careful consideration of ecological validity and environmental factors [16].
Cross-cultural research faces particular challenges due to varying regulatory frameworks, cultural attitudes toward health claims, and different baseline levels of nutrition literacy across populations [28]. Most published research originates from developed Western markets, creating potential bias in our understanding of consumer behavior and limiting generalizability to emerging markets where functional beverage adoption patterns may differ significantly [94].

7.2. Measurement and Assessment Challenges

Accurate measurement of consumer psychology constructs related to functional beverage consumption remains challenging due to the subjective nature of many relevant variables. Health literacy, risk perception, and social influence susceptibility lack standardized measurement tools specifically validated for functional food contexts [42]. This limitation hinders comparison across studies and limits the development of evidence-based marketing and product development strategies.
Long-term habit formation assessment presents additional challenges, as most consumer research employs cross-sectional designs that cannot capture the dynamic processes through which functional beverage consumption becomes integrated into daily routines. Longitudinal studies require significant resources and face participant attrition issues that may bias results toward highly motivated individuals who may not represent broader consumer populations [95].

7.3. Ethical and Privacy Considerations

The increasing use of personal data for understanding consumer behavior and developing personalized nutrition recommendations raises important ethical questions about privacy, consent, and data ownership. Neurobiological research using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) requires careful consideration of participant rights and the potential for misuse of brain imaging data [96]. Similarly, the collection of genetic, microbiome, and behavioral data for personalized functional beverage recommendations must balance scientific advancement with consumer privacy protection [86].

8. Future Research Directions and Emerging Opportunities

8.1. Framework Validation Studies

Future empirical research should prioritize testing the hierarchical framework (Figure 1) through targeted validation studies. Longitudinal studies could examine how neurobiological individual differences predict functional beverage adoption and habit formation trajectories [31,95], while experimental designs should test causal relationships between psychological mechanisms (Table 3) and consumption behaviors through controlled interventions [94,97]. Cross-cultural validation studies would examine framework generalizability beyond Western markets [94], and randomized controlled trials could test whether framework-based product development strategies (Section 6) improve consumer adoption compared to conventional approaches [97]. These empirical validations would transform the theoretical integration into evidence-based guidelines for functional beverage development.

8.2. Advanced Technological Integration

The convergence of advancing neuroscience techniques, sophisticated consumer analytics, and personalized nutrition technologies creates unprecedented research opportunities that could revolutionize functional beverage development and marketing. Future investigations should prioritize interdisciplinary approaches bridging basic biological mechanisms and complex consumer behaviors.
Advanced neurobiological research should integrate real-time neuroimaging with consumer decision-making tasks to understand how functional beverage choices are made at the neural level. Portable technologies like functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) systems may enable naturalistic studies of brain activity during actual shopping experiences [98,99]. Precision nutrition research should investigate how individual differences in neurotransmitter systems and reward processing affect responses to functional beverage ingredients, with pharmacogenomic approaches identifying genetic markers that predict responses to specific bioactive compounds [31].
Technology-enhanced consumer research should leverage wearable devices for continuous monitoring of physiological states, hydration levels, and consumption patterns in naturalistic environments [100]. Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications should analyze complex interactions between neurobiological markers, psychological assessments, and consumption behaviors to develop predictive algorithms for optimal consumption timing [97].

8.3. Collaborative Research Frameworks

Future research should prioritize collaborative frameworks bringing together neuroscientists, psychologists, food scientists, marketing researchers, and industry practitioners. These collaborations should develop standardized protocols for assessing consumer responses across multiple levels of analysis, from neural activity to market behavior, with shared data repositories and measurement standards to accelerate progress and improve research quality [31].

9. Limitations

This narrative review presents several methodological and scope limitations that warrant consideration when interpreting findings. Combining research from multiple disciplines, including psychology, nutrition science, and marketing, creates challenges in directly comparing results due to different methodological approaches across fields. The predominance of observational studies limits our ability to establish clear cause-and-effect relationships between psychological factors and drinking behaviors. Furthermore, our focus on published academic literature may overlook emerging consumer trends captured in industry reports or social media analytics, while the geographic concentration of studies in developed markets may restrict how well these findings apply to diverse global populations with varying levels of health literacy.
A significant limitation concerns the hierarchical framework (Figure 1), which lacks empirical validation and operational definitions for its components. While conceptually promising for understanding functional beverage adoption, the framework has not been tested through controlled studies or validated across different consumer populations. Future research should prioritize developing standardized measurement protocols for each framework component, conducting longitudinal studies to test the proposed relationships between neurobiological foundations and consumer behaviors, and implementing experimental designs to validate the framework’s predictive capacity. Without such empirical validation, the framework’s practical applicability in research and industry contexts remains constrained.
Our analysis is further limited by its predominant focus on consumers in developed, health-literate markets, which overlooks important sociocultural variations and disparities in access to health information and functional products. The reviewed literature primarily originates from Western markets with established functional beverage sectors, high health literacy rates, and substantial disposable income for premium products. This geographic and socioeconomic bias limits the generalizability of our conclusions to emerging markets where functional beverage adoption may be influenced by different cultural attitudes toward health claims, varying regulatory frameworks, limited access to scientific health information, and economic constraints affecting purchasing decisions. Future research should examine how cultural values, economic disparities, and health system differences affect functional beverage adoption patterns across diverse global populations to enhance the framework’s universal applicability.
Additionally, as a narrative review, this work lacks concrete case studies, recent consumer survey data, and specific industry examples that would strengthen the practical applicability of our theoretical framework. The practical implications outlined in Section 6, while foundational, require more explicit operational guidance for manufacturers regarding ingredient formulation strategies, clinical validation approaches, and strategic branding implementations. Future empirical research should also examine practical barriers, including the high costs of clinical validation, consumer skepticism toward health claims, regulatory hurdles across different markets, and technological challenges in developing personalized formulations, all of which may significantly impact the real-world implementation of our proposed framework.

10. Conclusions

The evolution of functional beverages represents a fundamental shift toward evidence-based nutritional interventions driven by sophisticated consumer decision-making processes. Our hierarchical framework reveals the complex interplay between neurobiological drives, consumer psychology, and product development strategies, providing a theoretical foundation for understanding how these elements converge to influence sustainable consumption behaviors.
Future success will require manufacturers to bridge the gap between scientific validation and consumer accessibility, developing clinically validated formulations that satisfy both neurobiological reward systems and evidence-based health expectations. This evolution positions functional beverages as precision nutrition tools that integrate individual metabolic profiles with validated bioactive delivery systems, transforming them from consumer products into personalized health interventions that bridge traditional nutrition and therapeutic supplementation. This transformation represents not merely market evolution but a fundamental reimagining of how beverages contribute to human health and wellness.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

No new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

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Beverages 11 00126 g001
Figure 1. Hierarchical framework illustrating functional beverage adoption through the integration of neurobiological foundations, consumer psychological processes, and strategic product development approaches.
Figure 1. Hierarchical framework illustrating functional beverage adoption through the integration of neurobiological foundations, consumer psychological processes, and strategic product development approaches.
Beverages 11 00126 g001
Table 1. Consumer decision-making factors in functional beverage selection.
Table 1. Consumer decision-making factors in functional beverage selection.
Factor
Category		Key ElementsNeurobiological
Basis		Marketing
Implications
Cognitive
Processing		Health claim evaluation, cost–benefit analysisPrefrontal cortex executive function [32,42]Provide evidence-based health claims with scientific explanations
Social InfluencePeer recommendations, community validationSocial reward pathways, mirror neuron systems [51,52]Leverage peer testimonials and micro-influencer partnerships
Sensory
Expectations		Taste, texture, and aroma preferencesGustatory/olfactory cortex, hedonic processing [25]Optimize sensory profiles while maintaining bioactive efficacy
Habit FormationRoutine integration, environmental cuesBasal ganglia circuits, dopaminergic pathways [26,27]Design packaging to support routine consumption patterns
Risk PerceptionSafety concerns, interaction awarenessSafety concerns, interaction awareness [53]Provide transparent safety and contraindication information
Table 2. Digital media influence on functional beverage decisions.
Table 2. Digital media influence on functional beverage decisions.
Platform TypeContent FormatInfluence
Mechanism		Beverage Impact
Social MediaVisual content, user videosSocial proof, peer influence [61,62]High discovery and trial impact
Podcasts/
YouTube		Expert interviews, product reviewsAuthority credibility, detailed analysis [61,62,65]Strong influence on informed purchasing
Health ForumsCommunity discussions, Q&A formatPeer support, collective knowledge [66,67]Important for addressing concerns
Professional
Platforms		Clinical insights, research summariesExpert authority, scientific credibility [61,62]Critical for product legitimacy
Table 3. Psychological mechanisms in functional beverage adoption and practical implications.
Table 3. Psychological mechanisms in functional beverage adoption and practical implications.
MechanismConsumer ImpactIndustry
Application		References
Cognitive
Processing		Evidence-based decisions prioritizing nutritional value over taste preferencesProvide transparent scientific validation, ORAC values, and clinical research summaries.[37,42,48,49]
Social InfluenceConsumption driven by peer testimonials and micro-influencer credibilityLeverage authentic user-generated content and health community partnerships[51,52,65,68]
Habit FormationTransition from conscious trial to automatic consumption through environmental cueingDesign packaging cues, ritual-based marketing, and optimal consumption timing[26,27,78,79]
Information
Seeking		Independent research verification creates demand for ingredient transparencyProvide detailed bioavailability data and bioactive compound mechanism education[60,61,62,63]
Goal AlignmentPersonalized consumption strategies addressing demographic-specific health needsDevelop targeted product lines for athletes, aging adults, and stress management[39,80,81,82,83]
Health
Investment		Long-term cost–benefit evaluation prioritizing preventive healthcare valueImplement subscription models and educational campaigns emphasizing wellness ROI[47,51,72,84]
Risk AssessmentCareful evaluation of safety, contraindications, and appropriate usage patternsProvide comprehensive safety information and professional consultation guidance[53,85,86,87,88,89,90]
Sensory-Health
Integration		Acceptance of modified sensory profiles when health benefits are demonstratedDevelop encapsulation technologies, maintaining palatability and bioactive efficacy[87,88,89,90,91]
Abbreviations: ORAC, Oxygen radical absorbance capacity; ROI, Return on investment.
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Alalwan, T.A. Consumer Psychology in Functional Beverages: From Nutritional Awareness to Habit Formation. Beverages 2025, 11, 126. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11050126

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Alalwan TA. Consumer Psychology in Functional Beverages: From Nutritional Awareness to Habit Formation. Beverages. 2025; 11(5):126. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11050126

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Alalwan, Tariq A. 2025. "Consumer Psychology in Functional Beverages: From Nutritional Awareness to Habit Formation" Beverages 11, no. 5: 126. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11050126

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Alalwan, T. A. (2025). Consumer Psychology in Functional Beverages: From Nutritional Awareness to Habit Formation. Beverages, 11(5), 126. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11050126

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