Also known as alpha-GPC or choline alphascerate, the phospholipid acts a precuror to the components responsible for the reconstitution of nerve cell membranes.
GPCThe company drew attention to clinical trials conducted over the past 20 years that have shown it to be useful to sufferers of adult-onset dementia, and protecting against cognitive impairment associated with such disorders.
The new offering comes on the heels of the introduction of SharpPS gold, a PS-DHA conjugate that found its first use in a US supplement in April with the reformulation of Cognitex from Life Extension.
The US cognitive market for supplements is estimated to worth around $350m.
Market researchers tend to draw on the ageing population as an explanation for growing demand for all things aimed at preserving people from the ravages of time, be it on the inside or the outside.
The 'baby boom' generation (people born between 1946 and 1964) forms the biggest age-bracket of the population in both the US and Europe. These people are starting to enter old age - by 2010 a third of Americans will be over the age of 50. And with a higher disposable income than their parents, they have the means to keep themselves looking and feeling young for longer.
Cognitive function is not, however, just about mental acrobatics and a sharp memory. There are other issues that may affect other swathes of the population, too. There are supplements featured in Mintel's database that are aimed at pregnant and nursing mothers, children, stressed-out types, vegetarians, the depressed, the tired and physically active, and those who simply want to boost their brain power, whatever the reason.