Sybille Buchwald-Werner, PhD, founder and CEO of Newday, said the new focus on longevity underscores how various audiences interpret it in very different ways and why the dietary supplement industry must adapt accordingly.
Dr. Buchwald-Werner will take the stage at the inaugural Nutra Healthspan Summit next month, bridging data, consumer insight and purpose to explore AI-powered consumer insights across key European markets. In this Q&A with Nutraingredients, the entrepreneur and scientist discusses what these insights mean for the dietary supplement industry and what attendees can expect to learn from her at the summit.
NutraIngredients: What is Newday and what role does it play in the longevity/healthspan space?
Sybille Buchwald-Werner: Newday is a consultancy and advisory platform I founded after building and exiting a global nutraceutical company. At Newday, we focus on connecting science, strategy and innovation in the fields of nutraceuticals, AI and longevity. Our mission is to help companies and organizations translate cutting-edge science into meaningful products, services and strategies that truly extend healthspan—not just lifespan.
NI: What trends and research are currently shaping the future of the category?
SBW: The field is moving fast. We see breakthroughs in metabolic health, cellular energy and the role of enzymes such as SIRT1 and AMPK that decline with age. AI is accelerating discovery by helping us analyze consumer insights, scientific literature and clinical data in ways that were unthinkable a few years ago. We’re also seeing a shift in consumer focus from “anti-aging” to “visible and measurable healthspan”—how we feel, perform and even look as we age.
NI: What is most exciting to you in this space?
SBW: What excites me most is the convergence of science and consumer understanding. We are finally able to translate complex biological processes—like mitochondrial resilience or glucose regulation—into clear, personalized solutions that people can truly relate to. At the same time, there’s a values shift: Consumers are asking for products that are not only effective but also sustainable, ethical and designed for real impact. A great example is the concept of visible longevity in a drop: highly concentrated formats that deliver measurable benefits while reducing packaging, saving water in transport and offering real convenience.
NI: What do we know about women’s role in the longevity space?
SBW: Women are central to the longevity discussion. On the consumer side, women live longer but often experience more years in poor health, particularly post-menopause. Their unique cardiovascular, metabolic and hormonal risks are still under-researched. On the business side, women leaders and entrepreneurs are playing an increasingly visible role in shaping this category, something I am passionate about driving forward through my work with Women in Nutraceuticals (WIN).
NI: What can attendees of the Nutra Healthspan Summit expect to hear from you?
SBW: The talk is all about AI-powered consumer studies and how they shape our understanding of longevity in relation to skin care. We began by identifying the top market questions and then tested different AI technologies to compare outcomes. From there, we selected the most promising approach to dive deeper into how consumers in five European countries perceive longevity in skin care—what they understand, what they expect and how these perceptions differ across markets.
I won’t spoil the results just yet, but I can say this: The findings are both innovative and surprisingly different from what many might assume. Attendees can look forward to fresh insights and a new perspective on how AI can transform our industry’s approach to credibility and consumer trust.
NI: What do you hope NHS attendees will walk away with after your presentation?
SBW: I hope attendees leave with three things:
- A deeper appreciation of how science, technology and consumer trust must come together to drive real innovation in longevity.
- A sense of urgency that health span is not just an individual aspiration, but a societal priority—and our industry has a unique opportunity to shape it.
- A renewed confidence that our generation can already experience a higher quality of health span and that the insights shared at this conference bring us closer to turning longevity from a concept into reality.
NI: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
SBW: In preparation of my presentation, I ran polls across LinkedIn (professionals), Instagram (consumers) and WhatsApp (a nutraceutical WIN group). The results confirm that both professionals and consumers are redefining longevity. It’s no longer primarily about “anti-aging” beauty but about authentic aging, resilience, health and trust. This shift underlines the importance of AI-powered consumer insights: They help us see how different audiences interpret longevity in very different ways—and why our industry must adapt its narratives accordingly.
