Experts highlight that through technological, medicinal, and nutritional innovations, we are consistently living longer than any generation before. At the same time, the science behind gut health continues to advance as experts unlock the secrets of the gut microbiome. According to Novonesis, the intersection of these two trends presents a plethora of opportunities within the healthy aging space.
Innova Market Insights’ data suggests that one in three global consumers is focused on healthy aging as their top physical health priority. From 2019 to 2024, healthy aging product launches grew by 9% annually, with supplements making up 59% of new products.
Ahead of its upcoming webinar, “Unlocking healthy longevity — the microbiome connection,” Nutrition Insight sits down with two of the webinar’s presenters to unpack the latest insights in aging microbiology, emerging consumer attitudes, and the practical innovations needed to build the next generation of healthy aging solutions.
Novonesis states that, for anyone shaping products in the longevity space, this is where the future starts to come into focus. Moreover, the company reveals that, as consumers across age groups increasingly invest in proactive, daily wellness, it sees a clear opportunity — and responsibility — for science-backed biotic solutions that deliver meaningful benefits in the short-term while supporting long-term healthspan.
“Consumers are increasingly moving from standalone ‘longevity’ toward ‘healthy longevity’ — not simply ‘adding years to life,’ but ‘adding life to years’ — prioritizing vitality, independence, and emotional well-being alongside physical health,” says Rahul Sachdeva, the global category commercial lead at Novonesis.
“Among the elderly, attitudes toward aging continue to be shaped by optimism and acceptance — valuing independence, social engagement, mental stimulation, and dignity. The attitudinal shifts are more apparent in middle-aged and younger consumers. Democratized access to information and health education has enabled rapid increases in health awareness, which in turn has fueled the substantial increases in proactive wellness efforts.”
Bridging the lifespan–healthspan gap
Sachdeva points out that, over the past two decades, human lifespan has stretched faster than healthspan, creating an unmistakable gap between how long we live and how well we age. Novonesis’ goal is to narrow that divide through a microbiome-driven, evidence-led approach that tracks measurable, functional improvements across key areas of health.
Consumers across age groups are increasingly turning to preventive wellness habits.
For Novonesis, the narrative around longevity is framed within possibility. Increasingly, consumers say they want to invest in resilience before troubles arise. Therefore, industry must prioritize proactive and preventive wellness, and shift the focus from repairing what’s broken to strengthening the foundations that help people live better, longer.
Additionally, Sachdeva notes that the healthy longevity category extends beyond seniors and targets the rising demand from younger and middle-aged consumers who are already investing in long-term vitality.
“Middle-aged consumers have typically observed their parents or elder generations transitioning toward later life stages,” he explains. “These consumers emphasize stress management, cognitive health, and mobility and often turn to supplements and lifestyle programs with an eye on what they consider to be the ‘not too distant future.’”
“Younger consumers — Millennials and Gen Z — already see healthy longevity as a lifelong journey and thus long-term investment, adopting preventive habits, such as nutrition, fitness, and mindfulness, early to sustain vitality later.”
Targeted solutions for longevity and resilience
Elisabet Nordstrom, Novonesis’ head of B2B global scientific advisory, tells us that as people age, their levels of beneficial bifidobacteria naturally decline. Furthermore, she states that recent research shows that gut microbiota patterns differ between healthy agers and those facing age-related challenges.
Nordstrom explains that these microbial signatures — shaped by diet, inflammation, and metabolic status — offer clues that targeted biotic interventions may help maintain a more resilient, health-aligned microbiome over time.
In Novonesis’ synbiotic solutions, the company incorporates its 2’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) for gut and women’s health. 2’-FL has been shown to boost bifidobacteria in adults, and the company’s probiotic strain BB-12 strain further supports this shift by modulating several bifidobacterial species.
“Changes in the gut microbiota has also been correlated with cardiovascular disease: preclinical studies suggest a role of the gut microbiota in cholesterol regulation and probiotics from the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have been associated with maintaining healthy cholesterol levels,” Nordstrom underscores.
“Our LRC probiotic has been shown to help lower LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and total cholesterol, and it has also been associated with reduced levels of hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), which is a marker linked to heart health.”
Novonesis’ BB-12 and 2’-FL ingredients support a more resilient gut ecosystem.
“Age-related dysbiosis describes a decrease in beneficial bacteria and an increase in pro-inflammatory microbes. The HMO 2’-FL has been shown to have a so-called decoy effect, meaning that it can block adhesion of undesirable gut microbes, and our UREX combination for women’s health has been shown to reduce urinary tract discomfort in postmenopausal women.”
Nordstrom also spotlights Novonesis’ Strain to Solution service, which offers reliability through full vertical integration — from fermentation to finished format — by managing concentrates, blending, tableting, encapsulation, and packaging. She adds that the service delivers dependable bioactive ingredients or turnkey products that are tailored to each brand’s needs.
“Our specialized state-of-the-art facilities ensure stability, safety, and quality,” Nordstrom attests. “And world-class reliability comes from a team ready to adapt with fast, agile solutions built on years of experience.”
Future-focused product development
Nordstrom and Sachdeva highlight potential next frontiers that could emerge from the intersection of advanced microbiome science and the proliferation of personalization. As consumer use of gut-health testing kits continues to grow, AI-driven models may soon tailor probiotic strategies to individual microbiome patterns, daily habits, and genetic tendencies. This could enable customized nutritional interventions at scale.
“Novonesis is at the forefront of driving the understanding of microbiome science, paving the way for innovative solutions,” Nordstrom and Sachdeva conclude. “We are uniquely positioned due to our infrastructure and capability to scale up with speed and efficiency.”
“We have also noticed that it is a difficult ask from a consumer to invest in a supplement which will show results two decades later — they also want to see the effects now and here. Our solutions promise a better tomorrow but also support different aspects of daily health now.”
