Bone and joint health suppliers target prevention as healthspan demand grows

Bone and joint health solutions are moving from age-related support to prevention and long-term mobility, as consumers seek to live a healthy, active lifestyle for longer. Industry players point to a growing demand for multifunctional ingredients that are backed by science. 

Nutrition Insight meets with Balchem, Bioiberica, Lonza Capsugel, Gnosis by Lesaffre, GC Rieber VivoMega, and BioCell Technology to discuss market opportunities, key ingredients, and room for innovation. 

“After a few years of relatively little movement, the bone and joint health category is gaining fresh momentum again, largely fueled by the healthy aging trend,” says Dominik Mattern, VP of Science, Business Development, and Marketing at Balchem Human Nutrition and Health. “People today are becoming much more aware of how important mobility is if they want to keep doing what they love for longer.”

Mattern says that this shift is driving two main changes. “Firstly, the conversation has evolved from reacting to age-related decline to proactively seeking solutions that help people stay active, recover quickly, and maintain long-term physical capability.” 

“Secondly, we’re seeing the category moving beyond the traditional, isolated ‘joint and bone support’ messaging, toward broader active aging positioning, where mobility is one key part of the puzzle.”

Monica Gómez Navarro, marketing manager of Branded Ingredients at Bioiberica, expects the category will continue to evolve alongside broader healthy aging trends, increasingly viewing mobility as an important part of overall well-being, active living, and long-term quality of life. 

Mattern says healthy aging is reviving the bone and joint category as people understand the importance of mobility in longevity.“We also expect to see greater focus on women’s joint and bone health, particularly as awareness grows of the impact of menopause on bone density, joint comfort, and muscle mass.” 

“More broadly, the category appears to be evolving along two complementary paths: one centered on holistic well-being, and another focused on more targeted mobility solutions,” Gómez Navarro continues. “The challenge for brands will be deciding where to position themselves — or how to develop products that successfully bridge both.” 

Long-term mobility

Hanna Charron, associate director of Global Product Management for Lonza Capsugel’s UC-II ingredient, says that joint health is a key piece of “the healthspan puzzle,” as it allows people to maintain mobility, flexibility, and strength throughout life.

She links growth in the joint health market to “an aging population, rising incidence of joint problems, and a key consumer trend — the shifting focus from longevity to healthspan, the number of years lived in good health.”

Antoine Vanhove, product manager at Gnosis by Lesaffre, also notes that mobility is no longer solely defined by aging. “Today, mobility means performance, prevention, and active longevity. This category now spans athletes, active adults, professionals under physical strain, and an aging population determined to maintain independence.”

He says that a 2025 Innova Market Insights Health & Nutrition survey found that supplements consumed for sports or intense exercise differed dramatically — 40% for Boomers, 56% for Gen X, 77% for Millennials, and 83% for Gen Z. 

“Older consumers (Boomers and Gen X) are much more likely to consume supplements to improve bone and joint health, to improve comfort of movement, and to remain active,” Vanhove adds.

He says that mobility communication has shifted from the fear of losing the ability to perform to an emphasis on freedom and active longevity. “We see two core areas for mobility: structural strength, building and protecting the foundation (bones), and then fluid movement and performance (joints).”

Preventive health

Ståle Søfting, chief commercial officer at GC Rieber VivoMega, says that bone and joint health have evolved from categories primarily associated with aging into broader mobility and active lifestyle positionings. 

Gómez Navarro expects greater focus on women’s health, as awareness grows of the impact of menopause on bone density and joint comfort.“Consumers are increasingly looking for science-backed solutions that support long-term mobility, recovery, and healthy aging,” Søfting explains. “We are also seeing growing demand for high-quality, high-potency ingredients with strong sustainability credentials and convenient delivery formats.” 

He adds that consumers are becoming more educated about the importance of concentrated eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3s, which he says is driving interest in premium formulations with improved sensory experience and smaller delivery formats.

Bioiberica’s Gómez Navarro points to emerging science indicating new ways to support healthy, active consumers before mobility issues arise. 

“For example, recent clinical findings with our native (undenatured) type II collagen ingredient, Collavant n2, demonstrated that just 40 mg/day helps support cartilage health in healthy individuals experiencing activity-related joint discomfort, measured through reductions in CTX-II — a key biomarker of cartilage degradation.” 

She says the results revealed a significant improvement in a sub-population with higher levels of discomfort. “Participants taking Collavant n2 experienced an 18.3% reduction in CTX-II levels, while those in the placebo group showed a 20.6% increase.” 

According to Gómez Navarro, these findings add to existing evidence demonstrating that Collavant n2 helps reduce exercise-related joint discomfort in healthy subjects while supporting mobility, quality of life, and cartilage health at the structural level.

“This is an important development, as it extends the evidence for native type II collagen benefits into healthy populations for the first time — signaling a significant opportunity for products designed to support active, health-conscious consumers taking a more proactive approach to joint health.”

Core collagen

Charron at Lonza Capsugel says there is a range of ingredients currently used in bone and joint health products, from glucosamine and chondroitin to calcium, vitamin D, and collagen. 

Vanhove notes mobility spans athletes, active adults, professionals under physical strain, and an aging population.“One that stands out for its unique mechanism of action is undenatured type II collagen,” she says. “It retains its native, triple-helix structure, which enables it to trigger the immune system to help support the body’s natural cartilage repair process and promote the building of new cartilage.” 

“Research using Lonza Capsugel’s UC-II undenatured type II collagen ingredient shows that daily supplementation for six months can improve joint flexibility, joint comfort, and mobility in healthy, active adults aged 20–55 years old.”

However, despite a surging interest in collagen for mobility and overall health, Charron says that consumers and brands face a persistent challenge: confusion about the different types and forms of collagen. 

“This confusion is a top reason for avoiding collagen altogether,” she cautions. “Even among existing collagen users, more than half are unaware of the different types of collagen available on the market. This challenge can be flipped into an opportunity for forward-thinking brands to lead in the market with education and clarity.”

Amir Vanderfox, global sales manager at BioCell Technology, adds that the category faces challenges in education, particularly around distinguishing between commodity collagen ingredients and clinically substantiated collagen complexes. 

“Ingredients with established human clinical data, such as BioCell Collagen, help address this gap by providing clearer functional relevance and stronger credibility for formulators and brands.”

In the future, he expects collagen-based ingredients to remain central, particularly those with clinical validation and multifunctional benefits across joints, skin, and mobility. 

“The future of the category will be shaped by transparency, clinical substantiation, and ingredients that support structural health in an integrated way, rather than addressing isolated symptoms or tissues.”

Key nutrients

Mattern notes that vitamin K2, such as Balchem’s K2Vital ingredient, continues to be a well-established player in bone health. 

Vanderfox argues that clinical substantiation separates collagen complexes from commodity ingredients.“By regulating calcium metabolism in the body, it helps increase the yield of calcium that reaches the bones from the food we eat, which in turn supports increased bone mineral density and strength.” 

However, he cautions that not all forms of vitamin K2 are the same. “At Balchem, we produce an all-trans menaquinone-7 (MK7), a form which is highly bioactive and, therefore, more effective, helping consumers reap the ingredient’s full rewards.”

For joint health, Mattern points to sulfur as a “key nutrient to watch,” which can be found in dietary supplements in the form of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). 

“MSM supports cartilage health, joint comfort, and physical function, while also serving as a key structural component of connective tissues. This versatility allows it to be used as a standalone ingredient or combined with glucosamine and chondroitin for superior health benefits.”

Vanhove also sees opportunities for developing new or alternative ingredients that are sustainable, renewable, and traceable, such as Gnosis by Lesaffre’s MyCondro, a non-animal chondroitin. He says that ingredients that deliver performance benefits while reducing environmental impact will move with agility in the marketplace. 

“By creating MyCondro through fermentation, for example, we provide brands with a controlled, guaranteed source of high-purity chondroitin sulfate. MyCondro is produced in Gnosis’s Good Manufacturing Practices-certified plant in Sant’Antonino, Switzerland.”

Ingredient developments

Bioiberica’s Gómez Navarro says that ingredients such as calcium and glucosamine are still the most well-established heroes of the bone and joint health category. However, as consumers increasingly recognize the link between good mobility and overall health, she says that multifunctional ingredients are gaining significant attention. 

For example, she points to the company’s hyaluronic acid matrix ingredient, Mobilee, which has been shown to support joint and muscle health at a dose of 80 mg/day. 

“Two randomized controlled trials indicate that Mobilee supports muscle function, while a more recent in vitro study demonstrated that a formulation combining whey protein and Mobilee promoted myocyte hypertrophy (an increase in muscle cell size) and muscle regeneration.”

Charron sees collagen confusion as an opening for brand education.On the manufacturing side, Gómez Navarro says that nutrition brands are looking for ingredients that combine credible scientific backing with the ability to integrate easily into trending everyday formats, such as gummies or ready-to-drink shakes. 

“This need for convenience is driving interest in clinically substantiated ingredients that demonstrate efficacy at lower inclusion levels, helping producers expand joint health products beyond traditional supplements into functional foods and beverages.” 

Søfting at GC Rieber VivoMega adds that bone and joint health remains an important area of innovation within the nutrition industry, particularly as consumers prioritize mobility, longevity, and quality of life.

“At VivoMega, we see continued demand for premium omega-3 fish and algal solutions that combine high concentration, quality, stability, and responsible sourcing. As the market evolves, delivering clinically supported, sustainable EPA and DHA solutions will remain central to next-generation bone and joint health products.”

Innovation potential

As one of the main opportunities in the market, Søfting points to the continued expansion of holistic mobility solutions that support joints, muscles, and bones together rather than in separate categories. 

“Consumers increasingly expect multifunctional products backed by science and supported by transparent sourcing and quality standards,” he adds. “At the same time, maintaining ingredient quality, stability, and sensory performance remains a challenge, particularly in omega-3 formulations.” 

“Sustainability is also becoming increasingly important, which is driving innovation in both responsibly sourced marine oils and algae-based omega-3 alternatives.”

He says that future innovation will likely focus on highly concentrated, science-backed ingredients with improved bioavailability, cleaner labels, and more convenient delivery systems. 

“We also anticipate continued growth in combination products that bring together fish and algal omega-3 EPA and DHA with complementary nutrients to support comprehensive musculoskeletal health.”