Expo West 2026: Key nutrition innovations in gut microbiome, GLP-1 and longevity

At the 45th annual edition of Natural Products Expo West, nutraceutical, food, and beverage companies are set to unveil the latest solutions in health and wellness. The trade show in Anaheim, California, US (Mar 3–6), will spotlight products with benefits ranging from digestion and weight management to longevity and skin health. 

Ahead of the show, Nutrition Insight discusses innovations on display and technology advances with exhibitors Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Nexira, and Now Health Group. 

According to Dominique Ostrander, general manager of Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Natural Products Expo West has evolved into a signal “for where the future of health is heading,” where emerging science collides with consumer expectation and commercial scale.

“We are showcasing microbiome innovations designed to address a structural challenge in our industry: the gap between scientific progress and market execution,” she details. “The science of the microbiome is advancing faster than most commercial frameworks can absorb. Our role is to translate that science into scalable, stable, and clinically meaningful solutions.”

Julie Impérato, marketing and communication manager at Nexira, says that Expo West 2026 is an indispensable platform for spotting market trends early, sharing innovation insights, and deepening commercial collaborations that drive its business forward.

She observes a shift in the nutraceutical market toward wellness solutions that deliver clearly perceived, multi-layered benefits. Nexira will feature natural ingredients for GLP-1 support, skin health, and digestion.

“Consumers increasingly prioritize products that integrate preventive health outcomes with strong scientific backing. To stay competitive, we’re expanding our natural ingredient portfolio with solutions supported by clinical data and relevant to today’s functional nutrition needs.”

Commercializing scientific progress

Ostrander details that in 2026, Morinaga Nutritional Foods is focusing on collectively elevating standards, creating clinically credible product ecosystems, and building consumer trust.

Ostrander says that the science of the gut microbiome is advancing faster than most commercial frameworks can absorb.“We are engaging partners who see nutrition as infrastructure for human longevity, not short-term trend cycles. The most important discussions we are having are about co-creating platforms that can define new health categories — particularly in cognitive resilience, microbiome science, and healthy aging — rather than competing within existing ones.”

The company’s innovations at Expo West 2026 are built around precision strains, postbiotics, and outcomes, she adds. “They are designed to replace generalized claims with measurable biological impact.”

“This matters because the future of nutraceuticals will not be built on volume; it will be built on validated function,” Ostrander underscores. “Our technologies aim to solve the credibility crisis facing the category by anchoring products in repeatable human data and robust formulation science.”

The company observes a shift from wellness as a lifestyle to a strategy, as consumers use supplements to invest in their health trajectories. “That changes how products must be designed, validated, and communicated.”

Ostrander details: “From a formulation perspective, the industry is moving toward targeted biological outcomes: cognitive performance, metabolic resilience, immune modulation, and longevity. From a business perspective, this means brands must operate more like research organizations and less like trend marketers.”

“The companies that will lead this era are those that can unify scientific rigor with consumer accessibility,” she predicts.

Morinaga Nutritional Foods is adapting by integrating deeper clinical pipelines, global research partnerships, and innovative manufacturing systems.

Gummy and liquid supplement formats

At Expo West 2026, Now Health Group will present new products across its various lines, including supplements, Now Sports, Now Pets, Now Solutions, and Now Real Food, such as its Vitamin B-12 10,000 mcg Shots.

Now Health Group is working on a product with two clinically studied ingredients to support GLP-1 levels and weight management, says Roza.Dan Richard, the company’s VP of Global Sales and Marketing, tells us the company will also highlight its Omega-3 Fish Oil Gummy Chews.

“Unlike traditional gummies, which are often high in sugar and relatively low in nutrients, requiring several per serving, these great-tasting fish oil gummy chews offer an advanced formulation and patented emulsification technology that provide superior absorption in this unique delivery form.”

“The chews are also manufactured at low temperatures to preserve nutrients,” he adds. “These innovations ensure that our gummy chews deliver the health benefits of omega-3s effectively, without any fishy aftertaste or sugar, meeting consumer demand.”

Richard says there is a “clear need” for customization across many international markets where Now Health Group’s product lines are being sold, driven by diverse regulatory requirements and regional consumer preferences.

“We have been assessing opportunities based on potency needs and custom formulations to determine which path will best support our short- and long-term growth plans,” he highlights.

“Gummies remain very popular, and liquid nutrition is growing well above average. GLP-1 support is also a trend that is not going away, and we are currently working on a product that contains two clinically studied ingredients to support GLP-1 levels and weight management.”

Natural solutions

Nexira will highlight Carolean, an ingredient derived from cactus and carob that naturally boosts GLP-1 and is designed for appetite control, says Impérato.

At Expo West 2026, Nexira will feature Carolean for GLP-1 support, OliOla for skin health, and prebiotic fibers that aid digestion.“Plus, we’ll feature inavea and Fibregum, our prebiotic fiber solutions, for everyday use, designed for digestive tolerance in this growing category.”

In skin longevity, the company will highlight OliOla. Impérato details that this natural olive extract has been clinically demonstrated to have antioxidant and anti-aging benefits, including dark spot lightening and skin hydration support.

“OliOla embodies the growing demand for ingredients that support women’s health through lifestyle-aligned benefits, including skin vitality and overall radiance.”

According to Impérato, longevity will be one of Nexira’s key priorities in the year ahead. “Not just lifespan, but healthspan. Consumers are increasingly focused on proactive strategies that support long-term well-being, including metabolic health, immune resilience, and skin health. Brands and ingredient partners that align innovation with this broader longevity focus will be well-positioned for growth.”

Earlier this week, we spoke with Sabinsa, Layn Natural Ingredients, and BioVivo Science about their natural solutions for longevity and energy on display at Expo West 2026.

Technology advances

According to the experts, advances in AI and delivery technologies are transforming the nutraceutical and nutrition industry.

Ostrander notes that AI and data-driven modeling are reshaping how the industry understands biological systems at scale. Morinaga Nutritional Foods sees these tools as accelerators of insights, allowing the company to identify patterns in microbiome research, predict formulation synergies, and shorten the distance between discovery and application.

“Advanced delivery systems are equally transformative,” she adds. “The next frontier of nutrition is not only what we formulate, but how reliably those actives reach their biological targets. Improved stability, targeted release, and bioavailability are turning nutraceuticals into precision instruments rather than generalized supplements.”

At Vitafoods Asia 2025, we spoke with Morinaga Milk’s Saki Yamashita about the company’s postbiotic to improve mood.She notes that predictability is a tangible value for Morinaga’s partners, enabling faster innovation cycles, lower development risk, and products that behave consistently in real-world conditions.

Richard from Now Health Group adds that the company is observing the emergence of delivery systems globally. “We’re watching this closely and exploring how to integrate them into our innovation strategies.”

“In the future, we may consider implementing an in-market test-and-learn approach as we assess how quickly other regions adopt the format. We believe this will be a critical component of partnering with our regional accounts and will further cement the Now brand internationally.”

Mature nutraceutical sector

Ostrander predicts that the next 12 months will mark the beginning of a maturity phase for the nutraceutical sector. “The winners will be organizations that treat science, manufacturing, and partnerships as a single integrated system.”

“We expect to see increased emphasis on clinically anchored platforms, cross-sector collaborations between healthcare and consumer nutrition, and manufacturing models that prioritize resilience and traceability.”

Additionally, she recommends that the industry watch the emergence of nutrition as a preventive infrastructure, where supplements are foundational long-term health strategies.

“The companies that thrive will be those that build ecosystems, not products: systems that connect research, supply chain, education, and consumer impact into a coherent whole.”