Extending healthspan: Industry explores new horizons in mobility and gut function for “active aging”

02 May 2024 --- The active aging segment is experiencing a revitalization of sorts as the demographic grows across all life stages. Supplement formulators pinpoint a need for products that help consumers maintain mobility, independence and gut function. Undenatured type II collagen shines as the “hot ingredient” in the space along with magnesium, calcium and vitamin K2.

Nutrition Insight gets an in-depth perspective on the market dynamics from Lonza Capsules and Health Ingredients, Balchem Human Nutrition and Health and Fonterra in the second installation of our report on specialized nutrition for active aging.

“One of the biggest trends we’re seeing in the active aging segment is the societal shift toward consumers of all ages looking to prioritize their health and well-being, especially when concerning their joint health. This is fuelled by several factors, including a heightened focus on healthspan — the length of time a person is healthy — not just lifespan,” says Juliana Erickson, senior category marketing manager at Lonza Capsules and Health Ingredients. 

“The result is that the active aging market has expanded to no longer just include older individuals. A new wave of young, active lifestyle consumers are looking for supplements that will support their health, particularly joint and bone health.”

“There is a huge opportunity for brands to innovate with on-trend and efficacious mobility solutions that tap into this demand, for example, science-backed ingredients like UC-II undenatured type II collagen.”

Nutrition to maximize the healthspan
“Active aging” refers to maintaining physical and mental health to improve quality of life and focuses on extending the person’s health across their lifespan. The concept is not only intended for older adults anymore, as younger consumers embrace being proactive about their long-term health. 

“The active aging space is experiencing a surge in popularity of several ingredients. For instance, the market for magnesium supplements is booming, reaching an exceptional 25.5% growth in 2023, surpassing the anticipated 2–3% expansion,” says Jessica Arnaly, senior marketing and business development manager at Balchem Human Nutrition and Health.

“Magnesium is the differentiating mineral for hydration and endurance, and can support active adults throughout their lifespan. Brands can leverage ingredients like Balchem’s Albion Magnesium bisglycinate chelate to meet consumer expectations for an effective, science-backed and data-driven product for active aging.”The specialized nutrition space is bursting with trends from holistic health to technology adoption.

Collagen has been a staple in the industry for many years and is showing no signs of slowing down, with the market expected to grow annually at a rate of 5.3% to US$7.4 billion by 2030, Arnaly notes. “As the collagen market becomes more saturated, many brands are exploring collagen plus other complementary ingredients to deliver more holistic health benefits and create solutions that stand out on the shelf,” Arnaly explains. 

Mobility vital to independence
The World Health Organization says mobility underpins successful healthy aging, which is critical to independence as people age. The health of a person’s muscles and joints ensures overall well-being during aging. The joints directly impact an individual’s ability to maintain mobility and independence.

Peyton Rudy, marketing manager of advanced nutrition at Fonterra, notes: “Mobility can be defined by five key interconnected healthy aging needs, and, ideally, product formulations will address more than one of these areas at a time — bone and joint health (osteoporosis prevention), muscle health and strength (sarcopenia prevention), balance and agility, flexibility and energy.”

“In addition to mobility, digestive health, cognitive health and immunity are aspects of specialized nutrition for active aging that are essential to address in the marketplace.”

Specialized nutrition, such as UC-II undenatured type II collagen, is becoming more popular, with about 72% of consumers, young and old, taking dietary supplements to support their joint health. 

“Products containing collagen are among the fastest growing in the supplement market today,” Erickson explains. “Undenatured type II collagen, in particular like UC-II undenatured type II collagen, is able to help brands stand out, offering effective support for consumers’ joint health and mobility.”

“Collagen is a potent nutrient for mobility and joint health for healthy aging. It exists in various types, each with its own set of characteristics, but type II is the major protein in cartilage — the connective tissue that protects our bones and joints,” notes Erickson.

Science savvy ingredients
The experts underscore that brands must choose the right ingredients to stand out and attract consumer attention. These ingredients should be backed by sound science, credible mechanisms of action and enhanced efficacy. 

“As consumers look to take control of their wellness as they age, it’s important that brands provide their solutions in a range of convenient and versatile formats that fit their busy routines. That’s why Lonza collected data to prove the viability of UC-II undenatured type II collagen in additional applications, specifically foods and beverages,” Erickson explains. 

“In a benchtop exercise study, Lonza’s UC-II undenatured type II collagen was shown to withstand various processing conditions associated with food and beverage manufacturing, such as high temperature, time and pH levels.”Mobility is a core area of R&D in active aging and affords consumers independence as they age.

“While the effects of collagen are well-researched in older consumers, younger demographics have been traditionally underrepresented in clinical research. To meet the needs of the new, younger generation of active consumers, brands have to evolve their offering with scientifically proven solutions to support this age group.”

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is an ideal ingredient to complement collagen for brands looking to innovate in the space, notes Arnaly. It offers similar joint and skin benefits to collagen and post-sports recovery boosts. 

“As a source of sulfur, a critical component of the building blocks of joints and connective tissues, it’s a perfect partner for collagen. And it also has demonstrated benefits when given as a standalone product.”

“A recent study featuring the industry-leading brand of MSM, OptiMSM from Balchem, showed the ingredient’s role in relieving mild knee joint pain in otherwise healthy people, showing its potential to be effective at just two grams per day.”

Calcium is another essential nutrient for bone strength; however, vitamin K2 and magnesium are needed to help calcium reach its full potential. “Vitamin K2 helps to regulate calcium metabolism in the body and improves the efficiency of calcium reaching the bones. This, in turn, supports increased bone mineral density and strength in the body,” Arnaly explains. 

“However, vitamin K2 is the perfect example of the challenge faced by manufacturers when formulating with multiple ingredients. It is highly sensitive by nature, and if left unprotected in blended formulation, it quickly degrades.” 

Balchem’s K2Vital Delta vitamin K2 supplement is micro-encapsulated in double-coated beadlets, improving stability in most mineral formulations. Brands can use it with other essential minerals, such as Albion Minerals’ Magnesium bisglycinate chelate and calcium to create multi-ingredient, multi-benefit solutions.

Special ingredients and trends
Ingredients such as choline gather notoriety, and more people are concerned about their mental and cognitive well-being as they age. Choline is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which coordinates the response of neuronal networks and is essential for facilitating complex cognitive functions, including memory, mood and muscle control. 

Balchem’s VitaCholine can be formulated into multiple product forms to support various application formats.Expanding the healthspan is a new mindset that has taken hold in the active aging space.

In addition, there is a natural decline in gut function and the diversity of the gut microbiome from a certain age onward. “This can mean that older consumers are more vulnerable to poorer digestive health. Similarly, immune function declines with age,” says Arnaly.

“This makes digestive health and immunity key concerns for healthy aging. We particularly saw this during the (COVID-19) pandemic, where senior populations were reminded that they are naturally more vulnerable as a function of age.”

According to Fonterra’s Rudy, several trends are emerging in the active aging space. Maintaining good cognitive health is a priority for many older adults. Specialized ingredients such as phospholipids, such as Nutiani’s Milk Phospholipids, known as milk fat globule membrane, are emerging. 

“Preventative action” is a concept where consumers are proactive in their approach to healthy aging. Fonterra’s data shows that 85% of consumers between 16–54 want to manage their health issues, which presents a promising incremental growth space for brands to expand healthy aging products beyond traditional demographics and into younger consumer spaces.

Another trend is personalized health solutions that consider older adults’ unique needs and preferences. A few tools could be personalized fitness plans, health monitoring devices with tailored insights and customized healthcare services.

The holistic health approach incorporates the individual’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. Integrated wellness programs focusing on physical activity, nutrition, social engagement and cognitive stimulation are picking up. 

Convenient wearable devices, mobile apps for health tracking, telemedicine for remote healthcare access and smart home technologies, known as “technology adoption,” are all the rage in the segment. Brain training apps, puzzles and educational programs are also gaining popularity.

In addition, there’s a growing demand for tailored fitness and wellness programs designed specifically for older adults. These programs focus on yoga, tai chi, strength training and low-impact exercises to improve mobility, strength and overall well-being. 

“Specialized nutrition in the active aging segment is a fast-growing and important area of focus in the food and supplement industry. Sought-after product offerings in the active aging industry segment cater to the unique needs of aging individuals, focusing on muscle, bone and joint health, digestive health and immunity,” Rudy concludes.

By Inga de Jong