Solaray’s Unlimit shifts from single “hero” ingredients to longevity stacks

With supplements transitioning from single “hero” ingredient formulas toward multiproduct ecosystems, Solaray unpacks how its recently launched longevity product line helps to extend consumers’ healthspan. The brand underscores the importance of designing products that target multiple areas of aging through clinically studied ingredient formulas, rather than standalone health goals. 

Nutrition Insight speaks to Rachel Kilroy, senior director of product development at Solaray, about the company’s recently launched eight-product supplement system, Unlimit. The new product line focuses on three relevant areas of longevity: cellular energy, muscle health, and bone density.

“At Solaray, we believe ‘longevity’ is not the process of adding more years to your life but adding more life to your years. In other words, longevity is about living a healthier and more fulfilling life rather than living longer,” says Kilroy.

“Right now, many brands in the category think longevity is for people entering their 70s. We’ve noticed that now more than ever, younger and younger consumers are interested in controlling their health from a younger age. They’re proactive about their longevity, taking steps in their 30s and 40s to address aging.”

The Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute recently underscored this trend, stressing that consumers are increasingly focused on growing their healthspan while seeking clinically backed ingredients to support their journey.

Kilroy observes: “At Solaray, our consumers are well-educated on the category, and they prefer to build their own personal supplement stacks rather than using complex single formulas. This insight informed how we formulated our Unlimit longevity line.”

Simplifying a complex category

Solaray designed Unlimit to simplify the longevity category. The line includes complementary formulas that support macro aspects of health, like muscle and bone, and cellular-level function.

Unlimit’s three core products are Creatine + MBP (milk basic protein), formulated to support muscle and bone health in aging; NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), formulated at a clinically studied dose to increase NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) levels; and Liposomal NAD+ to support cellular energy.

When consumed synergistically, the formulas target key indicators researchers point to when describing how the body changes with age. Solaray details that its approach is to pair proven ingredients with “thoughtful delivery science rather than chasing trend-driven formulas.”

“There are several science-backed indicators of longevity and Solaray Unlimit is formulated to target these three longevity indicators, with hero ingredients to support muscle health, bone density, and cellular health,” says Kilroy.

“As we age, people decline in muscle mass. But muscle mass enables people to stay mobile, active, and fit. Meanwhile, bone mineral density can decrease rapidly with age, especially in women. This can lead to frail bones and limit activity in older age. In addition, recent research shows that aging begins at the cellular level.”

Unlimit offers a set of longevity products, aiming to make it easy for consumers to mix and match, tailor, and optimize. “This also fits a growing trend we’ve seen in the wellness space, where personalization is everything. People don’t always want a ‘one-size-fits-all’ supplement regimen,” adds Kilroy.

“With Unlimit, consumers can track their own biomarkers and optimize their stack based on what is working for them.”

Standing out in a crowded category

The longevity category has become crowded with ingredients like NMN, NAD+, spermidine, and fisetin. Kilroy believes that certain promising areas of longevity deserve more attention, stating that some health aspects can be overlooked in healthy aging, because low consumer awareness limits commercial appeal.

“There’s currently so much exciting research with longevity implications that goes overlooked,” she highlights. “At Solaray, we’re partnering with ingredient suppliers that have done exciting human clinical trials, but these ingredients often don’t have significant name recognition in the market.”

She shares that Solaray’s approach involves establishing scientific or formulation criteria when determining whether an ingredient is ready for commercial launch.

Kilroy points to MBP Whey Fraction, which Solaray uses in its Creatine + MBP product, as one example of this. “Megmilk Snow Brand, our supplier, has done several human clinical trials that show evidence around MBP’s ability to support bone mineral density in women over 40, a cohort that typically has rapidly declining bone density.”

“This is the kind of research our innovation team at Solaray gets excited about because bone density is highly correlated with longevity. But bone health isn’t necessarily the hottest topic in longevity, and MBP doesn’t yet have the name recognition of trendier ingredients.”

This year, bone health claims have intersected with other health categories, as research increasingly reveals the body’s interconnected functions. For instance, leveraging the gut-bone axis, biotech company Sōlaria Biō developed a plant-sourced synbiotic called Bōndia, which has been shown to improve bone density in women with osteopenia by 85%. 

“Our innovation team is always looking for these emerging, research-backed ingredients, because at the end of the day, our priority is making efficacious products for our consumers,” says Kilroy.

Translating clinical science

Kilroy addresses how to approach substantiating product benefits in a way that is scientifically rigorous and meaningful to consumers.

“All Solaray product claims are based on human clinical trials at the ingredient level. We have a team of Ph.D.s that carefully evaluate each claim to ensure a formula meets and exceeds industry standards.”

She adds that there is still significant research to be done on cellular and mitochondrial health, and anticipates the ingredient science behind these areas to continue developing. “Also, the active and fitness segments continue to be one of the most important foundations for longevity.”

“There’s been a lot of growth in those segments recently, but we expect innovations to continue to develop. Beauty is another realm closely tied to longevity. People are realizing the foundation for long-lasting skin and hair health often begins in the body, even at a cellular level.”

She emphasizes that younger consumers will continue to demand solutions to manage their cellular health as they begin to gain an understanding of its biological mechanisms. “This is perhaps one of the biggest opportunities for innovation.”