Life expectancy in the United States reached 79 years in 2024—an all-time high, with the average expectancy for women now 81.4 years and 75.8 years for men. As consumers have grown more thoughtful about fostering longevity, the definition of what it means to “age gracefully” has shifted, and they are taking action to achieve their goals. “Healthspan refers to the years of life spent in good or excellent health and free from serious diseases or disabilities,” says Nicole Lemus, Vice President of Sales, Gnosis by Lesaffre. “An established body of evidence shows that nutrition, sleep, physical activity, appropriate stress levels, social connection, and a conducive environment allow people to live more years in good health and improve their overall longevity.”
Andrea Zangara, Scientific Communication Advisor at Euromed says that while longevity statistics have increased, healthy overall lifespan has failed to keep pace. "While global life expectancy has risen dramatically over the past two decades, healthy life expectancy hasn't kept up, meaning many people are spending their extra years managing chronic conditions rather than enjoying vitality. That's driving a fundamental shift in 2026: from simply adding years to adding healthy, functional years. The focus is now on prevention, personalization, and outcomes you can actually feel."
As Doug Lynch, CEO of Marketwell and Commercial Sales Lead for Ingredients by Nature (IBN), points out, “The industry’s shift from lifespan to healthspan continues to center on helping consumers maintain vitality, resilience, and day-to-day wellness as they age.”
Consumers are asking better questions, adds Shaheen Majeed, Global CEO & Managing Director, Sabinsa. “Not ‘how long will I live?’ but ‘how well will I live?’ This consumer sophistication is forcing the industry to evolve beyond anti-aging marketing toward genuine functional health solutions.”
It’s noteworthy that while the anti-aging category generally appealed to an older demographic, the healthspan market is broad. “As a diverse range of consumers continue to take proactive approaches to help them live healthier, not just longer, success in 2026 will require brands to listen to their needs and preferences more closely,” says Hanna Charron, Associate Director Global Product Management, UC-II Ingredient, Lonza Capsugel.
Indeed, says Mónica Gómez Navarro, Marketing Manager – Branded Ingredients, Bioiberica, we need to show younger consumers that healthspan products are as much for them as for their elders: “From guarding against dry skin and wrinkles, to preserving muscle tone, in most cases the journey to a long and healthy later life must start well before we spot our first grey hairs.”
For the nutraceutical industry, says Lauren Clardy Senior Director of Branded Ingredients Maypro, “Healthspan represents both an opportunity and a responsibility. Ingredients and formulations backed by credible science and human clinical research will be best positioned to stand out as the category continues to mature.”
Today’s consumers are asking how a product can help them keep doing what they love now and in the future, adds Jacqueline Rizo, Public Relations Lead at Stratum Nutrition, which offers NEM, sageXtra, and OVOLUX. The task for suppliers, she says, is to deliver ingredients that support how people move, think, and feel over time, and help brands connect with consumers who see health as a long-term investment rather than a reactive fix.
Supporting healthspan comes down to prioritizing ingredients that address root physiological systems rather than short-term outcomes, agrees Karsten Smet, CEO, ACI Group. “In 2026, this translates into a focus on metabolic regulation, inflammation control, and gut–hormonal balance. These are all areas where science-backed botanicals can play a meaningful, preventive role when integrated into everyday nutrition. Three of our ingredients exemplify this approach: Bergacyn, Ginfort, and Hytolive. Each is supported by emerging clinical research and reflects the industry’s shift toward multifunctional, transparent, and biologically relevant solutions.”
Read on for more of the science-backed healthspan offerings.
Core biological system support for overall wellness: “People have started caring more and more about how they feel in their everyday lives,” shares Maria Stanieich, Senior Marketing Manager, Kyowa Hakko USA. “Cognizin and Setria are perfect for supporting a healthspan strategy because they support core biological systems that shape how people feel and function every day. Rather than addressing a single, isolated concern, both ingredients work at a foundational level, reinforcing the processes that support long-term vitality.”
Doris Ip, Senior Marketing Manager BioVivo Science, notes, “Consumers are focusing on daily habits that support how they move, think, and feel. This shift reflects a more holistic, science-backed view of wellness, where immunity, metabolic health, gut health, sleep, and stress management are interconnected... At BioVivo Science, we focus on U.S.-made botanical solutions that help people stay sharp, energized, and resilient as part of a healthy, active lifestyle.” Broccoli seed, American ginseng, and natural caffeine from green tea are just some of the company’s evidence-based offerings to support sustained quality of life.
Maypro’s approach to healthspan focuses on ingredients that support interconnected biological systems that tend to decline as a result of age, including Sirtmax, a patented black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) extract, AKK-Probio (Akkermansia muciniphila) probiotic, and MicroActive CoQ10 and PQQ, which are all part of the company’s ingredient portfolio designed to support cellular energy metabolism, gut integrity, metabolic signaling, and mitochondrial function—essential biological drivers of functional aging and long-term health.
Gnosis by Lesaffre spotlights two offerings in the space: Adonat Premium SAMe and LifeinU BSCU1, which both contribute to overall well-being and support healthy aging.
The team from Euromed has dedicated an entire collection to extracts with connections to healthspan and strengthen, "our entire Mediterranean Fruit & Vegetable Extracts portfolio is inspired by the Mediterranean diet's proven link to longevity and resilience. Three ingredients stand out for healthspan support: ABAlife is a fig fruit extract standardized to abscisic acid (ABA), Spisar is a spinach leaf extract standardized in phytoecdysteroids, and Pomanox is a pomegranate fruit extract standardized in ellagitannins, specifically punicalagins and ellagic acid."
Cognitive & mental wellness: With consumers being more proactive and establishing supportive strategies earlier, products like Pycnogenol are seeing big returns in the market segment due to their sound research and quality of life results, says Sébastien Bornet, VP Global Sales & Marketing, Horphag Research. “Extending healthspan to match lifespan is a universal human aspiration and we are helping consumers achieve their goals by focusing our research on a variety of demographics and audiences, not just aging populations. Pycnogenol has a broad spectrum of cognitive benefits for every stage of life, from college students to baby boomers.”
Also focused on the brain health, Dr. Torsten Grothe, Head of Food & Health, Mibelle Biochemistry, says, “The market is demanding greater scientific validation, with companies investing in clinical research to substantiate healthspan-related claims. SaraPEPP Nu significantly boosts cognitive performance, such as attention, neural efficacy, long-term and working memory and reduces mental fatigue.”
Known to support multiple body systems, ashwagandha and turmeric are star players in the healthspan game. “Ashwagandha and turmeric are at the center of healthspan due to their longevity, clinical support,” says Keely Johnson, VP of Sales and Marketing, Arjuna Natural, which is focusing on Shoden, Shoden-R, and BCM95. Shoden has been investigated and published in 11 international clinical studies, and has shown long-lasting benefits for stress, sleep, and cognitive function at doses of 60 and 120mg. Keely also points to the strong clinical backing for BCM-95, a 100% turmeric-derived extract.
“Stress management remains a top focus, with growing demand for natural solutions that support emotional balance, sleep quality, and resilience,” says Liki von Oppen-Bezalel, Ph.D., Business Development Director, TriNutra. “Our cortisol-regulating ingredient, ThymoQuin, is clinically validated to support healthy cortisol levels while promoting gut microbiome balance and diversity, positive mood states, and immune health.”
Cardiometabolic health: Ingredients By Nature provides citrus-derived ingredients that support healthspan-oriented product development, including Eriomin, Sytrinol, and Citryn (formerly known as SynChoice), which can help formulators meet industry expectations for quality, consistency, and responsible formulation.
ProBiotix Health is prioritizing probiotic science with its patented strain LPLDL. “Backed by multiple independent human intervention studies, LPLDL works through the gut-liver axis to support cardiometabolic resilience, delivering measurable benefits for total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, Apolipoprotein B, triglycerides, and blood pressure via well-characterized mechanisms linked to bile salt metabolism and lipid regulation,” says Cellan Davies, Head of Marketing Manager, ProBiotix Health. “For formulators and supplement developers, LPLDL represents more than a single ingredient: It is a clinically credible platform for developing differentiated, prevention-led products aligned with consumer expectations for sustained physiological performance across cardiometabolic health, healthy aging, and women’s health.”
Why Consumers Take Supplements
According to Ingredient Transparency Center’s 2025 General Supplement Consumer Survey, maintaining general health and well-being remain the dominant drivers of supplement use, with disease prevention skewing slightly older and female, and performance benefits are significantly skewed by younger male respondents.
With added emphasis from GLP-1 users, today’s consumers also are hyperfocusing on meaningful nutrition provided through smaller portions. “Consumers are prioritizing smaller portions that still deliver meaningful nutrition, with greater emphasis on fiber, protein and balanced carbohydrates,” says Cecilia Lu, Senior Trade Marketing Manager at Felicia, which offers organic, gluten-free products made from whole, nutrient-rich ingredients, designed to support long-term well-being through everyday eating habits.
Inflammation & cellular health: “When it comes to omega-3s, due to their role in systemic inflammation management, I believe they are one of the most impactful ingredients to improve healthspan, yet for a variety of reasons there’s still a huge gap between consumption and recommended intakes,” says Andrew Hebard, CEO, Natures Crops International, which provides plant-based omega-3 from Ahiflower. “Ahiflower is a unique ingredient because no other sources have its specific combination and potency of fatty acids.”
Also highlighting a plant-based omega-3 as a solution for supplement brands reevaluating their products design and substantiation, Endrigo Ramos, Associate Director, Global Marketing DS for Healthy Longevity, HNC dsm-firmenich, says the company's life’sOMEGA 60 supports key aging pathways, including inflammaging, vascular aging, and cardiometabolic resilience, which influence multiple non-communicable disease pathways.
“Omega-3s remain a top supplement for consumers seeking wellness and longevity,” adds Merethe Thomassen, Marketing & Communications Manager, GC Rieber VivoMega. “This is because of the thousands of clinical studies that have shown support for various areas of health, including a healthy inflammatory response, heart health, eye health, and cognitive function.” Thomassen says the company’s portfolio of omega-3 concentrates are sought out for being naturally derived and clinically backed.
Beyond omegas, Majeed notes, “Curcuminoids continue to be foundational to healthspan due to their clinically demonstrated ability to help manage oxidative stress and inflammation, two central contributors to age-related functional decline.” With a focus on overall vitality, Sabinsa has invested in its Curcumin C3 Complex and C3 Reduct, Nigellin (Nigella sativa extract), and LactoSpore (Heyndrickxia coagulans, formerly Bacillus coagulans, MTCC 5856) product lines to meet the expectations of consumers wanting more from their healthspan products.
Joint & muscle health: Bioiberica's star solutions in this space: Collavant n2, Mobilee, and Dermial, which address several of the most critical aspects of healthspan support, including holistic mobility, joint and muscle health, as well as skin health, says Gómez Navarro.
Deploying AI to help create unique healthspan solutions: “TSI Group has developed Tailored Script, a first-of-its-kind offering that personalizes consumer supplementation. The innovative approach uses practitioner insights and AI-powered analysis to create individualized supplement formulas delivered in a once-daily pod,” says Shawn Baier MS, MBA, Senior Director, Global Ingredient Science, TSI Group. “For 2026, TSI Group’s emphasis is on advancing complete, tailored, total‑health solutions with the right combinations, delivery methods and clinical oversight...Our three science-backed ingredients that directly support consumers’ most important healthspan priorities are: OptiCreatine, myHMB, and Hobamine.”
“In today’s wellness-driven economy, consumers aren’t just buying products—they’re investing in results,” says Angie Rimel, Marketing Communications Manager, GELITA. “Bioactive Collagen Peptides (BCP) with unique characteristics, like GELITA’s portfolio of BCP, are well-defined, specific chains of amino acids derived from the targeted enzymatic hydrolysis of collagen, have become foundational in healthy foods, supplements and beverages all around the world.” Gelita’s BCP portfolio has options to support skin, hair and nail beauty, bone stability and strength, joint mobility, strong tendons and ligaments, improved body composition and enhanced endurance performance.
Also championing collagen, Charron notes that Lonza Capsugel’s UC-II undenatured type II colagen ingredient is perfectly positioned to help brands capitalize on the growing number of healthspan-focused consumers.
Rajat Shah, Co-Founder, Nutriventia LLC explained how his company observes the needs of consumers to formulate ingredients that offer support across several longevity factors. "At Nutriventia, we are focused on three flagship ingredients to help healthspan-focused consumers achieve their wellness goals: TurmXTRA, Prolanza, and Melotime. Each targets a distinct pillar of healthy aging mobility and recovery, stress and cognitive resilience, and restorative sleep while being rigorously validated for safety, efficacy, and format flexibility. Together, they provide a holistic approach to supporting long-term physical, mental, and emotional health, helping consumers not just live longer, but maintain quality, independence, and vitality throughout life."
Forever young
In 2026, the industry will take more steps toward shifting from simple anti-aging messaging towards more personalized, all-encompassing functional health. “One of the biggest trends emerging in the industry in 2026 is a more personalized approach to healthy longevity,” says Dr. Darrin Starkey, ND, Director of Education at Trace. “While consumers are increasingly drawn to flashy, trend-driven ingredients, market data continues to show that foundational, time-tested essentials drive sustained demand and measurable results.” Those essentials include electrolytes and creatine, which Trace is focusing on to help consumers repel the negative impacts of aging. “It’s no longer enough to celebrate reaching 100 years old; today’s consumers want to understand how well they can live to 100, with greater energy, mobility, and cognitive health.”
To help the industry meet consumer needs, the Naturally Informed session Healthspan Sales Drivers to Fuel Growth in 2026 answers key questions regarding the pathway to success in this space. WF
