Giving Aging the A-OK

Highlights

• Boomers seek healthy aging, not anti-aging, products.
• Consumers across generations prioritize exercising for healthy aging.
• Supplement preferences shift with age.
• Healthy aging products target joint, bone, muscle, and immune health.
• Healthy aging products use vitamins, minerals, protein, and functional ingredients.

Shift from Anti-Aging to Healthy Aging

“Rather than covering up age, products that promote a healthier, longer life in a positive way are what Baby Boomers seek now,” says Niki Kennedy, Director of Insights & content at Glanbia Nutritionals. “Products labeled as ‘anti-aging’ are decreasing,” she notes, in favor of messaging around healthy aging.

Simply put, healthy aging is about postponing or reducing the undesired effects of aging. For Boomers, who are known for being active and engaged right into their retirement years, healthy aging signifies maintaining their lifestyle. They want to feel strong, energized, and able to do the things they enjoy throughout their aging journey.

Top Health Concerns by Age and Gender

The most important health concerns for Boomers and Gen X are overall physical health, followed by heart health, and healthy weight.¹ After these, Boomers prioritize longevity and cognitive abilities, while mental health, stress, and sleep quality are important for Gen X.²

A closer look at health concerns by age and gender reveals some nuanced differences. Heart health and blood pressure are the top concerns for women ages 66-75, while weight management is the number one health concern for women ages 46-55 (a period that corresponds to perimenopause).³ For men ages 46-65, weight also shows up as a concern.⁴

With age, gut health, bone and joint health, and heart health all become greater concerns to people.⁵ By contrast, concerns over energy and stamina, which is fairly common for Millennials and Gen Z, decrease with age.⁶ The most common health issues reported by people ages 56 and older are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, and allergies.⁷

Consumers Prioritize Exercise for Healthy Aging

For Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials, regular physical exercise is the number one step being taken to age healthily.⁸ Men and women ages 56-75 are most likely to be exercising to keep their hearts healthy.⁹ For those ages 36-55, men are also primarily motivated by heart health, whereas women are most likely to be exercising to lose weight (with heart health coming in second).¹⁰

Supplement Preferences Change with Age

Using supplements is another approach consumers of all generations are taking to support their health. While Gen Z and Millennials are most likely to choose multivitamin-mineral supplements, a shift toward taking individual vitamins and minerals occurs as people age. 

The top supplements used by Boomer males are vitamin D, vitamin C, and men’s multivitamin-mineral supplements; for Boomer females, it’s vitamin D, vitamin C, and calcium.¹¹ Probiotic supplements play a bigger role for women, showing up in the top three for Millennial and Gen X females.¹²

Healthy Aging Products are Changing the Game

Today’s older consumers are interested in products that can help them stay healthy, and they have the means to purchase them. As the country’s wealthiest generation, Boomers have a strong influence on marketing decisions, including driving the development of healthy aging products that can meet their specific needs.

Explore our latest Boomer insights and product concepts.

Healthy aging products in the market range from bone and joint supplements to immune support beverages. These are often formulated with vitamins, minerals, and protein, as well as a wide variety of functional ingredients. Globally, supplement launches with major aging-related claims are growing.¹³

Health Aging Ingredients and Benefits

The most important consideration for healthy aging products, though, is that they address the top health and wellness concerns related to growing older—such as maintaining joint mobility, strong bones and muscles, and a healthy immune system. 

Discover the key to healthy aging with our comprehensive guide on nutritional solutions that support longevity and vitality.

Examples of innovative healthy aging ingredients from our portfolio include: 

CollaMeta™ 

Traditional collagen peptides face absorption challenges due to large molecule size, limiting their effectiveness. Collameta offers a highly potent and absorbable collagen tripeptide, simplifying formulation and enhancing efficacy.

CuroWhite®

Used in joint and immune health products, CuroWhite has all the benefits of curcumin but with a milder taste, improved solubility, and a colorless format for use in a wider range of applications. 

TruCal®

For optimal bone support, this balanced milk mineral complex contains calcium plus five other essential minerals in similar proportions to the composition of bone—unlike calcium carbonate and TCP. 

PepForm® Leucine

To maintain muscle during aging, adequate protein is essential, with leucine as the key amino acid that triggers muscle protein synthesis. Our whey-derived PepForm Leucine is both soluble and highly bioavailable. 

Custom Premix Solutions

We offer off-the-shelf premixes to support cognition, heart health, eye health, and more—plus custom premixes for a healthy aging formulation unique to your product.

Contact Glanbia Nutritionals to learn more about these and our other health-supporting bioactive ingredients, as well as how to create healthy aging products that will appeal to each generation.

References

1-4. Glanbia Nutritionals, Health & Wellness Consumer U&A Study – US, 2023.
5-6. Innova Market Insights, Trends Insider: Global Healthy Aging: A Generational Approach, December 2023
7. Glanbia Nutritionals, Health & Wellness Consumer U&A Study – US, 2023.
8. Innova Market Insights, Trends Insider: Global Healthy Aging: A Generational Approach, December 2023.
9-12. Glanbia Nutritionals, Health & Wellness Consumer U&A Study – US, 2023.
13. Innova Market Insights, Trends Insider: Global Healthy Aging: A Generational Approach, December 2023.