Longevity: More to come from government-funded research and businesses
From the Singapore government pouring funds into longevity research to the popularity of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) in Hong Kong and China, longevity and healthspan are topics that readily come to mind when discussing supplement trends in Asia-Pacific in recent years, and the trend does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Over the next five years, Singapore is pouring funds into deepening research, talent pool, and innovation in the longevity space.
The National Research Foundation announced last month that it is introducing its first Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 (RIE 2030) Grand Challenge in Maximizing Healthy and Successful Longevity, primarily focused on brain health and physical function.
In response to Singapore’s rapidly aging population, this challenge seeks to advance the understanding of the biology of aging and enable early, effective intervention. By 2030, around one in four Singaporeans will be 65 years of age or older. Today, there is about a 10-year age gap between lifespan and healthspan for Singaporeans.
Including longevity research, the government is investing SGD$37 billion (US$28.8bn) — approximately 1% of GDP — in research, innovation, and enterprise in the next five years, starting April 2026. Outside of healthy longevity, the government is also funding research in the semiconductor sector, with more areas to be announced.
This builds upon the strong momentum in Singapore’s healthy longevity space in the past year, including the opening of a new clinical trial center dedicated to longevity and healthspan research by the National University of Singapore’s medical school last October.
On the business front, even Japanese beer maker Kirin, also the parent company of Blackmores, has earmarked cellular senescence—one of the 12 Hallmarks of Aging—as part of its R&D pipeline during its R&D Day held last month and is studying the plant Agrimonia pilosa, commonly known in Japan as “Kinmizuhiki”.
In addition, developing economies like the Philippines are now catching up with the idea of longevity clinics, according to New Zealand-based MitoQ, a company specializing in supplements for mitochondrial health.
One example is House of Gaia, which is described as the Philippines’ first longevity medicine center and “dedicated to reversing biological aging and chronic disease through ancient healing, lifestyle change, and modern science.”
Jess Yip, head of market development for Asia Pacific at MitoQ, noted that Asia is emerging as a hub of innovation, with healthcare professionals in the region demonstrating greater awareness of mitochondrial health solutions than expected.
“A lot of the Asian markets seem to be at the forefront with a lot of innovation…But we were actually very surprised when we found out that many doctors already knew about MitoQ and Mitoquinol, when we thought we were introducing it to them for the first time," she said.
What’s driving the trend? MitoQ’s take
The healthcare professionals could have come across MitoQ through their desktop research, but the company has also been providing its foundational product, MitoQ Pure, which contains mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoQ Mitoquinol, for clinical research to researchers around the world.
As of December 2025, the company is involved in about 20 clinical trials, studying endpoints from mild cognitive impairment to heart disease and kidney function.
MitoQ’s chief science officer, Dr. Siobhan Mitchell, believes that heightened health consciousness post-COVID-19, along with the growing pursuit of a longer healthspan, makes longevity and healthspan a category for the supplement industry to watch this year.
“People are living longer but not necessarily living better,” she said. “There is a global problem with obesity and metabolic disorders like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. I think there’s a wake-up call in the last few years that it’s going to be up to you to take care of yourself and have as much independence as long as possible.”
Learning from nature
Targeting the mitochondria could be a promising approach to improving healthspan, Dr. Mitchell said, citing studies on how animals with long lifespan, including the Greenland shark and the Galapagos tortoise, were shown to have “tougher mitochondria.” The sharks can live to 500 years, while tortoises can live over 100 years.
“Their mitochondria are tougher,” she explained. “They have less leakage of oxidative stress to the rest of the cell. This means that the cell is more protected from its mitochondria, and these mitochondria also have less lipid peroxidation, which is a type of damage to the membrane of the mitochondria. If your membrane and mitochondria are working well, you can make more ATP and energy. This allows tissue and DNA repair.”
She sees ingredients such as fucoxanthin (a carotenoid in seaweed), S-equol (an isoflavone from soy), New Zealand blackcurrants, and ergothioneine as interesting candidates for supporting longevity.
MitoQ, for example, is already using its MitoQPrime L-Ergothioneine and its patented antioxidant MitoQ Mitoquinol in its product MitoQ Derma Elite for supporting oxidative stress management and cellular health.
She noted that this year’s R&D pipeline should address unmet consumer needs like sleep issues, while also focusing on cellular mechanisms and synergistic effects between ingredients.
Women’s health: Active involvement from brands to retailers
Like longevity and healthspan, women’s health is a strategic focus for companies big and small, including Nestlé.
The company first announced women’s health as a new growth platform during the release of its FY24 financial results last February.
More can be expected from the company as it seeks to expand global research partnerships in this area.
Within APAC, Nestlé Health Science announced last November that it is working with Melbourne-based Australia Catholic University to accelerate startup innovation through its incubator program in women’s health, healthy longevity, and weight management.
“The strategic partnerships with the universities allow us to work with entrepreneurs to help them bring highly differentiated products to the market in three key areas: women’s health, healthy longevity, and weight management,” said Hans Manning, vice president of innovation & strategy at the R&D center for Nestlé Health Science in Bridgewater, New Jersey. “The ultimate aim is to provide science-based, groundbreaking nutritional solutions to advance the health status of consumers and patients.”
Elsewhere in New Zealand, major supplement player Healthcare by Douglas (previously part of Douglas Pharmaceuticals) launched a women’s wellness brand, Cadence, just two months ago.
Prior to this, the company was known for its flagship supplement brand Clinicians, which tackles multiple areas, including general health, digestive health, stress, and mood.
Retailers showing more initiative
It is not only the product manufacturers that are paying attention to women’s health.
Retailers are also starting to see the relevance of menopause support products to their business.
From mid-2026, pharmacy chains Guardian and Mannings will be featuring “menopause-friendly” product aisles in five Asian markets, namely Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Macau.
This is part of their partnership with UK company GenM that runs the certification program MTick. The certification is given to supplements, skincare, cosmetics, and other products that support any of the 48 identified signs of menopause.
What about maternal health?
In the subset of maternal health, two key trends can be expected, especially in China, according to Nestlé.
First is the demand for full-cycle and refined solutions. This is against the backdrop of Chinese women increasingly seeking targeted and stage-specific nutritional solutions.
Citing data from Tmall Global Maternal & Pregnancy Trends White Paper, Nestlé noted that nearly 93% of expectant and postpartum mothers select products based on their pregnancy stage needs. This reflects a shift to refined, personalized health management.
Just last month, Nestlé announced that it is launching two new products—for pregnancy and post-birth—to further complement the existing range of its maternal health brand Materna Expert. These products will launch in China first via cross-border e-commerce (CBEC).
The second trend that the company has observed is the demand for “all-in-one consumption”.
“Overall, 42% of mothers in China show a preference for all-in-one nutritional supplements that can meet multiple needs in one solution, reflecting the pursuit of convenience and efficiency while ensuring safety,” a Nestlé spokesperson told NI, citing data from Tmall’s White Paper.
To capitalize on the two key trends, the company has outlined three key strategies for this year.
This includes deepening innovation in personalized nutrition for different life stages.
In the case of its Materna brand in China, the company said it would continue to focus on enriching nutrition for each maternal stage.
“We will enrich the Materna range to deliver precise nutrition for each maternal stage, integrating global scientific achievements with local insights to address the needs of women in China,” the spokesperson said.
Nestlé will also continue to drive advanced and science-backed product innovation, which it said would leverage its cutting-edge innovation and scientific expertise to deliver Materna products “with proven efficacy validated by clinical studies, providing full-cycle support and care tailored to expectant and postpartum mothers in China.”
Lastly, the company plans to pursue a multi-channel sales strategy, with CBEC as a key driver, to enhance the accessibility and user experience of its products in China.
Sleep, fatigue, and stress support: Beyond magnesium and melatonin
Sleep and stress support is another category to pay attention to in 2026, following the magnesium boom in markets like Australia last year, as consumers sought out alternatives to melatonin.
“Sleep will remain one of the most important pillars in well-being. As daily life becomes more demanding, people are recognizing that sleep is not optional; it is foundational,” said Nicole O’Neil, founder of Australia-based BonPatch, who counts the SLEEP transdermal delivery patch as the firm’s bestseller. “Sleep is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Consumers are also more discerning, looking for gentler, non-habit-forming tools that integrate seamlessly into their lifestyles.”
She believes that products that help calm the body, regulate wind-down routines, and encourage restorative rest will continue to be a core part of the wellness market.
“We see sleep support evolving into a long-term growth category rather than a trend,” she said.
In Japan, the demand for sleep, fatigue, and stress support is especially pronounced, with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), known for its relaxation and sleep improvement benefits, the most popular ingredient in Foods with Function Claims (FFC) between April 2024 and March last year.
Sleep support was also one of the top 10 most common claims made by FFCs during the period.
In fact, GABA has been topping the most popular FFC ingredient list consecutively in the past five years.
Seeing the persistent demand for sleep and stress support products, Rohto Pharmaceutical has decided to focus on this area when introducing products from its Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) subsidiary Eu Yan Sang for the Japanese market.
In March, it will be launching Eu Yan Sang Cordyceps on e-commerce, marking the Singapore-based brand’s debut in Japan. The capsule product contains Cordyceps sinensis powder and is priced at JPY7,020 (US$44.83) for a bottle of 30 capsules.
Cordyceps sinensis is traditionally used in traditional Chinese medicine for immune regulation and fatigue recovery.
“With an increasing number of people experiencing stress, fatigue, and lack of sleep, this product is the first in the series to propose a new self-care habit of ‘nurturing the vital origin—the source of life force,” the company noted.
Citing data from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s (MHLW) National Health and Nutrition Survey, Rohto Pharmaceutical said that the number of people who “did not get enough rest through sleep” had increased 1.6 times from 15.6% in 2012 to 25% in 2023—the latest figure obtained from the ministry.
Another survey on Occupational Safety and Health, also conducted by the MHLW, reported that the number of people with “strong anxiety and stress at work” had increased by 1.3 times from 52.3% in 2013 to 68.3% in 2024.
At the same time, Rohto Pharmaceuticals has observed a growing traditional medicine and herb market in Japan, which makes ingredients like cordyceps an attractive option.
“There is a growing need to incorporate natural ingredients into daily life, making ‘food’ more important than ever in the field of pre-disease prevention,” the company stated.
In a joint study with Mie University, Rohto Pharmaceuticals also reported that cordyceps (Hirsutella sinensis mycelium) could promote neurite outgrowth, produce anti-anxiety effects, and improve learning function. Findings of the zebrafish animal study were presented at the 71st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy last September.
Biotics potential
Calbee is another Japanese company that is driving innovation in sleep support with the use of biotics. According to Dr. Hirofumi Masutomi, section manager of the functional research section at Calbee’s R&D division, prebiotics could provide a novel approach to improving sleep quality.
So far, the company has shown how mixed prebiotic and granola consumption could improve subjective sleep quality and alleviate mental and physical stress states.
In this category, ADM’s Sleep, Stress & Mood Report highlights the promising role of biotics in sleep support, showcasing its postbiotic Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 as an example.
The interest in biotics for sleep and stress support was also highest among Chinese respondents, with 43% expressing interest in pro- or postbiotics and 45% keen on prebiotics or fiber, which was double the global average of 20%.
