Healthspan is emerging as a major opportunity for the nutrition industry.
If the approach to healthspan product development is simply to combine “longevity ingredients”, the science of ageing suggests it may be time to rethink that strategy.
Ageing is increasingly understood as a network of interconnected biological processes rather than a collection of isolated age-related concerns.1,2
The healthspan era therefore calls for a new way of thinking about product development: what healthspan priorities matter for the intended population, and what biology should be supported to address them?
This shift has brought renewed attention to the hallmarks of ageing framework to understand the interconnected biology that shapes healthy ageing. But identifying relevant biological mechanisms is only the beginning. Human evidence and meaningful, measurable outcomes matter, as do effective dose, bioavailability, stability and dosage-form fit.
Together, these considerations are reshaping not only how healthspan products should be developed, but also what developers should look for in an ingredient. AstaReal® Natural Astaxanthin offers a compelling example of this new approach.
The hallmarks of ageing: A framework, not a claims checklist
First proposed in 2013 and expanded in 2023, the hallmarks of ageing framework describes 12 inter-related biological processes that contribute to ageing, classified into three categories.
Primary Hallmarks represent sources of cellular damage that accumulate over time. Antagonistic hallmarks reflect responses to that damage that may initially be adaptive or protective but can become detrimental when sustained or dysregulated. Integrative hallmarks arise as the downstream effects of these processes converge, contributing more directly to declining tissue homeostasis, function and resilience.1,2
Importantly, the 12 hallmarks should not be viewed as independent ageing processes. Their classification reflects a broader progression from cellular damage, through biological responses to that damage, to increasingly systemic and functional consequences.
At the same time, the hallmarks interact across categories, creating feedback and reinforcing effects throughout the ageing process, as shown below in Figure 1.
Together, the hallmarks provide a biological map for understanding the complex biology of ageing. But to read that map dynamically, it is important to understand not only which hallmarks are involved, but how they evolve over time and interact with one another.
Rethinking product development in the healthspan era
The hallmarks of ageing framework highlights an important consideration for healthspan product development: changes in ageing biology may begin before functional decline becomes apparent.
Healthspan nutrition is therefore not only about responding to age-related decline, but also about supporting the underlying biology that helps maintain function and resilience over time.
The starting point for product development should be the healthspan objective and not an ingredient or an individual hallmark. Healthspan is multidimensional, spanning physical, cognitive and sensory function, metabolic health and resilience.3,4
A broad healthspan formulation may address several complementary domains, while a more targeted product may prioritise one or two. The key is to first define the target population and the healthspan outcomes that matter for them.
“Longevity” itself is not a practical endpoint for most nutrition products. It must be translated into outcomes that can be studied and monitored. These priorities can then guide the identification of relevant ageing biology and the choice of clinical endpoints, biomarkers and, ultimately, ingredients and ingredient combinations.
Two gates for ingredient selection
Once the healthspan objective and relevant biology have been identified, potential ingredients need to pass through two important gates: an evidence gate and a formulation gate.
The evidence gate asks whether there is credible human evidence to support an ingredient’s relevance to the intended healthspan objective. Mechanistic and preclinical evidence can establish biological plausibility, but developers should also consider whether the ingredient has been studied in a relevant population, at an achievable dose and against outcomes relevant to the intended objective.5
The formulation gate asks whether that evidence can be translated into a viable product. Can an evidence-based dose be delivered in the intended dosage form? Is the ingredient sufficiently bioavailable and stable? Is it compatible with other ingredients?
Passing one gate does not guarantee passing the other. A compelling biological rationale without relevant human evidence may be insufficient to support ingredient selection. Equally, strong clinical evidence may have limited practical value if the evidence-based dose or formulation cannot realistically be delivered in the intended product.
Together, these two gates provide a practical bridge between the biology of ageing and the development of credible healthspan products – helping ensure that ingredient selection is guided not simply by mechanistic potential, but by human evidence and real-world formulation feasibility.
Figure 2. From healthspan objective to a viable product: A science-guided framework for healthspan product development
From biological relevance to human evidence
Healthspan-oriented product development places new demands on ingredient selection. The strongest candidates are those whose biological actions are relevant to the intended healthspan objective and are supported by evidence that these actions translate into outcomes in people.
AstaReal natural astaxanthin provides a foundation to bring these two dimensions together: broad biological relevance across inter-linked processes associated with healthy ageing, supported by an extensive body of human clinical research.
Mechanistic and preclinical research has shown that astaxanthin interacts with multiple biological processes involved in cellular resilience and homeostasis, including mitochondrial function, energy metabolism, oxidative stress responses, inflammation, nutrient sensing and cellular quality control.
Importantly, research is beginning to reveal how these processes are closely associated. For example, AstaReal astaxanthin has been shown to activate AMPK signaling, with downstream upregulation of SIRT1 and PGC-1α thereby enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and energy metabolism.6
Other research using AstaReal astaxanthin suggests that regulation of IGF-1/Akt/FoxO3a and IGF-1/Akt/mTOR signaling may contribute to the induction of autophagy.7 Together, these findings illustrate how astaxanthin can influence such interacting biological networks rather than isolated pathways – providing mechanistic links to multiple hallmarks of ageing.
Importantly, this biological relevance is accompanied by substantial human evidence. AstaReal astaxanthin has been investigated in more than 85 human clinical studies across multiple physiological functions and life stages, including physical performance and recovery, metabolic health, cognition, vision and skin health.
Taken together, mechanistic insights and evidence from human studies provide a strong scientific foundation for the use of AstaReal astaxanthin as a multifunctional ingredient in healthspan-oriented product development, linking the biology of ageing with multiple aspects of healthy function across the lifespan.
Build around the healthspan objective
This broad scientific foundation also creates flexibility in formulation design. Starting with the intended healthspan objective, developers can identify the biological processes and functional outcomes most relevant to that objective and then build a formulation around them.
AstaReal astaxanthin can serve as a multifunctional foundation, with complementary ingredients selected to support additional or overlapping biological needs.
For example, a formulation focused on mobility and muscle function may combine astaxanthin with protein, vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids, while a vision-focused formulation may incorporate lutein.
Metabolic or cognitive formulations can similarly be designed around the biology most relevant to their intended outcomes. The aim is to build a rational combination in which complementary ingredients and mechanisms work together toward a clearly defined healthspan objective.
Beyond the ingredient: Effective delivery
Scientific evidence and ingredient selection are only part of translating healthspan science into a successful finished product. Effective delivery also matters. Astaxanthin is naturally lipophilic and is typically formulated in oil-based formats, which can limit its use in other dosage forms. Bioavailability is also an important consideration, as effective absorption depends on how astaxanthin is formulated and delivered.
AstaReal CLEAR is an astaxanthin emulsion designed to improve dispersibility and enhance bioavailability of astaxanthin by applying delivery technology, while expanding formulation possibilities beyond conventional oil-based capsules.
This demonstrates how ingredient science and formulation technology can work together: scientific evidence establishes relevance to the intended healthspan objective, while effective delivery helps translate that evidence into practical and versatile product solutions.
Bringing healthspan science into practice
The opportunity in healthspan nutrition is not simply to add more “longevity ingredients”, but to design products around a defined objective, relevant ageing biology, human evidence and practical delivery. AstaReal natural astaxanthin shows what this looks like in practice: a clear mechanistic rationale, a growing body of human research, and a formulation profile that translates into real products.
The combination of robust clinical evidence and versatility across delivery formats is what makes AstaReal astaxanthin a compelling hero ingredient for healthspan-focused development.
References
- López-Otín, C.; et al. The hallmarks of aging. Cell. 2013;153(6):1194–1217.
- López-Otín, C.; et al. Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe. Cell. 2023;186(2):243–278.
- World Health Organization. Healthy ageing and functional ability.
- Kaufman, MW.; et al. Nutritional Supplements for Healthy Aging: A Critical Analysis Review. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2024;19(3):346–360.
- Vaiserman, A.; et al. Implementation of longevity-promoting supplements and medications in public health practice: achievements, challenges and future perspectives. J Transl Med. 2017;15:160.
- Nishida, Y.; et al. Astaxanthin stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis in insulin resistant muscle via activation of AMPK pathway. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2020;11(1):241–258.
- Fu, M.; et al. Astaxanthin delays brain aging in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 10: inducing autophagy as a potential mechanism. Nutr Neurosci. 2023;26(5):445–455.
