In 2026, living well into older age requires ensuring inflammation in the body is under control and brain cell ageing is slowed or reversed. By using a plethora of new ingredient development, supplements and functional food brands are offering products that proactively preclude age-related physical and mental decline. See also Mainstreaming Anti-Inflammatory Wellness in Food + Health Trends 26/27. 

In addition to growing evidence of microbiome’s links to overall physical and mental wellness, gut functionality and comfort continue to be top of mind for both consumers and ingredient developers. Ingredients that secure the gut barrier and provide relief for dietary concerns like IBS are increasingly sophisticated, while a diverse range of dietary fibre sources is becoming commercially available.

Nutraceutical developers are investing in side effect-free natural ingredients that target the primary brain health concerns of consumers across age groups: namely, sleep, stress and anxiety, and cognitive performance. These ingredients build upon the multitude of solutions tracked across our Wellness Ingredients to Watch report series.

The weight management nutraceuticals industry is continuing to be reshaped by the growing ubiquitousness of GLP-1 agonists. Here, researchers and developers are investigating new natural ingredients that regulate appetite in a similar way to these drugs. Meanwhile, others focus on adjacent priorities, like metabolism support and blood sugar control.