As life expectancy continues to rise, so too does the need for health and nutrition solutions that support longer, healthier lives.
According to the United Nations World Population Prospects 2022, global life expectancy is projected to reach 76.4 years by 2050. This presents a clear opportunity for formulators to create science-led solutions in the healthy ageing space.
Among the most promising areas for innovation is the gut microbiome. A growing body of evidence suggests that supporting the gut through targeted nutrition, including the use of prebiotics, can play a key role in maintaining physical, cognitive and mental health through all stages of life.
The ageing gut: shifting microbial landscapes
The gut microbiota changes considerably throughout a lifetime. Ageing is typically associated with reduced microbial diversity, a decline in beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria, and an increase in other dominant strains. This imbalance can have far-reaching consequences; it’s been linked to declines in gut health, digestion, immune function, cognitive performance, and even mood.
Prebiotics offer a path forward – by selectively feeding good bacteria, they help to restore a beneficial microbiome composition, supporting digestive systems, nutrient absorption, regularity, and wider systemic functions. For brands developing health and nutrition products aimed at older adults, prebiotics can represent a highly flexible, evidence-backed ingredient to build into supplements, functional foods and ready-to-drink beverages that support daily wellness.
Reducing age-related digestive changes
Ageing brings natural changes to the digestive system that can affect daily comfort and function. Slower gastrointestinal motility can lead to constipation and bloating, while the gut lining may become more permeable, increasing the risk of inflammation and digestive discomfort. These physical changes, combined with shifts in gut microbiota, can compromise overall digestive efficiency.
Prebiotics like Bimuno® GOS offer targeted support by enhancing beneficial bacteria activity, stimulating the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and helping to maintain both motility and mucosal integrity – supporting more comfortable, regular digestion in later life.
Strengthening immune resilience
Immune function naturally declines with age in a process known as immunosenescence. This weakening of the immune system makes older adults more susceptible to infections and chronic inflammatory conditions. It’s increasingly clear that this decline has a connection to the changes occurring with the gut microbiota.
Prebiotics can help maintain a more robust immune response in adults through multiple mechanisms. By stimulating the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), they promote mucosal immunity, support barrier integrity in the gut lining, and reduce chronic immune activation. These benefits are particularly important for maintaining first-line defences and reducing systemic inflammation.
Bimuno GOS, our proprietary galactooligosaccharide ingredient, has been clinically shown to improve gut microbiota composition and immune markers in wide age ranges, from young to ageing, offering real-world applicability in products focused on immune support.
Supporting cognitive health through the gut-brain axis
Cognitive decline is another well-documented aspect of the ageing process. Functions such as memory, processing speed, sleep and emotional regulation can all be affected. But thanks to advancing research on the gut-brain axis, there are now clearer paths to support cognitive and mental resilience through gut modulation.
Galactooligosaccharides (GOS), such as Bimuno GOS, have been shown to regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reducing circulating cortisol (known as the ‘stress hormone’) and improving emotional processing. Clinical research has linked GOS intake to improved attention to positive stimuli and reduced anxiety, particularly valuable benefits for older adults looking to maintain cognitive sharpness and emotional balance.
These effects are measurable physiological responses, making prebiotics like Bimuno GOS especially attractive to formulators seeking to create cognitive support products for ageing consumers that are backed by clinical validation.
Bone health benefits: a less obvious but valuable application
Bone density typically begins to decline from midlife onwards, increasing the risk of fractures and other mobility-limiting conditions. While nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and others remain important, prebiotics are also showing promise as part of a broader bone health strategy. However, this is an area that requires more in-depth study.
Through their influence on the gut microbiota, prebiotics can enhance the absorption of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. SCFA production also supports osteoblast activity while reducing inflammation – two critical aspects of maintaining bone mass. Recent studies have even linked prebiotics to reduced bone resorption, helping preserve bone mineral density over time.
In the context of healthy ageing, these effects add further weight to the argument that the gut microbiome plays a foundational role across multiple body organ systems, not just digestion.
Bimuno GOS: a clinically supported solution for healthy ageing
Bimuno GOS has been shown to increase levels of bifidobacteria in older adults – one of the most important bacterial groups for maintaining gut health, yet one that declines with age.
In clinical studies, Bimuno GOS intake has led to meaningful improvements in gut barrier integrity, immune responsiveness, and cognitive and mental health. That makes it a versatile and science-backed tool for formulators targeting healthy ageing across multiple product categories, from gut health and immunity to cognitive support.
As our population ages, there’s a clear need to rethink how we approach wellness in later life. Prebiotics offer a smart, accessible and clinically proven pathway to do just that – starting with the gut.
Explore the science behind Bimuno GOS.
