Over the past 20 years the average age of people worldwide has increased. This trend will continue and only become stronger in the future.
According to the United Nations, by 2050 the number of people over 65 will increase by almost 50 percent in Europe and North America, and by almost 180 percent in Central and South Asia, due to rising prosperity and advances in medicine, hygiene and nutrition. This makes it even more important to maintain physical and mental health for as long as possible, and lead an active and healthy life into old age. In other words, healthy ageing.
Micronutrients play a key role in this. They are involved in over 100,000 metabolic processes in the body, and are thus of great importance for healthy ageing and the prevention of age-related diseases. SternVitamin has developed an extensive range of micronutrient premixes for healthy ageing.
In developing these premixes, the company’s experts considered not only the specific requirements of different age groups, but also gender-specific needs. One example is SternWoman 45+. This premix for capsules and tablets benefits women in the perimenopausal phase, which comes with various physiological changes. These can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases; hence prevention is of high priority.
Healthy ageing as a lifelong task
According to Innova Market Insights, two out of three consumers worldwide consider gut health to be vital for overall wellness. The premix SternGutFeeling for instant drinks supports the gut-associated immune system with a combination of micronutrients, fibre with prebiotic and immune-modulating properties, and green tea extract to benefit the gut microbiota. This premix is developed for products intended for stressed-out people, athletes, weekend warriors and students.
The world’s most frequent cause of death is ischaemic heart disease, at 16 percent of all deaths. It is preceded by coronary heart diseases, which are caused by unhealthy lifestyles. Accordingly, prevention plays a major role here. To support cardiovascular health, SternVitamin has developed SternHeartV for dairy alternatives. A plant-based diet combined with the right micronutrients promotes heart health. “Customer interest in micronutrient premixes for plant-based products is growing,” explains Dr Christina Mesch, Head of Product Management at SternVitamin. “That is why we developed this premix for dairy alternatives together with our sister company Planteneers.”
For bone health it is very important to achieve optimal bone mineral density by age 30, especially for women. Calcium, vitamin K and vitamin D are critical nutrients for bone health. SternOsteo contains these and other micronutrients for healthy bones. This premix is developed for gummy supplements.
Healthy and fit into old age
Healthy joints are a key mobility factor at any age. SternJointsChondro and SternJointsCollagen are premixes for instant drinks intended for the best agers, seniors and active people. They contain ingredients like glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, hyaluronic acid and collagen peptides, which are important building blocks of cartilage and joint fluid. While vitamin C in cartilage supports collagen synthesis, vitamin E, selenium and zinc protect from oxidative stress, which can play a role in inflammatory joint diseases. Anti-inflammatory plant extracts like green tea and ginger extract complete the premixes.
Micronutrients are also vital for mitochondrial function. With increasing age, energy production in the cells drops off. SternMitoEnergy for capsules supports mitochondrial function and counteracts reactive oxygen species, thanks to its combination of B vitamins, vitamins C, D and E, selenium, I-carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid, plus pomegranate and green tea extract.
SternBestAger 55+ was developed to compensate for nutritional deficiencies frequently encountered in old age. The premix for tablets supplies all important vitamins and minerals. The high content of vitamin B12 and folic acid are particularly noteworthy. These balance the reduced absorption of these vitamins in old age. The product also contains vitamin D to compensate for reduced synthesis in the skin. A special feature of SternBestAger 55+ is that it is divided into two premixes, with iron separate from absorption-blocking factors like calcium and zinc.
Further premixes from SternVitamin’s product line for healthy ageing are SternCogni+ to improve cognitive performance and memory, SternVista for retaining vision, SternVitality for boosting mental performance and SternSomnia Quality for improved quality of sleep.
