Personalized nutrition for longevity

Personalized nutrition for longevity aims to customize people’s diet to their unique situation –genetics, habits, medical history, microbiota – so that individuals can live longer and healthier lives. In a collaboration between the Innovation Institute for Food & Health, UC Davis Graduate School of Management, and Barnstorm Foundry, this report outlines the current state of the market for personalized nutrition for longevity, including customer segmentation and business models. Technologically savvy self-optimizers, young health-conscious professionals, and older professionals and retirees encompass the archetype consumers of the longevity business; their inherently distinctive longevity goals motivate them to seek different products. Companies in this space aim to meet the needs of these consumers by offering 1) testing and diagnostics, 2) dietary supplements and physical products, and 3) personalized recommendations. This report recommends businesses focus on refining their ability to create recommendations and make it as easy as possible for consumers to stay engaged with their data and to act based on it. As an industry in its infancy, incoming and existing companies in the personalized nutrition for longevity business must address the underlying ethical concerns of extending lifespans, such as data privacy and disparities in accessibility. But most importantly, the biggest challenge remains to not only extend the lifespan of people but to extend it while in good health.