For most of humanity’s 2.8 million-year existence, life expectancy barely budged. But, over the last century, advances in medicine, public health and living standards have pushed global longevity from 32 years in 1900 to over 71 today.
A decline in child morality- a key indicator of social and economic development- has been the stellar metric of the 20th and 21st centuries. Yet, people of all ages, from infants to older adults, are not only living longer, but better.
Longevity researchers have turned their attention away from how long people live to take a closer look at how these longer lifecycles are experienced. A 2016 study, for instance, found that the first 1,000 days of a person’s life- from conception to age two- foreshadow how a person’s body will develop, repair and age.
During the gestational period especially, nutrient deficiencies can lead to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and an increased risk for developing chronic health challenges in adulthood.
Dietary quality permanently influences the way organs mature; poor nutrition can alter the development of the gut, heart, pancreas, and brain, raising lifelong risks for type-2 diabetes, obesity, and coronary disease.
Proper maternal and early-life nutrition, by contrast, builds resilient metabolic, cognitive and immune foundations which ultimately contribute to a longer healthspan and reduced illness risks through adulthood.
The data is clear: wellness is a daily and personalized practice, starting from the earliest developmental stages and onto adulthood. And, as signaled by the Mckinsey’s Future of Wellness study, the trend is here to stay; 60% of consumers deem healthy aging as a “top” or “very important” priority into 2026.
These shifts in individuals’ lifestyles and market demands have not gone unnoticed by health companies. Rather than opting for the traditional reactive approach to disease, innovators have developed solutions that prioritize quality, microbiome stability, and metabolic programming.
And while longevity can mean different things to consumers- from preserving one’s independence to preventing chronic disease and keeping energy levels high throughout one’s lifespan- the market has adapted.
Nature’s gold standard
Although healthcare is typically framed as relevant only once disease arises, it should extend into our daily routines- and from the earliest stages of life.
Breastmilk, for instance, provides bioactive factors- including immunomodulating components, antimicrobials and prebiotics- which modulate the development of an infant’s microbiome and immune system.
Breastfeeding, as it turns out, impacts longevity from infancy, through adolescence and into adulthood. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH), breastmilk helps protect children from infections, and reduces the risk of obesity, type-1 diabetes and childhood leukaemia.
Beyond physical benefits, children who have been properly breastfed show higher IQ levels and are at a lower risk for developing neurodivergent conditions.
Regardless, 50% of mothers experience perceived insufficient milk supply, and three in five infants globally are not breastfed in the first hour of life due to lacking support to mothers- putting infants at higher risk for disease.
Milk supply in breastfeeding mothers also adds to the challenge, as factors like hormones, stress, and frequent pumping lead to quantity fluctuations that parents often struggle with.
Rising to the challenge, Harmony Baby Nutrition– an MIT-based biotechnology company- have developed new supplements that replicate key components in breastmilk, supporting early brain development and, ultimately, helping protect individuals as they grow into adulthood.
Like many startups, Harmony was born from personal experience. When founder and CEO Wendel Alfonso turned to instant formula during his family’s feeding challenges, he discovered that his second child was allergic to cow’s milk.
Alfonso then developed Harmony’s unique baby nutrition formula, which uses human breastmilk proteins as base rather than cow’s or goat’s milk- as traditional formulas do.
Harmony’s first product, Melodi, a specialized toddler formula, has demonstrated 61% higher sensory preference compared to standard-of-care hypoallergenic products in independent studies.
Because breastmilk is essential for proper development and growth, its key characteristics are near impossible to replicate; most options available in the market contain dairy, soy, sugar and preservatives that prevent proper nutrient absorption.
Unlike traditional formulas that rely heavily on added sugars and industrial cow’s milk-derived ingredients, Harmony’s approach goes back to our nutritional roots. Cow’s milk production drives over 80% of infant formula’s carbon footprint, and Harmony’s dairy-free innovation aims to slash emissions, while improving nutrition and taste.
The company is now raising a community round on Wefunder, inviting individuals to support its science-driven, sustainable approach to early-life nutrition.
Others have followed suit in such a nutritional revolution. North Carolina-based Biomilq, for instance, extracts cells and proteins from mammary cells to recreate its macronutrients and overall composition- while avoiding preservatives of additives detrimental to infants’ development.
But, the benefits of breastmilk are not exclusive to infants. While Helaina was founded in 2019 with the goal of giving parents more choice via humanized instant formula, their bio-identical lactoferrin, effera, has become a functional ingredient suitable for everyone- from infants to athletes and those seeking to improve their gut health.
Just as breastfeeding supports the development of the immune system during this critical time, the first 1,000 days of a person’s life also shape the foundations of their microbiome. Into adulthood, the gut’s role in nutrient absorption, energy expenditure, protein synthesis, and regulating blood flow remains critical.
From breast to gut: early strategies for health
For decades, physical discomfort- from diarrhea to constipation- and emotional swings have been attributed to mental illness. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, however, found that such impairments may actually come from irritation in the gastrointestinal system, which subsequently reflects on the central nervous system.
For this, a new wave of trailblazers have brought gut-health science directly into our homes, offering microbiome testing for infants, children, and adults.
Tiny Health, for one, has redefined how we think about preventative care and lifespan extension. As Harmony’s Alfonso, Tiny Health CEO Cheryl Sew Hoy founded the company in 2020 after her own child experienced gut-related eczema and food sensitivities.
By delivering advanced, high-resolution gut testing kits at home, Tiny Health helps families identify imbalances linked to chronic conditions years before symptoms appear – all while users monitor results in an app. “Microbiome testing offers a way to close that gap because it shifts us from reactive medicine to proactive, personalized prevention,” Sew Hoy told The Sociable.
Others have taken to improve immune function. Biombe, which alerts against allergies, chronic disease, and thyroid disorders by testing infants’ and children’s microbiome, offers tailored probiotic supplements.
Companies such as Washington-based start-up Sun Genomics provide custom probiotics based on gut microbiome testing. Sun Genomics’ flagship product, Floré, offers personalized probiotic supplements tailored to individual microbiome profiles.
Next steps towards infant health
Advances in newborn development continue to drive the evolution of early life nutrition, as the industry attempts to translate scientific discoveries into workable solutions through clinical research and creative collaborations.
With growing evidence linking nutrition, the microbiome, and early developmental outcomes, manufacturers now have a unique opportunity to provide meaningful innovations that support health from the first 1,000 days of life- onward.
Clean-label solutions are increasingly prioritized in this new age of product development. Progress in vitamin and probiotic supplementation- critical for immunological function, cellular development, and vision- now achieves improved stability, satisfying consumer demand for simpler and more transparent ingredient lists.
With 67% of parents concerned about additives in infant nutrition products- and 67% of younger consumers purchasing functional nutrition supplements in the past year- the shift toward clean-label solutions is reshaping development, without compromising on nutritional integrity.
Prevention is increasingly regarded as the most effective form of medicine. And, as it happens, proactivity is also where the market is going, led by innovators who prioritize timely interventions.
Featured image: Getty Images via Unsplash+
Disclosure: This article mentions a client of an Espacio portfolio company.
