International Day of Older Persons: Science to Promote Healthy Ageing

ITZIAR TUEROS and AINARA CANO, researchers at Food and Health

ESTHER SANMARTÍN and IRENE PERAL, researchers at New Foods

This October 1st we celebrate the International Day of Older Persons, a moment to reflect on the role of older people in our society and, at the same time, on the challenges posed by an ageing population. In the Basque Country, life expectancy already exceeds 80 years, and in the coming decades the percentage of people over 65 is expected to rise significantly. This reality is both an achievement and a challenge: how can we ensure that these extra years are lived in the best possible health and with the highest quality of life?

At AZTI, we work to answer this question through science—specifically, with precision nutrition and the development of innovative solutions that support active and healthy ageing.

Precision nutrition: a diet tailored to every stage of life

Research shows that nutrition cannot be understood in the same way for everyone: each person, depending on their age, genetics, gut microbiota, habits and environment, has different needs. For older adults, these differences are especially relevant. Factors such as muscle loss, changes in sensory perception or the greater prevalence of chronic diseases require a personalised nutritional approach.

Today’s technological advances allow us to know ourselves better than ever. AZTI is a national reference in omics sciences, recognised as a “Cervera Centre of Excellence” for applying omics technologies to the development of healthy foods by Spain’s Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI). One example is erythrocyte membrane lipidomics: from a simple blood sample, it reveals which nutrients our body needs and in what proportion. Combined with information on the microbiota, lifestyle habits, sensory preferences or psychosocial aspects, these insights allow us to build more precise population profiles. With our expertise and the support of artificial intelligence, we create personalised nutritional strategies and food solutions tailored to the needs of older adults.

New products designed for seniors

Beyond understanding how we respond to food, we also develop specific products adapted to the needs of older people. We use technology to design enriched and functional foods that meet the requirements of different life stages, while also satisfying consumer taste preferences and maintaining sustainability standards.

In short, we design new healthy foods that meet the texture, taste and nutritional needs of older people, ensuring both safety and the enjoyment of eating.

Strategic projects for healthy ageing

Our research takes shape in large-scale projects in collaboration with research centres, hospitals and companies. Some examples include:

• ITTHACA: funded by the Basque Government, aims to extend independence in older people in the Basque Country by identifying ageing biomarkers, predictive models and health monitoring systems. At AZTI we focus on gut microbiota and nutrition habits to reduce dementia risk, and apply neuroscience to understand how emotions linked to food texture influence seniors’ eating behaviours.

• BG25: funded by the Basque Government, develops a comprehensive strategy to understand the biological and molecular processes of ageing, identifying early biomarkers and creating accessible, non-invasive diagnostic tools. AZTI leads the study of amino acids and lipids related to inflammation, mitochondrial health and cognitive function, to design personalised diets that promote health in later life.

• BmG25: explores new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to better understand and promote healthy ageing, especially in relation to age-related neurological diseases. AZTI contributes through personalised nutrition, including adapting food textures to the needs of older adults.

• CoDiet: funded by the EU, focuses on building tools to fill current gaps in knowledge, leading to an instrument that assesses the risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases, and provides personalised nutrition recommendations to prevent them.

• LIPIWELL: a personalised nutrition service designed to improve health and wellbeing through tailored dietary plans based on biomarkers, AI and lifestyle analysis. These plans are available through a mobile app that combines professional guidance with digital flexibility, making AZTI’s precision nutrition tools accessible to the wider public.

• ADIMENTEX: funded by the Basque Government, develops data-driven tools to create customised textured foods, accelerating and optimising product design. 

• NUTRIAGE: studies how food structure affects sensory acceptance and swallowing safety among seniors, and creates efficient, safe, functional and appealing food structures.

In addition, we are part of the Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank promoted by EIT Food, which brings together researchers, health professionals and policy experts from across Europe to address one of today’s most urgent yet often overlooked issues: how food systems can adapt to the changing needs that come with ageing.

From research to real solutions

The goal of all these projects is not only to generate scientific knowledge, but also to transform it into real solutions that improve people’s lives. That means creating adapted foods, developing digital apps to guide healthy habits, and offering diagnostic tools for prevention.

Ageing should not mean losing quality of life. That is why, through science and innovation, we are working to ensure that older people can maintain their independence, health and wellbeing for longer—so that every additional year of life is also a year lived to the fulles