{"id":541,"date":"2025-05-06T16:56:41","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T14:56:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/?post_type=news&#038;p=541"},"modified":"2025-04-23T16:56:57","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T14:56:57","slug":"allergies-diabetes-fatigue-these-chronic-diseases-that-are-shaping-the-future-of-functional-nutrition","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/news\/allergies-diabete-fatigue-ces-maladies-chroniques-qui-dessinent-lavenir-de-lalimentation-fonctionnelle\/","title":{"rendered":"Allergies, diabetes, fatigue... These chronic illnesses are shaping the future of functional foods"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Allergies on the rise, an explosion in cases of diabetes, chronic fatigue that has become a symptom of society: the latest public health data in Belgium reveal a steady increase in chronic illnesses. Behind this worrying reality lies an even greater opportunity for the ingredients sector: to make an active contribution to a more functional, personalised and preventive diet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>An underlying trend: chronic diseases continue unabated<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciensano.be\/fr\/coin-presse\/la-sante-des-belges-reste-globalement-stable-mais-les-maladies-chroniques-augmentent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According to the 2023-2024 health survey conducted by Sciensano<\/a>, <strong>48 % of Belgians aged 15 and over<\/strong> suffer from\u2019<strong>at least two chronic illnesses.<\/strong> Among people aged 75 and over, the figure rises to 76 %. Allergies, lower back pain, osteoarthritis and hypertension are at the top of the list, with a marked increase in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the most striking figures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The prevalence of <strong>allergies<\/strong> has almost doubled since 2001, reaching <strong>25,3 %<\/strong> adults.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Le <strong>diabetes<\/strong> touches today <strong>6,9 %<\/strong> of the adult population, compared with 3.4 % twenty years ago.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>La <strong>chronic fatigue<\/strong> is declared by <strong>11,8 %<\/strong> of adults, with a particularly sharp rise in the over-65s.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And this trend is not isolated to Belgium. The World Health Organisation and the OECD are observing similar trends in most European countries. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/news\/ultra-processed-foods-and-health-implications-for-ingredient-producers\/\">Industrial food<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/news\/whey-proteins-an-untapped-opportunity-for-cognitive-health-in-older-people\/\">ageing<\/a> demographics and stressful living environments<\/strong> play a major role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Demand for practical nutritional solutions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Chronic illnesses are no longer just a medical issue: they are becoming an <strong>economic and social issues<\/strong>. According to Sciensano, they account for more than a third of healthcare expenditure in Belgium and the EU. Conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and musculoskeletal disorders have a direct impact on quality of life, productivity and the ability to age in good health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this context, nutrition appears to be a complementary, proactive and more accessible way of :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reducing risk factors<\/strong> (cholesterol, blood pressure, glycaemia...), which, paradoxically, we hardly talk about these days!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improving day-to-day living comfort<\/strong> (digestion, inflammation, energy),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supporting specific functions<\/strong> immunity, mental health and cognitive performance.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Consumers are looking for enriched food products, natural ingredients and solutions. <strong>proven<\/strong>, <strong>traceable<\/strong> and <strong>tailored to their profile<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Functional ingredients: levers to activate now<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few concrete ideas for formulators and ingredient manufacturers wishing to meet these new expectations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>A growing problem<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Ingredient opportunities<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Lines of communication<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Allergies and inflammation<\/td><td>Hypoallergenic ingredients, anti-inflammatory plant extracts<\/td><td>Safety, tolerance, naturalness<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Diabetes<\/td><td>Soluble fibres (inulin, beta-glucans), hypoglycaemic plant extracts, peptides<\/td><td>Glycaemic control, stable energy<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chronic fatigue<\/td><td>Easily digestible plant proteins, adaptogens, B\/Magnesium complexes<\/td><td>Vitality, stamina, well-being<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mental health<\/td><td>Probiotics, omega-3, adaptogenic extracts<\/td><td>Serenity, concentration, mood balance<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Multimorbidity<\/td><td>System solutions, combined formulations, functional formats<\/td><td>Comprehensive support, sustainable health<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Added to this is the rise of the <strong>personalized nutrition<\/strong>, made possible by advances in AI, microbiota and genomics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Ingredients are no longer just functional: they become <strong>intelligent<\/strong>, <strong>targeted<\/strong> and <strong>contextualised<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Towards a new era of nutritional innovation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Belgian study also sheds light on <strong>social and regional inequalities<\/strong> which call for a differentiated approach to the market:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Women are more exposed to multimorbidity, depression and chronic fatigue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>People with fewer qualifications have rates of diabetes, COPD and cardiovascular disease that are up to three times higher.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wallonia is more affected than Flanders or Brussels for several diseases.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are all signals for fine-tuning your <strong>product positioning<\/strong>, adapt its marketing messages, and design innovations that are inclusive and rooted in reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion: innovate with meaning, evidence and impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Food cannot cure chronic diseases, but it can prevent some of them, mitigate their effects, and improve the quality of life of those affected. The functional ingredients sector has a strategic role to play here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brands and manufacturers that can articulate <strong>scientific evidence<\/strong>, <strong>clarity of profit<\/strong> and <strong>differentiating discourse<\/strong> get a head start in a changing market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Would you like to turn these insights into concrete strategies?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let's talk about your health and nutrition projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ma_report_fr_his2023.pdf\">Read the full study here<\/a><br><\/p>","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false},"class_list":["post-541","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutrimedia.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}