Is it possible to stay young forever?

You are what you eat – according to trend researchers around the world, this statement has never been more justified than it is today. This is because the areas of food, health and beauty have merged to form a billion-dollar market under the umbrella term of "wellbeing". This market features thousands of suitable products, services and experiences, all with the same goal: to stay as healthy and beautiful as possible for as long as possible and ideally have fun at the same time.

At the fifth International Food Innovation Conference held by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI), I tried to find out how much absolute self-optimisation has to do with fun. Advocates from the worlds of science, business and trend research met at this conference to present their latest findings on the topic of wellbeing.

I quickly realised that nothing can be created out of nothing. For example, those who are committed to longevity do everything they can to slow down, stop or even reverse their own ageing process.

For example, no alcohol, no cigarettes, no meat and no bread. Only eat a maximum of two meals a day over the course of six hours, and take food supplements such as vitamins, proteins and collagen. Exercise every day. Freeze stem cells.

One of the founders of this movement is Harvard professor David Sinclair. In his lecture at the GDI, he said that ageing was more or less a disease that can be treated. If you don't age, you can't get any age-related diseases. This is because genetics is only to blame for these diseases in 15% of cases. When you focus on increasing your longevity, your own body becomes an optimisation object that is constantly measured – thanks to watches, finger rings or similar devices that measure your sleeping patterns, sugar levels, pulse and countless other bodily functions.

Where does this lead? And what can I actually use? I went to the conference with many questions and took home the following answers:

Will obesity soon be a thing of the past for everyone, thanks to the new Ozempic and Wegovy weight loss injections?

In recent years, so-called slimming injections, which were actually developed for type II diabetes patients, have experienced a boom. Celebrities such as Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian have lost tens of kilos.

But do these injections also have the potential to solve the global obesity problem in the long term? Toby Clark, consultant at the market research agency Mintel, says: "No, definitely not. Firstly, the long-term side effects of these drugs must be investigated. And even if these are not serious, the drugs will remain a niche product. Firstly, because there are too few of them for the whole world and they are also too expensive. Secondly, because not everyone wants to take such a drug every day just to lose a few kilos."

What are functional foods? And how do they contribute to our health?

A yoghurt that is supposed to be "good for digestion" or a drink that "provides the body with energy" are referred to as functional foods. In addition to providing basic nutrients, they are said to also offer additional health benefits. They either contain natural ingredients that have a health-promoting effect, or they are specifically enriched with vitamins, minerals, fibre, probiotics or other active ingredients.

Here are some examples of what effect they are intended to have:

• Strengthening the immune system: Many functional foods contain vitamins such as C or D, which are supposed to improve the body's defences.

• Better digestion: Probiotic products are said to promote healthy gut flora and alleviate digestive problems.

• Cardiovascular health: Products containing omega-3 fatty acids or fibre are said to protect the heart and lower cholesterol levels.

• Energy drinks and products containing caffeine promise a quick energy boost.

• Targeted support: for example for bones (calcium, vitamin D) or muscles (protein).

However, consuming functional foods and drinks usually only make sense in combination with a balanced diet. In addition, the body can only absorb a limited amount of some nutrients. The amount of vitamin C the body can store, for example, cannot be increased at will, but has an upper limit, even if you consume a lot of functional foods with vitamin C.

Can artificial intelligence revolutionise the wellbeing industry?

Yes, because it is already doing so. An example? The company Nuritas has developed a form of artificial intelligence that searches for particularly potent peptides, i.e. truncated proteins. In fact, this AI has found a protein in the fava bean that is twice as efficient as conventional protein.

If traditional research methods had been used, it would have taken 30 million years longer to discover this protein. Because AI can be used for a wide range of processes and industries, companies will probably be able to save a lot of money and time in the research and development of new wellbeing products in the future.

Is longevity only for the super-rich? What can I do as a normal person to live longer?

David Sinclair has the following to say on the matter: "The treatments and examinations, the equipment and procedures are, as things stand today, still very expensive. The aim is to drastically reduce costs. For example, treatments that are very expensive today will be available as cheaper tablets in the future. It's then also a question of your own priorities: for the price of a coffee a day, you can have a complete MRI done at the end of a year. And some things are even cheaper than living conventionally: only eat as much as your body needs, and consume less meat."

Why do we need collagen? And what actually is collagen?

Collagen products smile at us from adverts, posters and Instagram stories. And the experts at the GDI tell us that the market for these products is booming. In a few years, it is expected to exceed 16 billion worldwide.

Protein is also known as the most widespread building block in our body. It is found, for example, in skin, bones, tendons and ligaments and forms the skeleton of our body. The body produces it itself, but this production decreases as you get older (from around 25 years old). That's why there are a variety of collagen-containing products designed to support our bodies. They mostly contain animal collagen, but the first companies are now developing synthetic variants.

In order for collagen to take effect, it is broken down into smaller molecules (peptides) in a special process known as hydrolysis. These peptides can be easily absorbed by the body and take effect specifically where they are needed. Functional collagen is often found in food supplements, protein powders and drinks.