Since the ancient age, people have been in search of increasing their life span. From meditation to Yoga, individuals have practiced many techniques to maintain a healthy lifestyle for a longer period. In the same quest, medical science has advanced towards new zeniths in recent years. As a result, lifestyle and wellness products have become more accessible to people.
Today, the term wellness can be seen marketed everywhere, be it on commercials, healthcare magazines, or even on food packaging. Wellness products and solutions have become a popular choice for a healthy and fulfilling life. Especially in this fast-paced world, where it is essential to manage our nutrition and diet.
Hence, educating people about healthcare solutions and their scientific information is necessary. This is the reason why Life Extension is dedicatedly providing health solutions to its customers. The professional team at Life Extension provides personalized counsel to aid people in choosing the right products for nutrition, optimal health, and personal care.
In an interview with Insights Care, Paul Gilner, the CEO of Life Extension, sheds light on the journey of his company, its offerings, and the recent trends in the nutraceutical space. Below are the glimpses of the interview:
Please brief our audience about Life Extension, its mission, and the key aspects of its stronghold within the nutraceutical solutions niche.
Life Extension has been in the business for over 40 years as a privately held company. Our mission is to help people live their longest and healthiest life. We achieve this through educating the public on the most current and cutting-edge scientific information available. Our clinical researchers are constantly seeking innovative ways to improve health and wellness, and we share this knowledge in our comprehensive Health Protocols, in our monthly Life Extension® Magazine, and online in our wellness Guide.
In addition to that, Life Extension has funded over $180 million towards anti-aging and disease research. We also provide raw materials and lend our expertise to those conducting meaningful investigations into health and longevity. And our Life Extension scientists conduct clinical research, as well, to further substantiate ingredient benefits and establish optimal dosages.
After reviewing the science, we then formulated our products using the same nutrients at the same doses that showed benefits in the studies. We source only the finest ingredients, which are rigorously verified for purity and potency through independent lab testing. A certificate of analysis (CoA) is a document that contains the data from the finished product lab testing, and Life Extension freely offers the CoA for any product of any lot.
Tell us more about the products that have built Life Extension’s stronghold as a major player in the global industry?
Life Extension has been pioneering health information for decades. Back in the 1980s, we introduced anti-aging nutrients CoQ10 and DHEA. In the 1990s, we introduced the American public melatonin for sleep support and SAMe (S-adenosyl-methionine) for mood support.
In 2010, we introduced PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone), which promotes the growth of new mitochondria. And as we move into the 2020s, our track record continues. Our formulation scientists persist in looking for innovative ways to enhance the absorption of important nutrients and strive to update dosages based on current research.
Our new liposomal vitamin C formula is combined with a galactomannan hydrogel which achieves up to seven times greater vitamin C blood levels over a 24-hour period when compared to regular vitamin C. We also updated our Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-4) dose to provide a 45,000-mcg option to help maintain bone density. These are just a sampling of Life Extension’s long history of industry achievements.
As a seasoned business leader, what is your opinion on the effects of the pandemic on the nutraceutical space, and what were the challenges that Life Extension came across?
The pandemic brought forth new proactive consumers looking for efficacious ways to support immune health. The focus shifted to diet, exercise, and dietary supplementation to promote overall health. Most consumers do their own investigation and rely on trusted sources of information. This has opened the door to a larger customer base who are seeking validated and safe ways to ease stress, support immune health, and promote more restful sleep.
Life Extension’s science-based approach to health has allowed us to continue to reach and educate larger audiences. One challenge that arose for many in the industry during the pandemic was shortages and supply chain issues. Life Extension has cultivated great relationships with our suppliers and manufacturers over the years, and because of these relationships, we had minimal disruptions to our inventory.
With the implementation of technologies such as AI and ML, what is your prediction about the future of the nutraceutical solutions niche?
To speed up the research process, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) definitely have their place. The amount of available scientific information pertaining to nutritional ingredients is overwhelming. Deep learning AI is an invaluable tool for identifying nutrients for specific health goals, which is why Life Extension has an exclusive collaboration with Insilico Medicine, Inc. to find combinations of ingredients to support human longevity.
Our GEROPROTECT® line of products provides the ingredients identified by Insilico Medicine’s computerized AI technology. The GEROPROTECT® line continues to grow, predicting the continued use of AI technology for assisting in product formulation.
What would be your advice to the entrepreneurs and nutrition enthusiasts aspiring to venture into Healthcare Services?
Stick to the science. Consumers are savvy and looking for efficacious formulas backed by research. And always be truthful and transparent. Companies who freely offer a product CoA can build trust with their consumers by providing transparency of exactly what is in the bottle.
How do you envision scaling Life Extension’s operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond?
Life Extension continues to improve eCommerce operations for our direct-to-consumer channel and plans on partnering with additional potential resellers to expand distribution. In addition, since new ingredients and science continues to evolve, Life Extension will continue to aggressively upgrade and launch new products to address consumers’ wellness needs.
Provide us details regarding the awards and recognition that your company has achieved thus far since its inception.
Life Extension conducts its own internal NPS surveys, and we consistently score a 9.8 out of 10 in terms of customer satisfaction. Also, Life Extension has been ranked as the top Internet/Catalog Merchant by consumers year after year. According to the latest 2021 Consumer Satisfaction, Life Extension has been rated #1 Catalog/Internet Merchant based on the results of the 2021 and earlier ConsumerLab.com surveys of supplement users.
About the Leader
Paul Gilner has led Life Extension for more than two decades, first as a CFO and then as CEO. He started with the organization in 1998. Paul had previously worked as a controller for Sunglass Hut. As its CEO, Paul has made a huge impact on the growth of Life Extension by implementing a solid foundation across multiple areas, including quality control, manufacturing, ingredient sourcing, scientific validation, legal compliance, distribution, and marketing.
Many of these departments and processes did not exist when he first started at the organization. For example, Paul launched our reseller channel initiatives, and now Life Extensions is available through major vitamin and supplement retailers, such as Vitamin Shoppe, Vitacost, and Amazon.
