Health and wellness trends for 2025

Never before has the health and wellness landscape been so fast changing. Every year we see developments that are so much more than trends, they quite literally affect our health in meaningful ways. So, what does 2025 have in store for us?

Healthy longevity

The biggest health trend of 2025 is going to healthy longevity. The quest for a long life is nothing new, but now we don’t just want an extended life span, we also want health span – the number of years spent in good health. We want to live to 100 and feel amazing the whole time. Medical advances seem to have achieved the former, with life expectancy almost double what it was a century ago, but the latter is proving more challenging with chronic illnesses on the rise.

People want better, they’re seeing that 60 is the new 40 and that being vibrant and healthy at 80 is a real possibility. Achieving this is going to be a huge focus in the health and wellness space for the foreseeable future. But we’re no longer just relying on traditional medicine; biohacking lifestyle and nutrition practices are taking centre stage and we’re seeing a shift toward traditional naturopathic interventions.

Younger generations want prevention, older generations want optimisation. As millennials move into middle age and are seeing the illnesses and challenges faced by their parents, they are keen to put preventative measures in place, optimal nutrition being one of those measures. Personalised disease risk is going to play a big role here; with genetic testing becoming more popular, all in the name of prevention. Gen Y and Gen X, already in middle age and beyond, will not be settling for just managing symptoms, they will be looking to have a better second half and are focused on being healthier than they currently are, prioritising self care. The wellness industry is responding; longevity focused protocols, supplements and practices will become more commonplace, promising cellular rejuvenation, reversing biological age and improving metabolic health.

People are making intentional choices and changes as an investment in their future health. Thriving and enjoying life well into old age is the ultimate health goal.

Perimenopause

Women’s health, specifically menopause has been having a hot moment and that’s set to continue. We have finally realised that this is something 100% of the female population will navigate so it’s probably time to break down stigmas, invest in long overdue medical research and empower women to make well informed choices for their health. In a relatively short time, we’ve already made great strides in understanding the health challenges of menopause and professionals are finally invested in supporting their patients.  

2025 is going to see us delving even deeper into the journey toward menopause, in an effort to understand the complexities of perimenopause. The narrative is going to be encouraging women to prioritise their health during this challenging and critical time. Personalised healthcare is going to be huge, because it needs to be… one of the biggest lessons in this field in 2024 was that this isn’t just about hot flashes and mood swings, women can experience a unique combination of over 50 different perimenopause symptoms; physical, emotional, cognitive, and a one size fits all approach will not be good enough. Effective management will need a multidisciplinary approach; nutrition, medicine, lifestyle, something previously only reserved for more acute health issues.

Brands are following suit and developing products and services designed to better support women during this time, which is mostly a wonderful thing. The downside is that the trend of “menowashing” is set to soar - products that claim to be specifically for perimenopause and menopause, charging an unjustifiable premium. So, women are going to need to get pretty savvy pretty fast to differentiate quality products and those that are a hard pass. But I expect that the increase in public awareness, and honest conversation around women’s health that we’re bound to see more of, is going to help.   

Gut health and fibre

2025 will be the year we forget glamorously bizarre superfoods and finally appreciate one of the true health heroes – humble fibre. This is largely due to the gut health and microbiome focus we’ve seen in recent years. Research shows that gut health is so much more than bowel movements; demonstrating that the gut brain connection affects mental health, immunity, chronic illness, metabolism, even our weight. This got our attention.

Despite companies claiming otherwise, and promising personalised nutrition solutions through microbiome testing, the reality is that we have only just scratched the surface of understanding the microbiome – but what is undisputed is that fibre is incredibly beneficial.

Consumers are finally valuing gut health, and will intentionally be making better gut health choices, including focusing on fibre intake. Long overdue and much needed. We’ve known for a while that increased fibre intake reduces risk of bowel disease, heart disease, T2D… but most aren’t getting anywhere near the 30g of fibre recommended per day.

Now that microbiome health is at the forefront, this crucial nutrient might finally have its moment in the spotlight. Brands will be bringing us new, innovative products – fibre water anyone? Fibre will be the new protein and added to everything; and while some of these products will be enticing and perhaps even helpful, I suggest we approach with caution and lets not forget whole foods like fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and legumes – they give us that all important fibre, plus vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, polyphenols; all the good things.

Oral microbiome

Hot on the heels of the gut microbiome, the oral microbiome is gaining interest, fast! Its the second most diverse microbial community in the body, and research has linked oral health to overall health but also to specific illnesses including the leading cause of death - heart disease. Research has shown that when the oral microbiome is in a state of dysbiosis, it can contribute to so much more than gum disease. Oral health has moved up the priority list and as a result – we will see more targeted products; toothpaste, mouthwash, and chewing gum that will not only clean our teeth, but they will also support the oral microbiome.

The next two trends somewhat contradict each other but they are still both going to soar in 2025.

Tech-Free Wellness - The Digital Detox Movement

Technology is ever-present in all aspects of our life; we’ve felt the benefits and are seeing the consequences which is leading to what will be one of the biggest health trends of 2025, tech-free wellness. The concept of a digital detox is going beyond putting our phones down before bedtime or not having meals in front of a TV screen, we want real life, human to human connection, mindful experiences, time in nature, meaningful time away from tech, in the name of improved health.

Theres no doubt, technological advances in healthcare is the stuff we could only dream about just a few short decades ago. But we’re starting to realise we might have gone too far in making technology such a huge part of our life. Research is showing that this constant digital connectivity has adverse effects on our interpersonal relationships and mental health including contributing to anxiety, sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating and more.

In response, a digital detox or at a least a reduction of screen time and constant notifications is an increasingly common health recommendation. This shift reflects a wider movement away from digitally saturated lives toward mindful living holistic, natural wellbeing.

Health technology; AI and wearables

Unsurprisingly, AI has moved into the health space and is set to be absolute game changer in healthcare – both in terms of what AI tools can do but also because they will reduce the overwhelming strain on healthcare professionals. AI will be used for everything from complex diagnostics, documentation, summarizing and collating patient history and reports ensuring vital details aren’t missed, faster communication, effective delivery systems, real time patient monitoring – it will change healthcare. One thing AI can’t replace is the interpersonal relationship, but by reducing administrative time, it can allow healthcare providers to spend more time with patients.

Then we have wearables; rings, watches, implants, CGMs; these devices have been around for a while but very soon they will be integrated into health care in a way they haven’t been before including remote real time patient monitoring. Doctors will be able to manage patient care from a distance and this can be lifechanging. They can get alerts before the patient even knows something is seriously wrong and intervene. Right now, wearables can monitor sleep, blood glucose levels, O2 levels, activity, heart rate; it’s rather exciting to think what else they can monitor, in 2025 I expect this list will grow.   

What does all this mean for the patient? Enhanced patient care, more knowledge and more involvement in their own healthcare.

One common thread in all of these trends? People are better informed, can understand their unique health needs better than ever before and are empowered to make decisions that are right for them.