Easy to Digest: Ingredients for Gut Health

by Angela Sabarese | January 4, 2022

With 70 percent of immunity residing in the gut, maintaining digestive health is crucially important. The natural ingredients industry offers several options.

Winter is here and keeping one’s immune health in check is likely a top priority for many—especially with the rise in cases of COVID-19 and the new Omicron variant. One of the best ways in which an individual can maintain their immune health is by taking care of their digestive health. According to David Heber, MD, PhD, in an article on USCLA Health’s website, titled “If you want to boost immunity, look to the gut,” 70 percent of the immune system is located in the gut, and nutrition is a key modulator of immune function.

Statistics on the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website indicate that digestive health issues are rampant in the U.S. According to the study titled “Digestive Diseases Statistics for the United States,” 60 to 70 million people are affected by all digestive diseases. In 2010 alone, there were 21.7 million hospitalizations, and in 2009, digestive diseases accounted for 245,921 deaths. Therefore, it is evident that digestive diseases are a major health concern for Americans. It is also a major financial concern, costing billions of dollars per year, according to the statistics.

Everyday Health listed the nine most common digestive diseases as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); gallstones; celiac disease; Crohn’s disease; ulcerative colitis; irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); hemorrhoids; diverticulitis; and anal fissure. Fortunately, there are an array of natural ingredients that can aid in maintaining digestive health and ease the symptoms of these diseases.

Trends/State of the Market

As mentioned, about 70 percent of immunity resides in the gut. Therefore, this connection is driving trends in the industry. John Deaton, vice president of science and technology at Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes (Kennesaw, GA), noted that “The gut-immune connection continues to be explored by researchers. As such, new supplements (as well as food and beverages) are being launched to support immune health through microbiota replenishment.”

One of the most common and most popular gut health ingredients among consumers are probiotics. Deaton noted, “According to Nutrition Business Journal’s 2021 Condition Specific Report, the gastrointestinal (GI) supplement market is ‘so heavily dominated by probiotics that the fortunes of this ingredient category hold sway over fortunes on the condition category.’” He continued, “More specifically, according to the report: growth elevated dramatically from 3.0 percent in 2019 to 6.5 percent in 2020, with the biggest piece of the market, probiotics (including prebiotics and synbiotics), ascending by 7.3 percent, a significant gain from 2.6 percent in 2019.”

Abey Thomas, head of global marketing at Natural Remedies located in Bangalore, India, echoed Deaton. “Consumers love their probiotics,” she stated. “According to the International Probiotics Association (IPA), in partnership with ClearCut Analytics, probiotic supplement sales grew 48 percent in 2020 from the year before on Amazon.”

Rob Brewster, president of Ingredients by Nature (IBN) located in Montclair, CA, concurred with Deaton and Thomas, noting, “Pre- and probiotics unsurprisingly lead the category in terms of market share accounting for over half of sales and experiencing 7.3 percent growth. This is most likely due to increased education and awareness over the last couple of years that position a healthy gut as an essential way to improve other areas, such as the brain and the immune system. Gut health ingredients being recognized for providing benefits for immune health has positioned the category favorably over the last year.”

Brewster also shared that “Right now, the greatest concern among consumers seeking out gut health ingredients is cross-functionality, especially for immune health benefits. Fortunately, probiotics naturally deliver benefits across multiple categories and certain strains have been found to influence different health functions better than others.”

Anand Godbole, assistant vice president of marketing and strategy at Inventia Healthcare (Nutriventia) Ltd., located in Mumbai, India, said, “The digestive health market has been undergoing a large change in recent years from true gut health to a broader array of benefits. Earlier, these ingredients were focused on digestive issues and immune health, but recent studies have shown that a healthy digestive system helps maintain good overall health through better nutrient absorption, its microbiome makeup and connection to the body’s functions.” He added, “The gut has become the center of a person’s health from a strong immune system to brain function and cardiovascular health.”

Other trends that Godbole noticed include “an increase in development of prebiotics and their combination with probiotics.” Additionally, “There is also a trend toward development of low dose clinically substantiated ingredients.” He noted that consumer preference is shifting away from the traditional format of tablets or capsules and moving toward easier and more fun formulations, such as powders, shots and gummies.

Thomas added that “According to a new report from Packaged Facts entitled ‘Functional Beverages: Market Trends and Opportunities,” by the end of 2021, functional beverage sales are expected to reach nearly $49 billion on the strength of pandemic trends and one of the top sought-after functional benefits is support of gut health.” Natural Remedies believes that much of the growth in the category overall has come from the association between high stress and gastrointestinal discomforts.

René Kamminga, CEO of OptiBiotix Ltd., a subsidiary of OptiBiotix Health Plc located in York, U.K., stated that “While there has been a large appetite from consumers for high protein snacks, the rise of the high fiber snack trend is not far behind.” She continued, “According to the latest research from the International Food Information Council (IFIC), fiber is now the most sought-after ingredient by consumers, with more than half of survey respondents saying they are trying to eat more of it.”1 Kamminga added that manufacturers now want to adopt more ingredients that contain higher amounts of fiber.

According to Reshma Rathi, vice president of operations for Specialty Enzymes & Probiotics located in Chino, CA, “COVID-19 has driven greater interest in the nutraceutical health market, as more people turned to natural, clean-label supplements to improve gut health. Search #guthealth on TikTok and you will find that there are nearly 500 million views in that category.” The company has also noticed that “people want transparency in terms of product and supply chain, and they are increasingly looking toward the science.”

As a result of these trends, there are several probiotic ingredients on the market, along with other ingredients that can benefit digestive health.

Natural Ingredients for Digestive Health

Deaton provided details on the science behind Deerland’s natural digestive health ingredients. “In a newly published study, Bacillus subtilis DE111 was distinctly shown to be able to germinate in the human small intestinal tract, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology,” he said. “During the study period of eight hours—the average time for food to fully travel from the mouth all the way through the small intestines—the combined DE111 spore and DE111 vegetative cell counts emanating from the ileum were the same or more than the number of spores that were consumed at the beginning of the study.” As a result, “this underscores its flexibility for use in a variety of delivery formats, including gummies, food and beverages.” In another study that Deaton shared, it was indicated that DE111 can also support a healthy immune system and a robust immune response and, in addition, “after only four weeks supplementing with DE111, participants displayed immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects on several T cell subsets.”

The company’s newest ingredient is also a spore-forming probiotic called MuniSpore, Bacillus clausii CSI08, a soil-based microorganism. The health benefits, according to Deaton, include that the ingredient “crowds out bacterial pathogens and maintains a healthy gut flora balance; supports the normal immune reaction of intestinal cells; supports the body’s natural repair system through antioxidant activity, and it can persist in the GI tract, increase its numbers and then re-sporulate.”

IBN, according to Brewster, became one of the first companies to make freeze-dried probiotic cultures in 1972. The company provides “a long list of probiotic strains and assists in the formulation of custom blends and concentrations.” For consumers looking to decrease sugar consumption while also increasing fiber intake, the company offers MonkFiber, which “delivers a sweet boost of fiber, helping to formulate products that taste good and deliver the needed digestive health boost. Furthermore, the company’s GOFOS prebiotic “delivers a sweet taste while providing microbiota with the nourishment that will fuel their ability to benefit the body.”

Brewster pointed out that “With the growing importance of gut health for overall wellness, quite a few entities have attempted to discover if ingredients not traditionally considered to contribute to gut health may provide more of an impact than previously considered.” As a result, the company recently completed a SHIME study on their proprietary citrus flavonoids, called eriocitrin, which showed its potential to influence microbiome health for the better. “Eriocitrin is the primary component of Eriomin, and our research on it has shown that it supports efforts toward prediabetes management through a tri-pronged mechanism of action,” Brewster concluded.

Natural Remedies’ GutGard, according to Thomas, “is a clinically researched, flavonoid-rich, natural bioactive for daily digestive health derived from Glycyrrhiza glabra.” She continued, “it goes beyond deglycyrrhization, as common DGL supplements lack bioactive flavonoids found in the root. GutGard is created by a unique extraction process that retrieves the bioactive flavonoid profile. It is standardized to contain 10 percent total flavonoids and no more than 0.1 percent glycyrrhizin. And the key difference between GutGard and common DGL-extract products is that DGL extracts typically contain very little amounts of flavonoids … This means that GutGard is closer to nature than DGL as acids are not used in its production process.”

As far as research showing the ingredient’s efficacy, “GutGard was shown to have excellent compatibility with other probiotics and several enzymes. Specifically, results of the study indicated that GutGard is compatible with several probiotics … probiotic drinks and digestive enzymes.” She elaborated, “When combined, GutGard with L. acidophilus and B. lactis were found to tolerate sodium chloride, bile and a wide range of pH—from 5.5 to 8.5. This research has demonstrated that GutGard can be safely combined with probiotic strains without affecting the probiotics’ core properties.”

Thomas added that GutGard has low water activity, which makes it suitable to work with probiotic powders. “A probiotic beverage blended with GutGard showed that the probiotics remained at acceptable and viable levels even after 14 days.”

Godbole provided information about the Nutriventia’s recently launched ingredient and their first entrant into the digestive health category, bsRx. “bsRx contains a proprietary blend of individual boswellic acids including a unique ratio of AKBA, KBA and BBA, which accords bsRx its efficacy as a low dose prebiotic.” He continued, “Our proprietary patented technology masks the taste and odor of the boswellic acids in the extract while maintaining a natural profile, with no added surfactants or solvents. Therefore, bsRx in its enhanced, non-sticky, free-flowing, non-hygroscopic form is a prime candidate for various formats like stick packs and powders, as well as conventional tablet and capsule formats.”

Godbole added that the company expects bsRx to be available to consumers in early 2022. The Nutriventia staff is also excited that the preclinical study for bsRx 25N has been accepted for publication by the International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology (IJBCP) and was expected to be published in Volume 10, Issue 12 of the journal in December 2021. The paper presents “the efficacy and promising potential of bsRx in gut health management.”

Kamminga shared that OptiBiotix Ltd knows that “an individual’s microbiome is as unique to them as their fingerprint, so we investigate how probiotics and prebiotics can be used to increase the presence of health positive bacteria in order to prevent and manage human health (including metabolic diseases) and wellbeing.”

The company offers WellBiome Gummies, “which are available as a white label option [and] are an excellent example of how high fiber content, combined with an apple and strawberry flavor, can offer consumers delicious on-the-go snacking [that is] good for the gut.” WellBiome, which is their latest ingredient, offers a science-backed, healthy aging solution that counteracts the age-related deterioration of certain health promoting bacterial strains. It is “a mix of prebiotic fibers, trace minerals and botanicals specifically designed to counteract some of these age-related effects on the microbiome to promote certain health effects.”

OptiBiotix Ltd also offers SlimBiome, which was the first prebiotic solution the company brought to market. It is “an ingredient used in nutritional food products or in nutritional supplements to support people losing weight. Whilst people reduce their calorie intake, SlimBiome increases satiety by keeping the individual fuller longer, by reducing sugar peaks and by modifying the gut composition toward that of a lean person.” She noted that human studies have demonstrated that it helps people to support their changes in dietary habits and, as a result, they lose more weight and are better able to sustain their weight loss.

The results of the company’s latest study on SlimBiome showed that “taking SlimBiome for four weeks led to significantly reduced body weight (average 1.9 kg, or 4.1 lbs.), BMI, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference and systolic blood pressure. In addition, participants showed a reduction in sweet cravings, a statistically significant reduction in savory cravings, a substantial improvement in mood and a positive impact on gut microbiome composition.”

Lastly, ProBiotix Health, a wholly owned OptiBiotix subsidiary, has used its OptiScreen technology platform to “develop the patented probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum LPLDL. This internationally recognized probiotic helps to improve key biomarkers in cardiovascular health, cholesterol (reducing LDL and increasing HDL) and blood pressure.”

Rathi listed one of Specialty Enzymes & Probiotics’ key ingredients as SEBiotic (Bacillus coagulans LBSC), which “has been studied in numerous clinical trials, which shows how effective it is in supporting a healthy gut microbiome.” In addition, the company’s spore-forming bacillus probiotic strain ProbioSEB CSC3 has been “clinically studied in patients suffering from COVID-19 and long-COVID. The results, published in peer-reviewed journals, show that ProbioSEB CSC3 and ImmunoSEB (a systemic enzyme complex) promote immune health and support recovery.” ProbioSEB CSC3 is also shelf-stable and able to last long without the need of specific temperature restraints, and they also do a better job surviving the journey to the gut.

A study of the impact of SEBiotic on the human gut showed that it can “be considered as gastrointestinal stable LAB probiotic for modulating healthy gut microbiome and maintaining associated metabolic normalcy.” Several different studies showed the effect of SEBiotic on digestive health, from its effectiveness in patients with IBS to its safety in treatment of acute diarrhea with abdominal discomfort.

Lastly, DigeSEB, according to Rathi, is the company’s most successful enzyme blend. “It is broad-spectrum digestive enzyme blend that works in varying pH and breaks down all of the most important food categories: proteins, fats, carbs and dairy.”

Clearly, there are numerous natural solutions for digestive health on the market, with pro- and prebiotics, fiber and digestive enzymes leading the way.

Advice for Manufacturers

Godbole offered advice to manufacturers who would like to create supplements for the digestive health market. “Like all other categories, it is important for supplement manufacturers to focus on the science and the clinical substantiation behind the ingredients that they are selecting, as well as their functional properties that enable substantiated ingredients to be incorporated into various formulations,” he said. “Focusing on value-add, branded ingredients provides marketers the opportunity to differentiate their offerings in a crowded marketplace and give the consumer real health benefits.”

Godbole also advised that “Manufacturers should focus on brand-specific science and claims that arise from the research to support the branded ingredients in their product,” as “consumers are significantly more aware of their health and investigate details such as mode of action, quality and efficacy, hence it is important to address these issues in a simple scientific manner to allow the information to educate all types of consumers.”

Kamminga echoed Godbole, advising that “Product manufacturers that are looking to launch a new product within the gut health category should let the science behind the innovation speak for itself. They should be seeking products that are backed by peer-reviewed scientific studies and are developed by leading microbiome experts.” She added that for weight management specifically, “manufacturers should consider natural prebiotic and dietary fibers as they help to stimulate the growth of health positive bacteria … or those that promote satiety … to best support sustainable weight management as an added functional benefit. They should think about the application format and whether the product is targeted for on-the-go snacking or if it is best suited to complement a healthy balanced meal.” Lastly, “They need to keep in mind the consumer demand for a product that doesn’t just satisfy their appetite, but one that boosts their mood, too.”

Lastly, Rathi listed the following pieces of advice that manufacturers should consider: good manufacturing practices; what is in the products; whether the products are lifestyle friendly; and whether the manufacturers are science and research-backed. “Product manufacturers make their message heard with transparency in labeling and messaging,” said Rathi. “Lately, more people have also been wanting clean labeling, so that can also help certain manufacturers rise above the others.” NIE