Pre- and probiotics are not a new thing, but it has taken some time for consumers to come around and understand their benefits in regard to digestive health. But now that they have, ingredient suppliers and manufacturers are aiming to educate consumers that pre- and probiotics can do more than just aid the gut.

According to Ireland-based Kerry Functional Ingredients & Actives’ John Quilter, vice president and general manager, Wellmune & GanedenBC30, one in four Americans report having digestive health issues on an “almost daily” basis.1 And the probiotics category is benefiting from this interest in digestive health. In fact, in the U.S., the market grew by 12 percent between 2012 and 2017,2 and globally, the probiotics market is projected to grow to $64 billion by 2022.3

“Consumers know without a doubt that probiotics are very good for their bodies, even if they don’t yet understand the differences between strains. They know that probiotics are especially good for digestion and immune health, but they do not quite know that there are many other health benefits associated with probiotics, such as promoting favorable lean body mass, sports performance and sports recovery,” said Sam Michini, vice president of marketing and strategy for Georgia-based Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes. “There is an exciting universe of benefits of various probiotics that are available for manufacturing. And this allows for brand marketers to differentiate themselves in the market.

“They are beginning to understand that prebiotics are necessary for probiotics to flourish,” Michini continued. “However, we feel that this message needs to be more aggressively emphasized because there is still a lot of consumer confusion as to why prebiotics are beneficial to health and how.”

According to Julie Impérato, marketing manager for New Jersey-based Nexira, the digestive tract’s role is to absorb nutrients and to serve as one of our body’s most important barrier protecting it from allergic reactions, infection, etc. Leaky gut syndrome (LGS), which can be caused from infection, trauma the use/overuse of medication, etc. can cause inflammation and damage to the intestinal lining resulting in poor nutrient absorption and unwanted substances to entering the bloodstream. “LGS is associated with a wide range of general symptoms, such as fatigue, fevers of unknown origin, abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea, memory problems, concentration difficulties and poor tolerance to exercise,” noted Impérato.

And while probiotics provide “good” bacteria to keep the digestive tract healthy, prebiotics “are essentially fertilizers for the good bacteria in the gut, and enable probiotics to be more effective,” explained Samantha Ford, business development director for AIDP in California. “With that, prebiotics are actually a critical element to improved gut health. They promote the increase of friendly bacteria in the gut, help with various digestive problems and even boost your immune system. Prebiotic foods have also been shown to improve metabolic health and contribute to overall well-being.”

Nexira’s Fibregum is an all-natural and organic dietary fiber sourced from carefully selected acacia trees that has been clinically proven to have strong prebiotic properties. Nexira conducted several experiments to fully understand how acacia fiber ferments in the colon. According to the company, these experiments confirm that Fibregum fermentation helps to improve the gut impermeability. Further, Fibregum is the only fiber with a patent pending on gut barrier restoration.

Deerland’s PreferPro is a non-fiber or starch-based prebiotic that works in both the large and small intestines, helping probiotics to proliferate at small doses. “A clinical study gave participants one 15 mg PreforPro capsule daily,” noted Michini. “When compared to the placebo group, results of the study showed:

• PreforPro substantially enhanced the growth of beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Lactobacillus lactococcus.
• A significant decrease in LDL cholesterol was observed in the total study population, as well as a trend toward decreased total cholesterol.
• Participants with excess lipids in the blood showed both clinically and statistically relevant decreases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
• A significant decrease in the allergy-inducing interleukin 4 (IL-4) cytokine.

David Heber, MD, PhD, FACP, FASN chairman, Herbalife Nutrition Institute in California, noted that while the original market and research focused on the role of pre- and probiotics in digestive health, “research has also pointed out that the microbiome is highly individual like the genome, and is influenced by diet and lifestyle,” he said. “The gut bacteria produce substances called postbiotics, which either feed the intestinal cells directly, influencing immune function, or circulate in the blood traveling to the brain where they have a role as protective antioxidants or agents promoting satiety. Research in this field is very new, and more studies are needed to understand these relationships.”

Beyond the Gut

When actress Jamie Lee Curtis began starring in commercials touting the digestive benefits of the probiotics in Activia yogurt, Americans seemed to finally “get” how probiotics aided the digestive tract. Now they are beginning to understand that pre- and probiotics support more of the body’s systems.

For instance, there is a strong connection between gut and immune health. In fact, 70 percent of the immune system is located in the digestive tract. “The link between gut health and other areas of health aside from regularity—immunity, metabolic health, skin health, weight and energy—are all huge areas of interest,” said Ford.

In 2015, AIDP launched PreticX, a unique bifidogenic xylooligosaccharide (XOS) prebiotic that is clinically effective at one of the lowest doses on the market, according to the company. Since then, the company has expanded its specialty portfolio of digestive ingredients to include a wide range of targeted prebiotic and digestive remedies. This includes Actazin, a cold-pressed green kiwi powder with natural enzyme and prebiotic activity for bowel regularity.

“There is a large body of research suggesting that the role of pre- and probiotics go far beyond digestive health and immune health,” explained Hugh C. Welsh, president and general counsel for DSM North America in New Jersey. “Fields increasingly recognized as being impacted by the gut microbiome include the gut-brain axis, metabolic health and heart health. Consumers have made the connection as well resulting in a steady growth rate in the supplements industry.”

According to Welsh, DSM has a strong position in gut health solutions with its Culturelle product range, the No. 1-selling probiotic dietary supplement consumer brand globally, as well as with its ingredient brands Oatwell and Tolerase. In December 2017, the company acquired BioCare Copenhagen A/S, based in Denmark. “BioCare Copenhagen’s portfolio is focused on probiotics and specialized in microbial actives with proven health benefits, targeting gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic disorders, infections and immunity,” Welsh explained. “With the acquisition of BioCare Copenhagen, DSM plans to expand its offering in gut health ingredients with probiotics, as we believe there is further growth potential in gut health ingredients beyond the established indications for digestive health and immune health.”

Ford added that combining pre- and probiotics for complementary and synergistic effects is another trend. An example is AIDP’s Actazin combined with the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, she noted. “L. rhamnosus HN001 has been clinically shown to support mood and anxiety4—Actazin in combination has been shown to fuel the growth of HN001 by as much as 140 percent.”

Bérengère Feuz, marketing director for Lallemand Health Solutions Inc. in Canada, added that studies on the brain-gut axis and mood balance remain a strong area of development for the company. “Our recent successful innovation has been our Probio’Stick, which is demonstrated to promote a positive mood during stressful events and can help moderate psychological and physiological responses to occasional stress. So far, we have published nine mechanistic studies and five clinical trials,” Feuz said. “In 2018, two studies were conducted by different teams with our probiotic formulation containing Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell-52 and Bifidobacterium longum Rosell-175 (Probio’Stick), in depression patients (major depressive disorder, or MDD).

“In a double-blind study conducted on 110 patients, (Kazemi et al.) concluded that eight weeks of probiotic supplements resulted in an improvement in BDI score compared with placebo or prebiotic in patients with major depressive disorder. In June, Caroline Wallace, from Queen’s University, Canada, revealed at Probiota America the promising results of a pilot study that evaluates the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of the same formula on symptoms of depression in treatment-naive depressed patients. Such reviews are positive to reinforce the scientific back-up of this probiotic formulation already proven to alleviate both physiological and psychological symptoms of chronic stress in the general population.”

Personalization

Today’s consumers are looking for products that will serve their personal needs and take the guesswork out of nutrition. “Combinations of pre-, pro-, postbiotics depending on the unique health profile and microbiota of the individual consumer are gaining attention as new platforms for personalized health care emerge,” noted Marc Jensen, technical marketing manager for BIO-CAT in Minnesota.

Kerry’s Quilter agreed, adding that now more than ever, there is a growing emphasis on diversity and personalization—a recognition of the importance of individual needs and preferences and, in turn, the satisfaction of these with tailored solutions. “One-size-fits-all products are out; customization is in, he said. “Nowhere is this trend more evident than in the field of nutrition, where today’s consumers are taking their wellbeing into their own hands by seeking out and demanding targeted health solutions aligned with their requirements. In fact, research indicates that 71 percent of consumers globally find the concept of products customized to their individual health needs to be very or somewhat appealing.”

“While it isn’t feasible at this point to tailor to an individual’s gut microbiome, we have identified that the opportunity is scalable on a broad platform by personalizing probiotics to their age and health needs to provide them a ‘just for you experience,’” said Feuz. “That’s why we created a full range of quality probiotics that offer consumers specific health solutions. We now have more than 40-plus proprietary strains and 500-plus unique probiotic formulas that cover nearly every health segment. These range from gender and age-specific products and includes categories such as gut health, brain-gut axis, natural defenses, hearty kids, teens, women’s health, senior health, sport and oral health.”

In 2017, Kerry added GanedenBC30 to its portfolio. According to the company, GanedenBC30 is a well-established probiotic that allows for innovation opportunities in functional foods and beverages. Backed by multiple safety and efficacy studies, GanedenBC30 can be found in more than 900 foods, beverages and companion animal products worldwide.

“The versatility of GanedenBC30 compared with other probiotic strains makes it the ideal ingredient for a personalized nutrition strategy,” said Quilter. “It can offer digestive health benefits in a variety of everyday food and beverage applications, which means brands and manufacturers have a much wider choice of product formats to choose from, making it easier to develop personalized products that target specific types of consumer in line with their needs and preferences.”

So Functional

Getting pre- and probiotics into a wide range of products while maintaining efficacy and desirable flavors is an ongoing goal. “Functionality and clinical studies make pre- and probiotics one of the most useful/effective supplements in the dietary supplement space,” said Dan Little, BIO-CAT’s product development manager. “Functionally, probiotics can be used in many different forms—from yogurt and keifer with the traditional probiotic strains, or baked goods, kombuchas, and shelf stable supplements with stable spore probiotics. Efficacy is experienced by the consumer making them loyal to the product as soon as they try it.”

Nexira’s Fibregum is an odorless, colorless and flavorless soluble dietary fiber that can be incorporated at high levels in numerous food products (cereal bars, cookies, beverages, soups, dairy products, etc.) without modifying the rheology, taste or color of the finished product. Available in organic grade, Fibregum is also suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

Herbalife Nutrition, selected GanedenBC30 for use in the company’s Simply Probiotic food product, which launched in July of 2017. “This bacteria is naturally cultured in a way that it forms a protective coating that enables survival during passage through the stomach with evidence that the bacteria survive in the colon where they can promote digestive health,” said Heber. “Therefore, we have a tested ingredient that delivers a benefit. In addition, we have identified to our customers where prebiotic fibers exist in our products and what foods to include in their diet for optimal health.”

Quality Assurance

To create these pre- and probiotic supplements and functional foods, ingredient suppliers and manufacturers need to ensure that their product is safe and delivers on the promises made on the label of the the package. “Consumers trust the brands they buy, which means dietary supplement manufacturers need to deliver on that trust,” said Welsh. “Safe ingredients are key to this, and the ingredient manufacturers have a vital role to play. At DSM, we believe the best way a manufacturer can safeguard its products and brands against the unthinkable is to invest in quality ingredients and expertise from a trusted source. We put significant efforts into improving the efficacy of ingredient production within all levels of the industry. To ensure safety and quality, we have invested in robust internal auditing processes ensuring that ingredients can be tracked and found quickly. Our mindset toward quality is the core of DSM’s Quality for Life—a seal of excellence. Quality for Life assures you the products you are buying from us are safe in terms of quality, reliability and traceability. Moreover, they are manufactured in a safe and sustainable way.”

“Manufacturers must substantiate label claims based on living probiotic activity levels throughout the sales channel not levels only at manufacturing,” said Jensen. “New generation probiotic strains provide shelf stability from manufacturing to the consumer. BIO-CAT’s Opti-Biome Bacillus subtilis MB40 probiotic has been the company’s most successful ingredient due to the robust stability and shelf-life along with its gas and bloating claim.”

With new delivery options and more insights into their health benefits, the future of the pre- and probiotics category looks bright. “I believe the pre- and probiotic category is still very much in a growth phase,” concluded BIO-CAT’s Little. “With new research revealing new mechanisms of action and possible disease treatments with probiotic products, we are only scratching the surface of what pre- and probiotics can do.” NIE

References:

1 Innova Market Insights, 2017.

2 MarketsandMarkets, Probiotic Market, Sept 2017.

3 MarketsandMarkets, Probiotic Market, Sept 2017.

4 EBioMedicine. 2017 Oct;24:159-165.

For More Information:

AIDP, http://aidp.com
BIO-CAT, www.bio-cat.com
Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes, www.deerland.com
DSM, www.dsm.com
Herbalife Nutrition, www.herbalife.com
Kerry Functional Ingredients & Actives, www.ganedenprobiotics.com
Lallemand Health Solutions Inc., www.lallemand.com
Nexira, www.nexira.com