News

November 4, 2024

How can prebiotic ingredients provide holistic health benefits through the gut microbiome?

Discover emerging research on the benefits of prebiotic ingredients beyond digestive health and opportunities for innovation in holistic health from the gut.

Dietary Supplements Biotics Prebiotics

print

CPHI 2023 dsm-firmenich
Summary
  • Prebiotic ingredients are well recognized for their ability to support digestive health by nourishing the gut microbiome and encouraging the growth of beneficial bacterial species in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
  • However, the benefits of prebiotics go far beyond gut health alone. These ingredients hold incredible potential to support overall health and well-being across multiple areas, including immunity, mental health, and metabolic health.
  • In this blog, we explore the growing bank of scientific evidence investigating the influence of prebiotics beyond digestive health and highlight new opportunities for brands to unleash their holistic health potential.

The popularity of prebiotic ingredients for dietary supplements and functional foods has increased immensely in the last decade, largely because of their myriad of benefits for gut health.1 These non-digestible molecules ‘feed’ microorganisms in the gut, acting as substrates for bacterial metabolism and encouraging the growth of certain species that contribute to a healthy and balanced microbial make-up.2

However, the benefits of prebiotics don’t end at gut health. Supporting a robust gut microbiome has wide-reaching impacts throughout the body—and emerging research is revealing the unique potential of prebiotic ingredients for promoting holistic health and well-being. Read on to discover three areas beyond digestive health where prebiotics can make a real impact. 

1. Immune health: Unleashing the potential of protection from the gut

It’s well established that there’s vital interplay between the gut, the gut microbiota, and the immune system—in fact, up to 80% of human immune cells are found in the gut.3 The microbiome interacts with these immune cells and the cells of the gut epithelium (the tissue that lines the inside of the gut) to steer the development of the immune system and shape immune responses.3 Acting as ‘food’ for the microbiome, prebiotics are known to increase the population of bacterial species that have immunoregulatory effects, including Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.2,4

Various microbial metabolites also influence the immune system. These include short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced when prebiotics are broken down by the microbiota. SCFAs provide multiple benefits for immunity, with both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects.2 As well as positively addressing the balance of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria to contribute to healthy immune function, some prebiotic ingredients have even been shown to interact directly with immune cells or the gut epithelium to modulate immune responses.5,6

Prebiotics not only support immunity locally in the gut, but also have wide-reaching and systemic positive effects throughout the body. Immune cells and signals from the gut greatly contribute to the development and maintenance of the entire immune system.2,3,4 This means that the benefits provided by prebiotic ingredients in the gut go much further in contributing to overall health, playing a role in protecting against respiratory infections7 and potentially influencing vaccination responses.8

2. Mental health: Harnessing the power of the gut-brain-axis

Another way prebiotics support health beyond the gut is via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. This two-way relationship between the GI tract and its microbiome, and the central nervous system (CNS) is the reason the gut is sometimes called “the second brain”.9,10 Through this connection, dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut microbiota) has been implicated in the pathology of multiple mood, psychiatric, and neurological disorders.9,10

Emerging research is demonstrating how prebiotic ingredients may be able to support mental health, including for areas such as stress, anxiety, and depression.11 Studies have reported that dietary supplementation with prebiotics reduced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in mice, and made them more resistant to stress.12,11 Furthermore, in healthy humans, prebiotics have been observed to reduce various measures of anxiety.11,14

The findings of these studies highlight the potential for prebiotic ingredients in formulations designed to support mental health. Stress, anxiety and depression are some of the most common mental health complaints worldwide and a major concern of many consumers—and as such, the market for mental health-supporting supplements has been growing dramatically.15

3. Metabolic health: Addressing global health concerns through dietary supplementation

Finally, there is growing scientific interest in prebiotics’ potential to support the prevention and management of metabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes. Clinical trials examining this have indicated that long-term dietary supplementation with various prebiotic ingredients may help to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood glucose levels, and attenuate weight gain.16,17

The benefits of prebiotic ingredients in these areas come from their ability to enhance populations of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria species and SCFA production, all of which have effects on appetite-related hormones and human metabolism.2,16 ,17 ,18 In addition to the potential use of prebiotics to support metabolic health generally, this science reveals opportunities for the formulation of supplements to support weight management.

Unlock the power of prebiotic ingredients for the gut and beyond

Prebiotic ingredients hold incredible potential for supporting a wide range of health areas, with benefits also emerging for skin, cardiovascular, women’s health, and more.2 They offer valuable opportunities for health and supplement brands to innovate and create holistic solutions that support multiple consumer health needs in a single formulation.

As your end-to-end partner, dsm-firmenich can help you harness the power of prebiotic ingredients to elevate your next winning product in the Health from the Gut category. Powered by a deep understanding of how prebiotics interact with the microbiome and their impact on various health areas, our range of Humiome® Prebiotics—including our precision prebiotic ingredients Humiome® Pre RG-I+2FL and Humiome® Pre LE—provides consistent and robust health benefits.

Want to know more about how, together, we can push the boundaries and define new frontiers in the expanding gut health market? Learn more about our Health from the Gut offering here, or connect with an expert via the link below.

Let’s connect

Ready to elevate the gut microbiome’s potential with dietary supplement solutions that unlock greater holistic benefits? Connect with one of our experts to learn more about how we’re reimagining gut health innovation.

References

1. PharmaNucleus. “Global Prebiotics Market Overview 2024-2033 | Growth, Trends, and Insights” 2024. Accessed 18.10.2024. https://www.pharmanucleus.com/reports/prebiotics-market.

2. Yoo, S. et al. “The Role of Prebiotics in Modulating Gut Microbiota: Implications for Human Health.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 9 (2024)

3. Wiertsema, SP. et al. “The Interplay Between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases Throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies.” Nutrients 13, no. 3 (2021)

4. Liu, Y. et al. “Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Immune System by Prebiotics, Pre-biotics, and Post-biotics.” Frontiers in Nutrition 8 (2022)

5. Jepsen, SD. et al. “Human Milk Oligosaccharides Regulate Human Macrophage Polarization and Activation in Response to Staphylococcus Aureus.” Frontiers in Immunology 15 (2024)

6. Wu, RY. et al. "Non-digestible oligosaccharides directly regulate host kinome to modulate host inflammatory responses without alterations in the gut microbiota." Microbiome 5 (2017)

7. Luoto, R. et al. "Prebiotic and probiotic supplementation prevents rhinovirus infections in preterm infants: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial." Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 133, no. 2 (2014)

8. Lomax, AR. et al. "Inulin-type β2-1 fructans have some effect on the antibody response to seasonal influenza vaccination in healthy middle-aged humans." Frontiers in immunology 6 (2015)

9. Oroojzadeh, P. et al. "Psychobiotics: the influence of gut microbiota on the gut-brain axis in neurological disorders." Journal of Molecular Neuroscience 72, no. 9 (2022):

10. Cryan, JF. et al. "The microbiota-gut-brain axis." Physiological reviews (2019)

11. Cohen K. et al. "Psychobiotic interventions for anxiety in young people: a systematic review and meta-analysis, with youth consultation." Translational psychiatry 11, no. 1 (2021)

12. Burokas, A. et al. "Targeting the microbiota-gut-brain axis: prebiotics have anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects and reverse the impact of chronic stress in mice." Biological psychiatry 82, no. 7 (2017)

13. Tarr, AJ. et al. "The prebiotics 3′ Sialyllactose and 6′ Sialyllactose diminish stressor-induced anxiety-like behavior and colonic microbiota alterations: Evidence for effects on the gut–brain axis." Brain, behavior, and immunity 50 (2015)

14. Johnstone, N. et al. "Anxiolytic effects of a galacto-oligosaccharides prebiotic in healthy females (18–25 years) with corresponding changes in gut bacterial composition." Scientific reports 11, no. 1 (2021)

15. Euromonitor. “Exploring the Booming Market for Mental Health Supplements.” 2023. Accessed 16.10.2024. https://www.euromonitor.com/article/exploring-the-booming-market-for-mental-health-supplements

16. Megur, A. et al. "Prebiotics as a tool for the prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes: classification and ability to modulate the gut microbiota." International journal of molecular sciences 23, no. 11 (2022)

17. Bedu-Ferrari, C. et al. "Prebiotics and the human gut microbiota: From breakdown mechanisms to the impact on metabolic health." Nutrients 14, no. 10 (2022)

18. Asadi, A. et al. "Obesity and gut–microbiota–brain axis: A narrative review." Journal of clinical laboratory analysis 36, no. 5 (2022)

Recommended Reading
  • The meaning of longevity: What global consumers really think about health expectancy

    2 December 2024

    The meaning of longevity: What global consumers really think about health expectancy
  • The GlyCare® HMO advantage: Fueling Team dsm-firmenich PostNL’s rise in professional cycling

    22 November 2024

    The GlyCare® HMO advantage: Fueling Team dsm-firmenich PostNL’s rise in professional cycling
  • Healthy Aging Month: Addressing the hallmarks of aging with nutritional solutions

    4 October 2024

    Healthy Aging Month: Addressing the hallmarks of aging with nutritional solutions

Sign up for our newsletter

Stay up-to-date on the latest science, events, industry news and market trends from dsm-firmenich Health, Nutrition & Care.