In the era of digestive health 2.0, who are the new forces shaking the status of probiotics and prebiotics?

“The independent evaluation agency ConsumerLab proposed a new concept in its 2019 report "The 2019 Game Changers Trend Report" - "post-digestive health". This refers to the role of probiotics in the human body, which has long exceeded the scope of promoting digestive health and instead has beneficial effects throughout the body.

Text: Mary Luo, Archur

Source: Foodaily Daily Food (ID: foodaily)

Currently, functional foods have become a hot topic in the industry, with digestive health demands particularly attracting the attention of consumers and the industry. Foodaily has noted that digestive health is gradually moving from the 1.0 era, which focuses on gut microecology, to the 2.0 era that encompasses the entire digestive system and other related physiological systems. This extension will greatly broaden the commercial space for functional foods and related industries.

 

From "1.0" to "2.0", the concept upgrade reflects the progress of scientific research and the commercialization of technological achievements, as well as the industry's determination to explore a larger consumer market. From the perspective of the food industry, how should we understand and seek new business opportunities in the field of digestive health, and what significance does it have for promoting innovation in the food industry?

 

Reading points:

1. Maintaining digestive system health is not just about probiotics and prebiotics. Who has a more reliable and scientific understanding of digestive health, the Chinese or the Americans?

2. How was the concept of digestive health 2.0 proposed, and what is the biggest upgrade compared to 1.0?

3. Global $70 billion vs. nearly $1 trillion in China, how big is the digestive health market?

4. In the 2.0 era, which star ingredients are expected to break through?Postbiotics, polyphenols, herbs...

5. How can personalized nutrition help bring digestive health into the homes of ordinary people?

From "delicious food" to "moving experiences" - about the "things" of digestion

1. Exploring the digestive system, see how food takes a "great adventure" in the human body

Why are some people born with a big appetite, enjoying food without gaining weight; some crave sweets, needing milk tea in one hand and cake in the other to feel happy; while others are lactose intolerant, experiencing untimely "moving experiences"... In fact, these interesting phenomena are closely related to our digestive system. Every bite of food undergoes a "great adventure" in the digestive system, first entering the mouth to enjoy the breakdown by saliva enzymes, then sliding down the long esophagus to bypass the top of the stomach, and finally entering the crescent-shaped stomach pouch. Next, they roll around in the stomach pouch before winding into the 7-meter-long small intestine "maze", and finally dizzily reaching the large intestine, becoming a delicious feast for various gut bacteria.

 

Although most of the nutrients from food are absorbed by the small intestine, the "thrifty" large intestine is particularly good at utilizing resources, mainly thanks to the probiotics residing in the large intestine. They diligently degrade food residues that the small intestine cannot absorb and absorb nutrients such as calcium, fatty acids, and vitamins. The metabolic products they produce are also crucial for our health, such as short-chain fatty acids that can help enhance coagulation function, strengthen nerves, and prevent migraines.

Schematic diagram of the human digestive system. Image source: Wikipedia

Here is a brief introduction to our digestive system, which will help better understand where digestive health comes from. The digestive system consists of the digestive tract and digestive glands, including the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. The digestive glands include gastric glands, intestinal glands, salivary glands, liver, and pancreas. The human digestive system is far more complex and intelligent than we imagine. The mucosal cells of the digestive tract, probiotics, and digestive glands each perform their roles, conducting various digestive reactions such as acid hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. A large number of neurons in the digestive system also participate in regulating digestive behavior, including sensing food types, producing hormones like serotonin to control intestinal muscles, and providing feedback to the brain about discomfort and pain.

 

Therefore, maintaining the health of the digestive system is not just about probiotics and prebiotics; those components that promote the normal secretion of digestive glands, protect the normal activity of mucosal cells, and participate in regulating nerve conduction are also worthy of our attention and research.

 

2. From the perspective of the "gut", probiotics drive public awareness of digestive health

In the past, the general public's understanding of the gut and digestion often stopped at issues like bloating, diarrhea, and constipation... the troubles brought by digestive discomfort. Nowadays, with the popularization of nutritional medicine knowledge, the public has begun to realize the importance of gut health for the whole body. In recent years, yogurt, kefir, and kombucha have continued to gain popularity in China, largely thanks to the widespread knowledge of probiotics among the public.

Image source: khni.kerry.com

Nutrition scientists from Kerry believe that the public's understanding of components closely related to digestive health is closely related to the scientific evidence available. Compared to prebiotics, probiotics, and dietary fiber, synbiotics, fermented foods, and inactive substances have relatively less scientific evidence, but this does not mean they lack digestive benefits; it only indicates that human understanding of them still needs to be deepened.

 

According to the HealthFocus "2019 U.S. Consumer Trends Survey", 37% of American consumers are very interested in gut microbiota and probiotics, especially young people and families with children. A survey conducted by FMCG Gurus in 2018-2019 involving 25 countries and 25,000 consumers found that 68% of people have begun to realize the connection between the digestive system and human health, and more and more people are promoting their health by supplementing with probiotics.

Survey on the reasons for taking probiotic dietary supplements in the U.S. April 2018. Image source: nutraceuticalsworld.com

In a survey targeting people who take probiotic supplements, it was found that two-thirds of them do so for a healthier gut microbiome, and nearly half hope to achieve better overall health. Additionally, speeding up metabolism, boosting immunity, and promoting nutrient absorption are also major demands for consumers purchasing probiotics.

Image source: Mengniu & NetEase Health & Life Times & CTR Research Company, 2018 White Paper on Gut Health of Chinese People

The "White Paper on Gut Health of Chinese People" released in 2018 provides a more comprehensive analysis of the Chinese people's understanding of gut health. Overall, 84.4% of Chinese people are highly concerned about gut health. More than 90% of Chinese consumers believe that a healthy gut can better absorb essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and proteins. 78.5% associate gut health with detoxification, while less than half believe that gut health is related to immune function.

 

3. Scientific research promotes the transition of digestive health from 1.0 to 2.0, opening up new business opportunities.

In 2011, Professor Bischoff S. from the University of Hohenheim in Germany proposed five elements to define gut health:

(1) Effective digestion and absorption of food.

(2) Freedom from gastrointestinal diseases.

(3) Normal composition and vitality of the gut microbiome.

(4) Effective immune status.

(5) Sense of well-being.

 

This definition goes beyond the narrow scope of the gut, viewing gut health from broader perspectives such as immunity and mental well-being, essentially calling for an upgrade of the concept of digestive health.

 

In 2017, the authoritative nutrition magazine "New Nutrition Business" listed Digestive Health 2.0 as the top trend in its "Top Ten Trends in Food, Nutrition, and Health". This was the first expression of Digestive Health 2.0 in the business world.

 

"New Nutrition Business" believes that Digestive Health 2.0 is a health concept formed by new technologies, new products, and the understanding of "promoting overall health through gut health". The new concept emphasizes consumers' perception of "probiotic effects" and achieving benefits for the whole body in various ways. For example, the increasingly popular gluten-free, lactose-free, and dairy-free diets in recent years can be seen as an upgraded version of Digestive Health 1.0. In the world of Digestive Health 2.0, probiotics and prebiotics are no longer the only protagonists; more nutrients and active substances will be valued. Polyphenols, short-chain fatty acids, enzymes, bacteriophages, and phytochemicals have all become hot topics in academic research.

From global to China, the opportunities in the field of digestive health are limitless.

Gut and digestive health are so important for physical and mental well-being that between 2014 and 2018, the number of searches for "microbiome", "prebiotics", and "probiotics" on Google nearly tripled, and the number of searches for "gut health" increased by 669%.

Image source: nutraceuticalsworld.com

 

The focus of consumer demand directly leads the commercial market. According to Euromonitor International data, the global sales of foods primarily focused on digestive health reached $70.5 billion in 2018, becoming the second largest type of food after "overall health" demand.

Image source: blog.euromonitor.com

Data from Innova shows that in 2018, the number of new products with digestive/gut health claims launched in the Asia-Pacific region increased by 21%. Infant food leads in market penetration, with products claiming digestive health/gut health accounting for 24% of the total infant food launched in 2018, ahead of sports nutrition (16.5%), dairy products (6.6%), and cereals (3.7%).

Among global products with digestive health claims, probiotics, oligofructose, and inulin are the three most commonly used ingredients. In North America, the widespread use of probiotic dietary supplements has increased the proportion of probiotics in all products; in the Asia-Pacific region, probiotics are almost on par with oligofructose, inulin, and galacto-oligosaccharides, benefiting from the infant food industry's high emphasis on digestive health and reflecting how companies differentiate their products by adding various functional ingredients in a competitive market. Notably, probiotic yeasts are also beginning to have a place in the field of digestive health.

 

In the coming years, the global food industry will undoubtedly launch more diverse solutions focused on digestive health functionalities.

 

Back to China. Amid the wave of consumption upgrades, the Chinese are pursuing healthier dietary patterns; however, the fast-paced lifestyle, stress, and unscientific eating and exercise habits have led to increasingly prominent digestive health issues. Data shows that over 90% of Chinese people have gut problems. Among them, the incidence of indigestion is as high as 38%, and more than 30% have experienced symptoms of indigestion such as bloating, belching, and abdominal discomfort.

Image source: Mintel, "Overview of Health Trends in China", 2020.

In such a health situation, the Chinese people's demand for gut health is particularly urgent. In a 2019 consumer survey by Mintel, compared to consumers in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom, Chinese consumers are more hopeful that a good diet can promote gut health, weight health, energy, mental clarity, and mood improvement. Among them, the demand for healthy gut (61%) far exceeds that of the other three countries (34%-38%).

Image source: China Food Industry Association & COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute & JD Group,

2019-2020 China Food Consumption Trends and Product Innovation White Paper.

The elderly are a group with a high proportion of digestive health issues. In 2019, the average expenditure on nutritional products for gastrointestinal diseases among the elderly in China reached 1,200 yuan, ranking second among seven common diseases only aftergout.Ranking second.

 

Considering China's nearly 250 million elderly population, the demand for digestive health can form a huge market of 300 billion yuan. If extended to other age groups, especially the sub-healthy young and middle-aged population, the market size could reach trillions. So, how much of this trillion market can food companies capture?

 

In the era of Digestive Health 2.0, new forces are shaking the status of probiotics and prebiotics.

In the era of Digestive Health 1.0, the status of probiotics and prebiotics was unshakable, and almost all food and nutrition companies were focused on them. However, in the 2.0 era, more star ingredients are expected to emerge, and industry upgrades are promising.

 

1. The child of tomorrow: postbiotics.

Internationally renowned gut and neuroscience expert Professor Paul Bertrand has stated that in the future, probiotic health will enter.Postbiotics(Postbiotics) era. Our focus is no longer just on probiotics and prebiotics, but more on probiotic actions or mechanisms, seeking to find out what the 'killer move' of probiotics really is?

Image source: twitter.com

To better understand the concept of postbiotics, let's use an interesting analogy. If we compare the human intestinal tract to a 'jianghu' (a martial arts world), it can be divided into two distinct factions: one is the heroes who maintain the stability of the 'intestinal jianghu' - probiotics, and the other is the 'villains' - pathogenic bacteria that like to cause trouble. In the past, to maintain the stability of the intestinal jianghu, we would widely issue 'hero posts', that is, by taking probiotics or prebiotics to summon more 'martial arts experts' to confront the 'villains' in the intestines. But now, we have further discovered the secret skills of these 'heroes', which can directly utilize these 'killer moves' - postbiotics to achieve victory and unify the intestinal jianghu.

 

Postbiotic therapy, which focuses on studying microbial metabolism, has become a very popular research direction in academia, but for the industry, this is just the beginning stage, with great potential for the future. It is worth mentioning that some companies have already keenly sensed the business opportunity and have secured a place in this blue ocean.

 

The American startup Embria Health Sciences has developed a postbiotic called EpiCor, which is a metabolic product of brewing yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) after fermenting bread, preserved after heat inactivation or drying. This patented process preserves all beneficial metabolites intact and ensures the stability of product quality. The latest human clinical studies published by Embria Health Sciences indicate that daily intake of 500mg of EpiCor helps regulate gut microbiota without causing common side effects associated with dietary fiber, such as bloating and diarrhea.

Image source: abc.herbalgram.org

Additionally, the Canadian bio-ingredient company Lallemand has launched the postbiotic Gastro-AD, a natural vegetarian food supplement made from non-GMO soybeans fermented with Lactobacillus L. delbrueckii R-187 (Rosell-187). It has an inhibitory effect on the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 in intestinal cells, helps enhance immunity, and performs excellently in alleviating symptoms such as heartburn, stomach pain, vomiting, and nausea.

Image source: nutraingredients.com

In addition to regulating gut microbiota and promoting the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors by intestinal cells, protecting intestinal mucosal cells is also an important means for 'postbiotics' to win the 'defense battle of the digestive system'. It is well known that the intestinal mucosa acts as the 'guard general' of the intestines, capable of secreting immunoglobulins to resist the invasion of bacteria, viruses, and other harmful antigens in the digestive tract. GCI Nutrients, a health ingredient supplier based in California, has launched a new probiotic extract component specifically designed to protect the intestinal mucosa - PrebioSure, which has been clinically validated to help maintain and repair the epithelial cells of the small intestine and promote the absorption of nutrients such as vitamins and amino acids. Compared to common prebiotics like inulin, oligofructose, and galacto-oligosaccharides, PrebioSure not only promotes the symbiosis of gut probiotics but also avoids adverse reactions such as gas and bloating.

 

2. Rising Star: Polyphenols

Polyphenols are a class of secondary metabolites widely found in plants, present in wine, tea, coffee, cocoa, and various vegetables and fruits. Polyphenols in fermented foods play a significant role in regulating the balance of gut microbiota and are hailed by the industry as the 'next generation of prebiotics'.

 
Polyphenols act as neurotransmitters in the 'gut-brain axis'. Image source: info.dralexrinehart.com

Polyphenols are not easily absorbed in the small intestine, with over 90% reaching the colon for microbial conversion, playing a beneficial role in host health. Current research shows that polyphenols can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, selectively inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, optimize the structure of gut microbiota, and regulate the gut microecological balance. The mechanisms by which polyphenols regulate gut microbiota are numerous, mainly including disrupting the cell membranes of pathogenic bacteria, altering membrane permeability, and regulating changes in microbial metabolic enzymes. By consuming polyphenols in the diet, one can regulate the balance of gut microbiota, thereby having a positive effect on the prevention or treatment of various metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia.

 

3. Emerging from the Blue: Herbs

Both gut microbiota and herbs are currently hot topics in academia, and the relationship between their pharmacological effects is a direction that many scientists are exploring. Oral herbs inevitably come into contact with gut microbiota, which can regulate the structure of gut microbiota or have other effects. Research has found that polysaccharide components in herbs, such as ginseng, reishi, and codonopsis, have a certain promoting effect on the growth of probiotics, while herbs like honeysuckle, coptis, forsythia, andrographis, and dandelion have a strong inhibitory effect on harmful bacteria.

 

Research has also found that the biotransformation of herbs by gut microbiota is primarily hydrolysis, with oxidation and reduction reactions as supplements. The human gut contains a wide variety of bacteria, and different types of bacteria contain different drug metabolic enzymes that participate in various types of drug metabolism. The effective components of herbs can only be converted into active ingredients with pharmacological or toxicological effects under the action of specific metabolic enzymes. With the development of microbiology, the regulatory and improvement effects of herbs on gut microbiota are being increasingly recognized, and the pharmacological research of both will provide new references for clinical treatment of diseases, as well as good guidance for the development of food and health products.

 

Personalized nutrition, supporting digestive health 2.0's 'thousand faces'.

Former Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck Letmathe proposed in his book 'Nutrition for a Better Life': 'Personalized customization is the future of the nutrition field.' In August 2019, the market research company Lumina Intelligence released 'The Evolution of the Personalized Nutrition Market'. The report pointed out that humanity is living in an era of customization, where diets are becoming increasingly personalized according to different nutritional needs and health goals. With the development of artificial intelligence, the maturity of genetic testing technology, and the rise of big data platforms, digestive health 2.0 will also ride the 'tailwind' of personalized nutrition into the homes of ordinary people.

Personalized nutrition business model. Image source: Axiommrc, Personalized Nutrition Market Growth Rate, Opportunities, Latest Trends (2020-2025)

In recent years, many nutrition and technology companies have been actively attempting to commercialize the concept of 'personalized digestion health'.

 

The Swedish biotechnology startup Carbiotix offers a personalized gut health solution that includes regular gut microbiome testing and personalized prebiotic supplements. Its biggest feature is the establishment of a long-term relationship and a dynamic adjustment business model aimed at providing high-quality and affordable personalized prebiotic dietary plans for more people. Meanwhile, the UK personalized nutrition company Atlas Biomed uses gut microbiome genetic testing and personalized dietary guidance, providing gut microbiome genetic test kits and a dietary management app to score individual gut health based on big data analysis and recommend personalized dietary plans that help improve gut microecology.

Image source: Atlas Biomed official website

Ireland's FoodMarble company focuses on hardware, developing the FoodMarble Aire device to address 'gut disorders'. This is a pocket-sized breath testing device that determines whether there is digestive discomfort by measuring hydrogen in the breath. Hydrogen is produced by bacteria fermenting undigested carbohydrates in the colon, and excessive fermentation activity is a common cause of digestive discomfort. The device provides timely feedback on breath test results through a mobile app, helping users identify food triggers that cause gastrointestinal discomfort and adjust their diet accordingly.

 

When it comes to personalized research on gut health, one cannot overlook the Israeli company DayTwo. Founded in 2015, it is currently the only human gut health management platform on the market with practical application products. DayTwo has gained market-leading research results and broad customer support based on its top-notch research facilities and a series of clinical tests in Israel and the United States, establishing reliable business relationships and cooperation models with suppliers, employers, and others.

 
Image source: DayTwo official website

DayTwo currently serves nearly tens of thousands of clients, with over 4.5 million registered members. DayTwo has established a strategic partnership with Clalit Health Services, the second-largest healthcare organization globally, and maintains close cooperation with several well-known clinical research institutions. By integrating multiple health indicators, professional medical knowledge, and cutting-edge machine learning and algorithms, DayTwo has established a highly competitive business model, becoming a model in the field of personalized nutrition.

 

Meeting the differentiated needs of consumers while adhering to the basic characteristics of nutrition is an essential path for health consumption 2.0. Although there are still a series of challenges, such as the security of personal information, feedback and evaluation of the effects of personalized nutritional interventions, the professionalism of nutritionists, and better integration with artificial intelligence, it is believed that in the near future, everyone will have a dedicated health account that can collect life data anytime and anywhere, providing timely feedback on personal health status through big data and algorithms, and offering customized dietary plans through AI assistants and professional nutritionists, truly transforming personalized gut health into a commercial reality, thus helping more people move towards the new era of digestive health 2.0.

 

Future Outlook

Digestive health is always with consumers, a love-hate relationship; digestive health also fascinates scientists and excites the industry, driving them to engage passionately.

 

Dr. Maria Marco, a food science professor at the University of California, Davis, and a scientific advisor at the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute, once envisioned the future research of digestive health: the 'interaction' between gut microbiota and dietary fiber is one of the most challenging yet exciting directions in the field of digestive health. On one hand, how does the gut microbiota utilize dietary fiber, and how do subtle changes in fiber structure affect the response of gut microbiota?

 

In the research of new substances promoting digestive health, enzymes and bacteriophages from fruits are receiving more attention. In the near future, fruit enzymes are likely to become as popular in the market as today's 'high-protein' products.

 

Undoubtedly, the focus of digestive health 2.0 on overall health, including mental well-being, and the emphasis on personalized products have injected continuous new vitality into this industry.

 

The future is already in front of us. Whether it is the pioneers who are making waves in this field or the newcomers who are lingering outside the door and want to make a difference, let’s surge forward together!