Kaneka advances probiotics for menopause, skin and heart health

As women navigate various life stages, their nutritional and microbiome needs undergo significant shifts. From menstruation and fertility to menopause and healthy aging, these distinct requirements are leading to a host of new industry solutions, such as those based on gut science, emerging to address specific women’s health challenges. 

Nutrition Insight speaks to Jordi Riera, chief business officer at Kaneka Probiotics, about the company’s pioneering work in developing targeted probiotic solutions for women’s health, including a groundbreaking probiotic for menopause that supports hormone balance and gut microbiome stability.

Can you tell us about your company’s latest women’s health and nutrition advancements?
Riera: Kaneka Probiotics is dedicated to advancing research in women’s health. We understand women face distinct nutritional and microbiome challenges at different life stages, yet many of these needs are under-addressed. As such, we’re proud to have been the first to develop a probiotic for menopause that was shown in a published clinical study to contribute to hormone balance through modulation of the estrobolome. This is a collection of bacteria in the gut that metabolizes and modulates the body’s estrogen. Emerging science has highlighted the importance of this during menopause.

Women face distinct nutritional and microbiome challenges at different life stages, yet many of these needs are under-addressed.KABP Menopause is made up of strains Levilactobacillus brevis KABP-052, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABP -051 and Pediococcus acidilactici KABP-021. Levilactobacillus brevis KABP-052 was selected due to its capacity to deconjugate estrogen through its high β-glucuronidase activity — an enzyme that boosts the natural process of recycling estrogen in the body. The other two strains were selected due to evidence of inhibiting opportunistic pathogens that could improve gut homeostasis.

The three-strain blend was then studied in a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that found, after 12 weeks of supplementation, the blend sustained estrogen levels and supported gut microbiome stability during this transitional phase.

What formats are trending for women’s health products?

Riera: Traditional formats such as capsules remain popular for women’s health probiotics due to their ability to protect the strains from stomach acid and offer convenience. However, new formats continue to emerge, such as gummies, liquids, and drops, and even food matrices like bars and yogurts — these formats enable consumers to incorporate probiotics into their day-to-day life in well-known food staples.

Combining probiotics with trending and effective ingredients to leverage synergies is increasingly popular, too. For example, adding cranberry to support urinary and bacterial infections. Ultimately, delivery formats need to be convenient and uphold the efficacy of the ingredient(s).

What other categories do you see crossing over into women’s health?
Riera: The gut microbiome plays a foundational role in women’s health, influencing everything from immune function and hormone regulation to mood, metabolism, and even skin health. For example, our “beauty-from-within” strain, L. sakei proBio65, which is isolated from traditional kimchi, helps modulate the gut-skin axis and supports the maintenance of a healthy microbiome, a key factor in skin health. This probiotic can also be added to emollient skin care formulations to balance, hydrate, and soothe skin.

Healthy aging is another central pillar of women’s health, particularly as menopause can accelerate many age-related changes. Cardiovascular health is also closely tied to this life stage and transition. Our KABP Cardio probiotic blend (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABP-011, L. plantarum KABP-012, and L. plantarum KABP-013) is one of the most extensively researched, first-to-market probiotic blends that supports healthy cholesterol levels.

It has been studied for its ability to regulate lipid metabolism and support cholesterol excretion, acting on several metabolites, including bile salts. It works alongside the gut-liver axis — a key pathway in metabolic regulation.

What role do you think advancements in personalized nutrition and AI will play in the space?
Riera: During menopause, women experience shifts in estrogen levels, which can impact mood, metabolism, gut and vaginal microbiome balance and more. But there’s often a lack of targeted solutions that address these changes holistically. We believe the future of women’s health requires more personalized probiotic strategies for every stage, from menstruation and fertility through menopause and healthy aging.

Traditionally, biotics are created with a “top-down” approach, where probiotic strains are used primarily to support gut health, with the idea that a healthy gut will have a positive impact on other health areas. However, we take a “bottom-up” approach, where we identify a specific strain’s mechanism of action and then utilize this to develop probiotics that not only balance the gut microbiota but crucially target critical health areas.

This precise approach allows us to develop probiotics that are tailored to the unique needs of women, offering more than a traditional “one size fits all” solution. We are also continually investigating under-researched therapeutic areas such as menopause, and we’re excited to advance this field of research further.

How do you expect the women’s health space to evolve over the next few years?
Riera: The women’s health market has an abundance of opportunity to evolve, but this relies on future research taking a more integrated approach, exploring how the microbiome influences hormonal health, mental well-being, metabolism, and immune function across different life stages.

There’s also a need for more targeted clinical studies on microbiome solutions specific to women, including probiotics and postbiotics tailored to menopause, skin health, cardiovascular support, and cognitive function. Advancing personalized, microbiome-driven interventions will be key to closing long-standing gaps in women’s health.