Gut-friendly NPD proliferates to support immunity and overall health

01 Oct 2020 --- Consumer demands for gut health-boosting ingredients continues to drive NPD in the nutrition space. US-based RB launched five probiotic dietary supplements to support overall health via the gut, while Layer Origin announced the launch of PureHMO Prebiotic targeting adults. Meanwhile, YouVeda offers My Healthy Digestion Supplement Kit, which has become its best-selling product.

“There will definitely be more diversity in the product lines. We may see human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) infused into food, drinks, and snacks. It’s possible that we will see HMOs expand into the kids’ market within the next year or two. Candies, tablets, and other product forms are likely to contain HMO,” Beau Berman, co-founder of Layer Origin Natural Supplements, tells NutritionInsight.

The company also predicts HMOs will go mainstream replacing the tradition of GOS, FOS, and XOS. “This is simply because HMO offers more benefits than those traditional oligosaccharides,” says Berman.

Gut health top of mind
Innova Market Insights data shows an 11 percent rise in food and beverage launches with a digestive health claim (Global, 2014-2018). There was also a 17 percent growth in launches with a “probiotic” claim and a 10 percent growth in launches with a “fermentation” claim for the same period.

“Consumers are more focused than ever on supporting their well-being with products that can deliver tailored health benefits,” says Gunjan Khetan, marketing director for vitamins, minerals and supplements at RB. 

Meanwhile, a 2018 Innova Market Insights survey found that 68 percent of consumers said they consume fiber to promote healthy digestion.

Multiple strains for multiple benefits
RB has launched a microbiome brand called Bodi-Ome, which includes a line of five probiotic dietary supplements. The range uses clinically-proven, targeted probiotic strains to support digestive and immune health, as well as heart health, vaginal health and mood.

All products are free of added preservatives and each has been carefully formulated with the type and amount of probiotics supported by scientific studies, the company says.

The range includes: 

• Immun N’ me is a probiotic that helps support immune health, as well as digestive health. 
• I Got Gut helps reduce occasional diarrhea, bloating and minor abdominal discomfort. 
• Stress Ya Later is a probiotic blend that helps moderate everyday stress and support positive mood balance, healthy cortisol levels and digestive health.
• Femme Power is a probiotic blend that helps support overall vaginal health and the natural balance of vaginal bacteria.
• Beating Heart is a cardiologist-recommended probiotic that helps support healthy cholesterol levels already within the normal range and overall digestive health.

Prebiotics for adults
RB has launched a microbiome brand called Bodi-Ome, which includes a line of five probiotic dietary supplements.New York-based natural supplement startup Layer Origin unveiled PureHMO Prebiotic for adults. HMOs have been found by research to provide significant benefits to the gut health, immune function and cognitive function of infants and adults.

Layer Origin’s prebiotic provides HMOs at an unmatched purity level of more than 98 percent, supports the company. PureHMO Prebiotic does not actually contain human milk. Instead, it is derived from a precise fermentation process of high-purity lactose. 

However, the end result is a bio-identical match to 2’-fucosyllactose, the most abundant HMO found in mother’s milk and its inherent benefits. Research shows those benefits extend to adults.

“Some adults are turned off when they hear the term human milk oligosaccharide. So we try to be pretty clear in saying that our products do not contain actual human milk,” notes Berman.

According to Innova Market Insights, there has been a 37 percent annual growth in food and beverage launches tracked with a prebiotic claim and a feel-good claim (Global, CAGR 2014-2018). 

While Baby and Toddlers is the number one category for prebiotics, Sports Nutrition is starting to catch up. Accounting for 46 percent of F&B launches in 2018, inulin is the top prebiotic ingredient, although GOS comes in third place, being spotted in 19 percent of F&B launches.

Healthy digestion supplement kit
Supplemental health brand YouVeda’s new product line is packaged in a box containing a 30-day supply of supplements formulated to specifically target wellness goals, rather than individual ingredients. 

One of the best-selling offerings in the brand’s product line is YouVeda’s My Healthy Digestion Supplement Kit.

The daily herbal packets in YouVeda’s My Healthy Digestion kit contain:

• One capsule of an herbal digestive support supplement with curcumin, licorice root and triphala.
• A multi-vitamin providing readily absorbed active form ingredients in a sustained-release capsule for all around body support.
• One capsule of powdered beta-glucan. Beta-glucan is researched as an immune support supplement and contains healthy fiber to help gut bacteria thrive. 
•  One capsule of YouVeda GI Enzyme (delayed-release), which is a vegan capsule featuring “a blend of all digestive enzymes, which break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats.”
•  One 50 billion count probiotic vegan capsule, which includes Lactobacillus, Bifidum, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus and Bacillus species.

Total wellness begins with a healthy gut and healthy digestion, and understanding how each supplement works synergistically with another is a major component of YouVeda’s innovative approach, the company says. 

YouVeda is bringing Ayurvedic wellness to the supplemental health market by introducing this “often under-represented practice” in a way that is easy for customers to use and understand.

“Any time you introduce something to the market that actually works and helps people, we think you will see growth and mass-adoption,” Berman concludes.

By Kristiana Lalou