Gut health in review: Examining Innova Market Insights’ top F&B trend for 2026

Innova Market Insights unveils its Top Ten Food & Beverage (F&B) Trends, and this year, gut health is topping the charts as the number one trend for 2026. The trend, Gut Health Hub, reveals that a majority of global consumers, 59%, are increasingly choosing functional ingredients — such as probiotics and prebiotics — to support both physical and mental health and see gut health as a path to holistic wellness.

Accordingly, Innova Market Insights’ data suggests that the market is seeing a surge in product launches targeting gut health. While supplements still dominate new launches with digestive health claims, other categories are catching up, with items like soups being formulated and marketed for digestive support and overall gut wellness.

Nutrition Insight explores the top ten holistic gut-health science and innovations stories for the year so far.

AG1 execs on balancing foundational nutrition with personalization
AG1’s CEO, Kat Cole, along with its CSO, Ralph Esposito, talked to us about the rise of personalized stacks. Cole and Esposito noted that many consumers prefer a high-quality base layer they can build on and spotlighted AG1’s all-in-one supplement powder mix that combines micronutrients, phytonutrients, and biotics, as a gut health aid that simplifies routines. The brand announced ongoing formula upgrades based on research, pointing to recent clinical validation for its product, such as a trial showing it tripled beneficial gut bacteria. AG1 is also preparing to expand beyond direct-to-consumer into retail, while launching new iterations and additional products. Next to these developments, we also spoke with experts about using supercomputers to map the gut microbiome, talked to several leading suppliers about their latest targeted gut health innovations, and connected with a scientist who told us about the “missing link” between the microbiome and weight management.

ADM and Kyowa Hakko spotlight natural cognition, mood, stress, and sleep solutions
At this year’s Natural Products Expo West trade show, ADM and Kyowa Hakko spotlighted innovations in natural ingredients for cognition, mood, stress, and sleep. ADM partnered with Asahi to launch the postbiotic Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305, which had shown benefits for stress, mood, and sleep in clinical trials. Kyowa Hakko showcased its Cognizin citicoline, supported by human studies, as a neuroprotective ingredient for cognitive health and healthy brain aging. The companies presented formulations integrating these actives in several formats, including powders, fast melts, and gummies. Both firms stressed the rigorous science behind the ingredients and presented consumer-centric formats for brain-health wellness applications.ADM’s marketing director for EMEA, spoke with us about its ES1 postbiotic at this year’s Vitafoods Europe trade show.

Fueling the microbiome: How prebiotics are transforming functional nutrition
In a Special Report, we explored how prebiotics were evolving beyond digestive support into a central pillar of functional nutrition. We sat down with dsm-firmenich, Gnosis by Lesaffre, FrieslandCampina Ingredients, and AB-Biotics to discuss the companies’ latest innovations such as next-generation, high-specificity prebiotics, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), and synbiotic blends combining prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. These developments aimed to support immune, metabolic, cognitive, and microbiome health. The ingredient developers emphasized convenience formats, natural sourcing, and science-backed functionality as key drivers for market adoption. We also examined research on the gut health benefits of FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ and Lallemand Health Solutions’ jointly developed synbiotic, Natural PRO-Digest.

Future of women’s health: Gut microbiome, mitochondrial function and female-focused research
In this Special Report, we looked at emerging research highlighting the gut microbiome’s vital role in women’s physical and emotional health across life stages. Experts from IFF, HTBA, and Kaneka discussed how gut balance could support hormonal function, mood, skin, metabolism, and digestive wellness. The companies stressed that the majority of nutrition research had been male-focused, calling for more female-specific clinical trials. Innovations like Kaneka’s ubiquinol were noted for reducing oxidative stress and supporting gut lining integrity. The companies also expect that future studies will integrate microbiome, mitochondrial, and genetic data to develop personalized nutrition solutions tailored to women’s evolving needs. At the same time, scientists found that a mother’s microbiome influences the placenta and could pave the way for new prenatal prebiotic therapies, while a separate study review established the digestion and infant health benefits of Novonesis’ BB-12 probiotic strain.

HMOs in the spotlight: dsm-firmenich’s latest gut health and early life nutrition innovations
Researchers at dsm-firmenich spotlighted innovations in human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and next-generation precision prebiotics for gut health and early life nutrition. They showed that HMO-based blends and synbiotic combinations that pair HMOs with specific probiotic strains deliver benefits for gut microbiota, immune function, and cognitive development. Market data revealed strong growth in prebiotic and HMO-infused product launches from 2020–2024, particularly in infant/toddler nutrition, with immune health claims dominating. Meanwhile, dsm-firmenich emphasized its broad HMO portfolio, which covers all structural classes in human milk, along with its wide regulatory access, and its goal to translate nature’s design into nutrition solutions for all life stages. We spoke with a company scientist about the results of a clinical trial on one of the supplier’s synbiotics and its effects on post-COVID-19 symptoms.We spoke with the chief business officer at Kaneka Probiotics about its gut health solutions for women’s health

Kaneka advances probiotics for menopause, skin and heart health
Kaneka Probiotics advanced several women’s health probiotic solutions as microbiome needs shift across life stages, especially during menopause. The company’s chief business officer, Jordi Riera, spoke with us about the development of KABP Menopause, a blend of Levilactobacillus brevis KABP-052, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABP-051, and Pediococcus acidilactici KABP-021. In a randomized placebo-controlled trial over twelve weeks, the formula helped maintain estrogen levels and stabilize the gut microbiome. Riera also spotlighted Kaneka’s “beauty-from-within” strain, L. sakei proBio65, for skin health support, alongside its KABP Cardio blend, designed to support cholesterol regulation via the gut-liver axis. The company emphasized that probiotic formats, such as capsules, gummies, and bars, are evolving for convenience, and that future growth depends on more personalized, clinically validated, and microbiome-driven interventions for women’s specific health needs. Also, a recent study on probiotic blend with ingredients from Kaneka Probiotics and AB-Biotics found it may restore the intestinal barrier function of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

AceBiome CEO unpacks science behind South Korea’s first probiotic for body fat reduction
AceBiome launched BNRThin, built around a patented probiotic strain Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17, which is approved in South Korea for reducing body fat. AceBiome’s CEO, Myeong Hee Kim, explained that BNR17 works via multiple pathways, blocks sugar absorption, reduces visceral fat, and modulates metabolism biomarkers. Clinical trials showed significant reductions in waist circumference and visceral fat over 12 weeks, without adverse effects. The strain also supported bowel regularity, glucose balance, and gut health. Kim touted BNRThin as a suitable companion to GLP-1 therapies. He added that the ingredient maintained stability through specialized fermentation and formulation with its partner, Novonesis. Meanwhile, a study on one of BIOKuris’ synbiotics found dual benefits for IBS and anxiety, and we talked with industry leaders about the latest innovations in psychobiotics.

One Health world: Closing the nutrition science gap with organ-on-chip tech
Experts at Finzelberg spoke with us about its 360GUT and Agilirose Beauty ingredients at Vitafoods Europe 2025.Organ-on-chip (OoC) technology is transforming nutrition science by providing human-relevant models that overcome limitations of traditional animal studies. We caught up with OoC experts to discuss how these microphysiological systems replicate organ structure and function, enabling precise studies of nutrient absorption, gut microbiota interactions, and exposure to contaminants. They revealed that OoCs — such as gut-liver, placenta, and blood-brain-barrier chips — simulate human metabolism and barrier transport, offering insights into fetal development, neurotoxicity, and bioavailability. Moreover, the scientists underscored that, unlike rodent models, OoCs deliver more accurate human responses. When integrated with “in silico” modeling and multi-omics approaches, OoCs can reconstruct dynamic biological networks. Within the One Health framework, the technology enhances predictive understandings of nutrition’s impact while supporting safer and more effective dietary interventions.

Vitafoods Asia 2025 live: Beneo exhibits Orafti Inulin chicory root fiber for Asian snacking
At Vitafoods Asia 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, Beneo showcased Orafti Inulin chicory root fiber, highlighting its versatility in regional snack applications such as flavored prebiotic water, “brookies,” and tea gummies. Beneo’s CEO, Olivier Roques, spoke with us about how the company’s Orafti Inulin is scientifically validated as a prebiotic and promotes Bifidobacteria growth. He also noted that Thailand’s Center for Nutrition Assessment and Health Claims formally approved its prebiotic claims after collaborating with Beneo’s scientific and regulatory team. He emphasized that the ingredient meets regional flavor preferences and wellness trends, addressing Southeast Asian consumers’ growing focus on digestive health and functional nutrition. Earlier this year, at IFT First in Chicago, US, we also talked with Comet Bio about its upcycled gut health-boosting prebiotic fiber.

Danone opens OneBiome Lab in Paris-Saclay, expanding gut health research for future innovation
We attended the opening of Danone’s OneBiome Lab in Paris-Saclay, France. The facility will act as a research hub focused on gut microbiome science, building on a prior facility the company opened in Singapore. The lab combines microbiology, clinical science, and AI to study how microbes influence well-being. Danone said the lab will help to design foods that support, maintain, or repair the microbiome, and that address mental and physical health. Danone’s CEO, Antoine de Saint-Affrique, highlighted the lab’s potential to qualify causal relationships within the microbiome and develop impactful foods and hailed the lab as a milestone in Danone’s plans for food and health innovation by exploring microbiome-based nutrition solutions for everyday diets and personalized health outcomes. In related events, Clasado Biosciences secured health claims for its Bimuno GOS (galactooligosaccharide) ingredient in Colombia, Biohm Technologies upgraded its gut health testing kit, and Cmbio and Nimble Science unveiled a microbiome mapping capsule device.