Gut health roundtable: Consumer awareness pushes sector beyond digestive troubles

18 Aug 2021 --- The COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened consumer interest in immunity in an unprecedented way. As new research continuously reveals the importance of the gut microbiome in maintaining overall well-being, rather than traditional digestive issues like constipation, industry players are innovating to meet rapidly evolving demand in the digestive health space.

NutritionInsight investigates these developments with experts from Kerry, FrieslandCampina and Probi. They discuss issues relating to the gut-brain axis, probiotics, COVID-19 and the future of gut microbiome research. 

From digestion to the gut 
Part of the change in perception and awareness of digestive health issues comes from recognizing that the gut microbiome impacts many parts of the body, says Linda Peek, senior marketing manager – Biotis, FrieslandCampina Ingredients.

“Part of the reason for this shift in mindset is the recognition that improving gut health isn’t just about things like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or constipation. There’s been a huge focus in the scientific community on the role of the microbiome, and this research shows that improving gut health can contribute to various health benefits, such as improved mood, sleep quality, or energy levels,” she says. 

Linda Peek, senior marketing manager – Biotis, FrieslandCampina Ingredients.This understanding appears to be trickling into consumer consciousness – a recent study by Murphy Research found that 90 percent of consumers can identify at least one benefit of consuming prebiotics. 

This expansion in awareness draws both a wider audience and a wider perspective on how the gut impacts the rest of the body. 

“In this era of holistic health, it makes sense that there’s less focus on ‘digestive’ health, and more on ‘gut health’, as improved digestion is just one of the many benefits of a healthy gut.” 

Enter probiotics 
Use of probiotics to aid gut health issues is also rising. John Quilter, Kerry vice president of global portfolio for ProActive Health, says a boom in probiotics is as much about the strength of probiotics as it is concerned over gut health. 

“The versatility of probiotics – both in terms of their benefits and the applications in which they can be used – means they’re a great fit for the increasing demand for personalized products.” 

“For example, supporting protein absorption may be a particularly attractive benefit for seniors, while parents of young children are particularly likely to be drawn to products specifically targeting gastrointestinal support,” he says. 

Titti Niskanen, director of R&D & clinical operations at Probi, explains how the importance of probiotics for gut health is continuously being affirmed in scientific studies. 

“By administration of specific probiotic strains, it has been shown in several clinical trials that the absorption of important nutritional factors, such as iron, from the diet is increased, which is beneficial for many physiological functions even beyond digestive health.” 

Other areas within digestive health where probiotics have been proven as an effective measure to maintain and even improve health are IBS, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and bacterial infections (especially Clostridioides difficile), she explains. 

Fighting gut problems 
Niskanen explains that it is the multipotency of probiotics that makes them so effective in tackling gut health problems. 

“The potential advantage with probiotics over other solutions is that some strains are multipotent, meaning they can affect several parameters that are important for health like the gut barrier, the immune system, competing with pathogenic bacteria and so on.” 

FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ Biotis Sleepwell solution.However, it may also be possible to combine several strains to achieve the same effects. 

“Probiotics provide a natural and safe way to improve and adjust our gut microbiota, which can help us maintain or improve our digestive health. It is important to note that not all probiotics are the same and clinical evidence is key,” Niskanen continues. 

The gut-brain axis 
This year, a major topic of discussion, research, and consumer interest has been the connection between the gut microbiome and mental well-being. A series of studies and corresponding NPD have hit the market addressing issues such as anxiety and sleep hygiene through gut health.

“The amount we’ve learned recently about the role of the microbiome in areas like mental well-being, mood and cognitive health is astounding,” says Quilter. 

“What is also exciting is that this is cutting through to consumers. Between 2014 and 2019, the number of Google searches for ‘Microbiome’ and ‘Gut-Brain Axis’ grew by 267 percent and 204 percent, respectively.” 

“This has been central to the shift in perception of gut health from something that affects a specific area of the body to something that affects everything.”

Studies are linking mental health concerns like anxiety and depression with the gut microbiome.Belly to the brain 
Peek asserts the expansion in mental health awareness generally has helped bring added focus to the existence of a gut-brain axis, and FrieslandCampina Ingredients has placed additional resources to investigate this. 

In the last year, the company has been part of two significant studies which show the possible gut-brain axis mechanisms and the benefits of targeting the gut to create improvements in mental well-being. 

The first showed the positive effects of Biotis GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) – a dairy-derived prebiotic – on stress and anxiety in young women. In this study, taking Biotis GOS led to an increase in Bifidobacterium abundance, most notably in high-anxiety individuals, and these changes in the microbiome reflected changes in self-reported anxiety levels.

In a more recent study, the Biotis SleepWell product solution contains Biotis GOS , whey protein, dairy protein-derived amino acids tryptophan and cysteine, and complementary vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D and magnesium, demonstrated improvement in stress and sleep quality. 

Into the future
Peek says industry can expect more research into the gut-brain axis in the future.

“As the conversation into mental health continues, this is likely to stay an important topic for consumers.”

“Following global lockdowns, consumers are taking their mental well-being more seriously than ever, so products which can verify health claims with scientific backing will stand head and shoulders above those that can’t.”

Niskanen further asserts discoveries on a broad range of issues could be coming in regard to gut health. 

“Even neurodegenerative disorders are being investigated with probiotics, but it is still early days and remains to be proven. The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly had an impact on this area as there are health issues resulting from the adverse economic and social impacts of the pandemic, such as anxiety-related disorders and stress.” 

By Louis Gore-Langton