Microbiome, collagen and probiotics spearheading innovation across healthy aging space

01 Aug 2022 --- As industry eyes the gut-brain axis and the potential of probiotics for leveraging a slew of health benefits, companies are spotlighting the opportunities of the microbiome in aiding the healthy aging space.

“As we age, there is a natural decline in both gut function and the diversity of the gut microbiome. This can mean that older consumers can also suffer from poorer digestive health. Similarly, immune function declines with age. This makes digestive health and immunity key concerns for healthy aging,” Victoria Lam, general manager of marketing, Active Living, Fonterra, tells NutritionInsight.

The range of ingredients is also expanding from botanicals to glucosamine and chondroitin, Lindsey Toth, director of global marketing, Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients, explains.

“However, many of these ingredients can still fall short on convenience, as they require a high dose to produce effective results, and many don’t yet have enough scientific proof of efficacy – a key purchasing driver for consumers,” she tells NutritionInsight.

Probiotics are spotlighted for an array of uses, including the gut, immunity and mental health.Dairy reign
Probiotics are commonly associated with dairy applications such as yogurt or cultured beverages, Lam underscores. Fonterra owns two probiotics LactoB HN001TM and BifidoB HN019TM, which are among the most researched strains in humans.

“Dairy is an effective, clinically proven source of healthy aging and mobility-supporting ingredients. It is rich in high-quality complete proteins, milk fat globule membrane, calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus, which all play an important role in healthy, active aging, including brain and heart health.” 

“In addition, because dairy has this unique combination of 13 essential micronutrients, it can address multiple healthy aging claims in one product, which is appealing to consumers,” Lam notes.

Consumers are increasingly paying attention to ingredients first and foremost when making purchasing decisions, she adds. “This makes it important to have easily-recognized ingredients that consumers already associate with improving healthy aging and mobility (those with calcium, protein, B vitamins).”

“In this case, there are advantages for dairy, with milk having been long associated with bone health, to the point that consumers widely understand that dairy’s nutrients such as calcium and protein can support them on their healthy aging journey.” Although probiotics are not technically a dairy ingredient, they are commonly associated with dairy applications such as yogurt or cultured beverages, Lam explains.  

A space for plant-based?
In addition, gut-friendly foods, such as those enriched with inulin and oligofructose, can be supportive in nourishing beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria, within the microbiota as a person gets older, Anke Sentko, vice president of regulatory affairs and nutrition communication at Beneo, highlights.

The company’s prebiotic chicory root fiber utilizes inulin and oligofructose for plant-based prebiotics, with demonstrated support in more than 50 human intervention studies, according to Sentko. 

“Chicory root fiber is one of the very few proven prebiotics that selectively nourishes the beneficial gut microbiota, and it supports digestive health, well-being, the immune system and weight management.”Collagen is becoming an industry staple for the healthy aging space. 

Enter collagen?
In the joint health space, one ingredient seeing increasing interest from nutraceutical manufacturers and consumers alike is collagen, Toth underscores.

“Despite not being new to the market, the scientific research continues to build for collagen and its role in supporting joint health, helping it gain further traction in recent years.” Collagen has now been described to have moved into the mainstream, due to its growing popularity.

The company’s UC-II undenatured type II collagen (40 mg per day) opens up opportunities for innovative formulations, she explains. “This could be as a single ingredient, or in combination with either other joint health ingredients or those that support consumers’ broader healthy aging goals.”

Similarly, Douglas Jones, global sales and marketing manager at BioCell Technology, tells NutritionInsight that the company’s BioCell Collagen is key for the industry because it is composed of naturally occurring hydrolyzed collagen type II peptides, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid.

By Andria Kades