Unilever partners with Holobiome to unlock secrets to a healthy gut biome

06 Jan 2022 --- The race for advanced information on the impact of the gut biome on human health gains momentum as Unilever partners with specialist Holobiome, securing next level access to the “microbiome vault.”

The research partnership will identify specific food ingredients that interact with key gut bacteria. “At the moment we aren’t in a position to disclose the ingredients we are testing, but we will say it’s a broad range of different chemistries found in foods,” Philip Strandwitz, Holobiome CEO and co-founder tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

The long-term ambition is to enhance ingredients in certain foods and refreshment products across Unilever’s portfolio to naturally boost levels of certain calming neurotransmitters in the gut, in turn improving mental well-being.

Codes to microbiome vault, atlas and simulator
Ingredients with prebiotic potential will be selected during a screening process. Prebiotics are food for the beneficial microbes that live in the gut. Some of these are selected based on their predicted ability to modulate bacteria relevant to the gut-brain-axis, proven to have health benefits. 

Many ingredients used in Unilever’s products, such as dietary fibers and some polyphenols, are classified as prebiotics. The research will take place for the duration of the year with findings expected by the end of 2022.

Holobiome possesses one of the largest human microbiome collections in the world, also known as the “Microbiome Vault”. The outfit has invested decades into growing and screening bacteria for functional capabilities.The microbiome impacts nearly every aspect of human biology.

The results of this research, which generates further knowledge, is stored in Holobiome’s “Microbiome Atlas.” A Human Gut Simulator (HuGS) simulates the microbial communities in humans. 

“As a field, we do not have a map of how our food functionally impacts our microbes. This project is a major step in that direction, focused on certain pathways we think are relevant for communication along the gut-brain-axis,” Strandwitz explains. 

“To do that, we will leverage experimental capabilities and key assets developed in-house.

Modulating bacteria in the gut-brain-axis
More than 70% of consumers are concerned that stress and anxiety are having an impact on their health, says Carla Hilhorst, executive vice president R&D Foods and Refreshment at Unilever. 

“In turn, consumers are increasingly seeking food and drink products that can have a positive impact on their overall health and mental well-being. Through our partnership, we look forward to understanding more about the way ingredients interact with the gut microbiome,” says Hilhorst. 

Microbiome research will lead to critical advancements around the gut-brain axis over the next five years. “This research offers opportunities for our future food and drink formulations enabling us to deliver boldly healthier products,” she explains.

The ultimate goal of the research project is to better understand how food impacts human microbes, and specifically which food ingredients hold potential for improving health via the gut-brain-axis, which will be further tested in humans.

Generating technology to improve healthUnilever and Holobiome aim to unlock the potential of the human gut microbiome through their research. 
“Our real goal is to harness the potential of the human gut microbiome - the trillions of microbes that live inside all of us - to generate technology and products that can improve health across marketplaces, for example, consumer and pharma,” explains Strandwitz. 

Holobiome’s lead assets are human-derived bacteria designed to combat depression, constipation and pain. 

Strandwitz explains: “We’ve built foundational technology within the company that allows us to access the human microbiome broadly and study its direct impact on effectively any biological process.” 

“This project leverages that technology to further understand how components of our food - a microbiome modulator each of us takes every day - can interact with and functionally impact key members of our microbiome.”

The microbiome impacts nearly every aspect of human biology, therefore it is important to understand how the food we eat influences our microbial passengers and the important functions they perform.

“If we can map this out at an individual ingredient level, there’s an opportunity to make more informed dietary choices and improve health via multiple marketplaces,” says Strandwitz. 

The results of Personalized Responses to Dietary Composition Trial 1 (PREDICT 1) reports diets rich in healthy and plant-based foods, which promote the presence of beneficial gut microbes, are linked to lower risk for illnesses such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

A diet rich in fermented foods can increase the diversity of gut microbes and decrease molecular signs of inflammation, according to a new study led by researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine, US.

By Inga de Jong