The category of microbiome-supporting supplements is entering plenty of new niches. Researchers are exploring new health outcomes, methods of substantiation, technologies for precision and personalization, and plenty more.
 
At SupplySide West, experts from trade associations, academia, and industry discussed some of the biggest recent breakthroughs in research and development, consumer/market insights, and projections for where the “biotics” market is headed in the coming months and years.

Market Outlook

George Paraskevakos, executive director of the International Probiotics Association (IPA), said Asia will soon overtake the U.S. in sales in the $9 billion probiotics market, with sales in the APAC region expected to reach 11-12% CAGR, doubling that of the U.S. in the coming years. China will represent about 50% of all sales in the APAC region.
 
IPA values the global prebiotics market at $10 billion, with root vegetables serving as the top raw material source, followed by cereals, and then other specialty raw materials.
 
Paraskevakos noted that when it comes to emerging categories in the “biotics” space, establishing regulatory definitions is a top priority.  
 
Several consensus papers with unique definitions of “postbiotic” and “probiotic” have been published over the past 10-20 years, and in the absence of regulatory definitions, “people are playing fast and loose with definitions to enter into hot categories more quickly,” leading to consumer confusion, Paraskevakos said, per IPA surveys. 

Emerging Health Benefits

Jessica Younes, scientific director at IPA, highlighted a number of health benefits at the cutting edge of microbiome research.
 
There’s been an uptick in clinical studies parsing out ways in which microbiome balance can support women in the pre-, peri-, and postnatal periods, as well as how a mother’s microbiome is linked to outcomes for both her and her child.
 
Emerging studies suggest that certain probiotic interventions can improve the efficacy of in vitro fertilization and other assistive reproduction technologies, Younes said. Additionally, they appear to play a role in supporting hormonal balance and some of the gastrointestinal side effects that take place in menopause. Probiotic interventions can also help to mitigate the rate of muscle breakdown and bone metabolism, which is highly relevant for menopause.
 
Additionally, a pregnant mother’s microbiome is implicated in children’s immune system adaptations, allergies, gastrointestinal tract development including later in life, gestational birth weight, and other physical and cognitive outcomes, according to recent research.
 
In infants and young children, microbiome interventions are being studied for potential outcomes in immune and respiratory health, nutritional status and bioavailability, intestinal barrier, management of drug side effects, and more, Younes said.
 
Probiotics can play a role in teens’ hormone-related issues including acne, skin inflammation, pernicious puberty, and more.  
 
“Pernicious puberty leads to lipid dysregulation, dysregulation of amino acid metabolism, and more, so it relates to digestion and how we process the nutrients we’re given. A lot of the stress hormones are derived from sex hormones, and these areas are known to be affected by certain biotic ingredients,” said Younes. “Probiotics seem to mitigate inflammation in a sex-specific manner, which could relate to depression, anxiety, stress, and a lot of the issues experienced by teens.”

Trends in Commercialization

Noah Voreades, managing director of GenBiome, a consulting firm specializing in the microbiome, noted that many probiotic leaders are supporting specialized studies for specific health conditions, instead of generalized wellness markers.  
 
For instance, there’s plenty of science on certain probiotics’ tendency to support certain markers of metabolism, and now, studies are looking for more unique outcomes, such as GLP-1 production. Rather than simply studying formulations in general healthy populations, brands are commercializing products with specific age groups in mind; women entering  (peri)menopause, and Baby Boomers transitioning into elderly stages will be areas to watch.
 
It remains difficult to convince mainstream consumers to send stool samples in the mail. Some companies are looking toward other biomarkers to analyze, which more consumers are willing to sample. Longevity markers, which can be gathered from salivary and epigenetic tests, will be a good springboard for personalized solutions in this space, Voreades said.
 
In the age of novel delivery formats, including functional foods and beverages, B2B biotics brands would do well to engage more with an end consumer audience, and help to create products fit for both purpose and consumer preference.
 
“I worked with Olipop since it was just an idea. Many other companies have since entered that space, and including inulin in a beverage was, for a myriad of reasons, the simplest way to go about it. But it’s important not to show up late to a new category, or just repurpose a portfolio asset for a type of product where it just doesn’t fit,” said Voreades.
 
By and large, disruption won’t happen at the back end of the innovation process, Voreades said, and the biggest shakeups in the microbiome market will take place on the supply side in the years to come. “Incumbents are focused on their own established portfolio not pushing the envelope quite as much,” he said. “But that’s weak when it comes to competitive differentiation or uniqueness. Disruptive, category-building brands, by and large, don’t want the thing that everybody already has. They’re looking for the current weaknesses in the category.”
 
In addition to issues with consumers’ acceptance of stool samples, researchers are also looking beyond them due to certain limitations, Voreades noted. “The microbiome industry has been focused on colon-centric solutions because we’ve spent so much time testing stool, but the small intestine is where many of the problems occur, from IBS to nutrient absorption issues, and it will be the next frontier.” One of the leaders in the space is the SIMBA (Small Intestine Microbiome Aspiration) capsule, which travels through the digestive tract collecting data in situ across the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and colon.

Communication Strategies and Overcoming Misinformation

Sandra Saville, director of education and communication at IPA, said that consumers still have plenty of glaring misconceptions about this category. The main problems are: complex science and terminology; misinformation and confusion; information overload; a lack of personalization; and superficial, apathetic, and disengaging educational outreach, Saville said.
 
“We can simplify, but be wary of dumbing something down to the point where it’s incorrect,” said Saville. “It’s also quite easy to share more information than what someone might need. It’s important to know the education level of your audience, and personalize that communication.”
 
Across the board, plenty of myths and misinformation surrounding prebiotics also persist noted Saville. This includes the false equivalency between prebiotic supplements and food; that all prebiotics function the same; that prebiotics are just fiber; prebiotics cause digestive issues; prebiotics only support digestive health; higher doses of prebiotics are always better; and that prebiotics are “just food for probiotics.”
 
Saville called for more tailored scientific education, not just to sell a product, but to help consumers, regulators, healthcare professionals, and others make more informed decisions. The audience will “tune this category out if there’s too much competing noise,” Saville said. “We try to give information to our member companies which they can use consistently. It takes the average consumer hearing a piece of information eight to 10 times before someone will listen, understand, and remember what we’re talking about.”

Growing Interest in Enzymes

While prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics have enjoyed a major boost in popularity in recent years, emerging research will bring enzymes into the spotlight for probiotic formulations as well, according to Bradley Saville, a researcher specializing in enzymology at the University of Toronto.
 
Enzymes are at the center of all biochemical reactions in the microbiome and impact digestion, nutrient absorption, and how microbes behave, and can likely boost the efficacy of formulations.
 
“Very specific enzymes can have unique roles in health outcomes,” said Saville. “Lysozyme supplements, for instance, can kill certain pathogenic microbes by degrading their cell walls. But it can’t be used indiscriminately, and there needs to be an understanding of how these types of enzymes work within the broader system of microbes.”
 
Compared to probiotics, enzymes have highly specific and selective ranges of activities, making them more predictable, noted Saville. They function within a very narrow range of pH and temperature, and are produced endogenously. For the most part, the small intestine serves as the site of release for enzymes, where they are either absorbed or function downstream in the colon.
 
In addition to digestive enzymes, there are formulation opportunities present for enzymes sourced from plants and fungi, such as cellulases, which can break down fiber in beta-glucan to create compounds with prebiotic activity. Meanwhile, xylanases can break down other types of plant fiber components which are indigestible, also potentially creating prebiotic material. Enzymes can also break down fibers such as inulin, potentially so that they’re utilized by bacteria in the small intestine rather than in the colon. However, these nutritional applications largely haven’t been explored, Saville said.
 
Aside from the more conventional uses of enzymes in the supplement world, some emerging trends include formulas targeting certain pathogenic bacteria, tailored enzyme formulas based on microbiome analysis, and more. In the longevity space, researchers are looking into how restoration of the telomerase enzyme can reduce certain signs and symptoms of aging, Saville noted.