How can prebiotic ingredients provide holistic health benefits through the gut microbiome?

Summary

• Prebiotic ingredients are well recognized for their ability to support digestive health by nourishing the gut microbiome and encouraging the growth of beneficial bacterial species in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
• However, the benefits of prebiotics go far beyond gut health alone. These ingredients hold incredible potential to support overall health and well-being across multiple areas, including immunity, mental health, and metabolic health.
• In this blog, we explore the growing bank of scientific evidence investigating the influence of prebiotics beyond digestive health and highlight new opportunities for brands to unleash their holistic health potential.

The popularity of prebiotic ingredients for dietary supplements and functional foods has increased immensely in the last decade, largely because of their myriad of benefits for gut health.¹ These non-digestible molecules ‘feed’ microorganisms in the gut, acting as substrates for bacterial metabolism and encouraging the growth of certain species that contribute to a healthy and balanced microbial make-up.²

However, the benefits of prebiotics don’t end at gut health. Supporting a robust gut microbiome has wide-reaching impacts throughout the body—and emerging research is revealing the unique potential of prebiotic ingredients for promoting holistic health and well-being. Read on to discover three areas beyond digestive health where prebiotics can make a real impact. 

1. Immune health: Unleashing the potential of protection from the gut

It’s well established that there’s vital interplay between the gut, the gut microbiota, and the immune system—in fact, up to 80% of human immune cells are found in the gut.³ The microbiome interacts with these immune cells and the cells of the gut epithelium (the tissue that lines the inside of the gut) to steer the development of the immune system and shape immune responses.³ Acting as ‘food’ for the microbiome, prebiotics are known to increase the population of bacterial species that have immunoregulatory effects, including Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.^2,4

Various microbial metabolites also influence the immune system. These include short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced when prebiotics are broken down by the microbiota. SCFAs provide multiple benefits for immunity, with both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects.² As well as positively addressing the balance of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria to contribute to healthy immune function, some prebiotic ingredients have even been shown to interact directly with immune cells or the gut epithelium to modulate immune responses.^5,6

Prebiotics not only support immunity locally in the gut, but also have wide-reaching and systemic positive effects throughout the body. Immune cells and signals from the gut greatly contribute to the development and maintenance of the entire immune system.^2,3,4 This means that the benefits provided by prebiotic ingredients in the gut go much further in contributing to overall health, playing a role in protecting against respiratory infections⁷ and potentially influencing vaccination responses.⁸

2. Mental health: Harnessing the power of the gut-brain-axis

Another way prebiotics support health beyond the gut is via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. This two-way relationship between the GI tract and its microbiome, and the central nervous system (CNS) is the reason the gut is sometimes called “the second brain”.^9,10 Through this connection, dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut microbiota) has been implicated in the pathology of multiple mood, psychiatric, and neurological disorders.^9,10

Emerging research is demonstrating how prebiotic ingredients may be able to support mental health, including for areas such as stress, anxiety, and depression.¹¹ Studies have reported that dietary supplementation with prebiotics reduced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in mice, and made them more resistant to stress.^12,11 Furthermore, in healthy humans, prebiotics have been observed to reduce various measures of anxiety.^11,14

The findings of these studies highlight the potential for prebiotic ingredients in formulations designed to support mental health. Stress, anxiety and depression are some of the most common mental health complaints worldwide and a major concern of many consumers—and as such, the market for mental health-supporting supplements has been growing dramatically.¹⁵

3. Metabolic health: Addressing global health concerns through dietary supplementation

Finally, there is growing scientific interest in prebiotics’ potential to support the prevention and management of metabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes. Clinical trials examining this have indicated that long-term dietary supplementation with various prebiotic ingredients may help to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood glucose levels, and attenuate weight gain.^16,17

The benefits of prebiotic ingredients in these areas come from their ability to enhance populations of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria species and SCFA production, all of which have effects on appetite-related hormones and human metabolism.^{2,16 ,17 ,18} In addition to the potential use of prebiotics to support metabolic health generally, this science reveals opportunities for the formulation of supplements to support weight management.

Unlock the power of prebiotic ingredients for the gut and beyond

Prebiotic ingredients hold incredible potential for supporting a wide range of health areas, with benefits also emerging for skin, cardiovascular, women’s health, and more.² They offer valuable opportunities for health and supplement brands to innovate and create holistic solutions that support multiple consumer health needs in a single formulation.

As your end-to-end partner, dsm-firmenich can help you harness the power of prebiotic ingredients to elevate your next winning product in the Health from the Gut category. Powered by a deep understanding of how prebiotics interact with the microbiome and their impact on various health areas, our range of Humiome® Prebiotics—including our precision prebiotic ingredients Humiome® Pre RG-I^+2FL and Humiome® Pre LE—provides consistent and robust health benefits.

Want to know more about how, together, we can push the boundaries and define new frontiers in the expanding gut health market? Learn more about our Health from the Gut offering here, or connect with an expert via the link below.