The Market of Prebiotics and Synbiotics is Growing Rapidly

The market for prebiotics and synbiotics has been rapidly emerging in recent years, largely due to a large body of research scientifically finding their positive effects on the gut microbiome, which in turn impacts immune function, inflammation, weight management, and digestive health.

Lumina Intelligence said that while synbiotics and prebiotics did not always feature prominently in product marketing, with the microbiome modulation in the product positioning of more and more prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics and synbiotics become more prominent, and that is changing.

Currently, 51% of probiotic formulas contain prebiotics, so they clearly resonate with consumers, but these products do not yet offer the extra level of personalization consumers can achieve through microbiome analysis and modulation. Obviously, this is an exciting space.

 
The age of the gut microbiome

Ewa Hudson, director of Lumina Insights, said we are entering the era of microbiome analysis, noting that technological advances mean that microbiome mapping can now be implemented like a personal genetic map.

In terms of specific microbiome tests, the test provided by the British company Atlas Biomed can find the diversity of intestinal flora. It is important to understand which microbial species people may be missing. Atlas Biomed offers a £159 (€183) microbiome profiling test with nutritionist support, including prebiotic and probiotic interventions, to influence the gut microbiome in a healthy and beneficial way.

In terms of specific interventions, gum arabic is associated with levels of Akkermancia municiphila strains, which studies have shown are important for weight management. Microbiome profiling offers a personalized, sustainable alternative to addressing many health problems.

Other intervention cases include:

Golden kiwifruit and Clostridium praecox

Fructooligosaccharides and Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium

Citrus Polyphenols and Clostridium, Roche

Bacteriophages and Bifidobacterium bifidum, Eubacterium, Lactococcus and Bacillus subtilis

However, such products may enter the medical channel and serve specialized groups.

Recent scientific findings on the regulation of the microbiome suggest that it has the potential to prevent and reduce risk in many areas. In the future, it is hoped to study the dementia/Alzheimer's disease/Parkinson's disease population through gut analysis/modulation, and to strengthen the research and analysis of the "gut-brain axis".


 Prebiotics Market Consumption Insights

Lumina analyzes probiotic food supplements in 25 countries on five continents through online retailers such as Amazon, GNC, Holland & Barrett, iHerb and Vita-Store. The analysis found that 51% of probiotic products contained prebiotics, with the most popular prebiotic ingredients being fructooligosaccharides, inulin, galactooligosaccharides, other oligosaccharides, dietary fiber, xylo-oligosaccharides and resistant starch Wait.

In China, 60% of probiotic products contain prebiotics, compared with 56% in the United States, and 40% of probiotic products in Australia contain synbiotics.

According to a recent survey of dietary supplement users in the US, UK and Germany by the Ingredient Transparency Centre (ITC), 30% were found to be familiar or very familiar with prebiotics, up from 20% in 2018. Only 20% had never heard of prebiotics, and about 20% of regular users increased their prebiotic intake between mid-2019 and mid-2020. Additionally, about 30% said they were specifically looking for products containing synbiotics.

The survey also showed that gut health/digestion (31%) and immunity (26%) were the main drivers of prebiotic consumption, with German users being particularly aware of microbiome health at around 33%, compared to UK and US users The proportions were 19% and 11%, respectively.

When dietary supplement consumers were asked which prebiotic health benefits they had heard of, German dietary supplement users were most pronounced, with about 35% mentioning the microbiome, compared to only 12% of Americans and 12% of UK Men mentioned the microbiome.

In addition, other contributing factors to the use of prebiotics in countries included fiber sources (18%), regularity (17%), bone health (14%), inflammation (14%), stress/mood (13%), brain health (11 %) and sports nutrition (12%, up to 18% in Germany).

In Europe, the category has recently been boosted by regulation, with EU member states such as Spain, Poland, Greece, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Italy, Denmark and the Czech Republic relaxing their bans on "prebiotics and probiotics" as marketing tools.