Rising gut health awareness
Supplements for convenience
Concentrated solution
Better health made simple
In a market let by consumer needs and trends, brands in the health and nutrition industry are paying close attention to shifting requirements. How the global audience relates to physical and mental wellbeing is changing, and the market for products designed to support better health is developing rapidly and opening up fresh opportunity for prebiotic supplements.
In essence, the boundaries between many traditional product segments are blurring. Today’s formulators are under extraordinary pressure to deliver quality and scientifically backed solutions that align with the fast-paced and convenience-focused lifestyle of the consumer.
Crucially, the global population is getting more proactive and hands-on when it comes to physical wellbeing. Traditionally, products targeting better health were used by consumers for preventive purposes, when there is a specific problem to be fixed or a target health benefit desired. Now, there is a real drive towards better everyday wellness, considered to be ‘preventive maintenance for the body’.
The multibillion-dollar market for prebiotic ingredients is set to see a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.15% to 2026 according to research firm Mordor Intelligence, with Europe remaining the largest overall market at this point in time – although North America and Asia are both on the rise.
So, why are prebiotic supplements in particular becoming such a force in the health and wellbeing market and what factors are driving the surging demand?
Rising gut health awareness
Perhaps the most obvious driving force behind prebiotics is the growth in gut health awareness and the significance of the digestive system. The gut microbiome is the community of bacteria that resides in the gut, numbering in their trillions. Certain types of bacteria in the gut microbiome provide an additional benefit to health and wellbeing, which means that a gut microbiota composition with more of these ‘good’ bacteria can be particularly advantageous to health.
Naturally, as consumer get more engaged with physical health, the importance of the gut microbiome naturally comes to the forefront. Alongside digestive and gastrointestinal wellbeing in support of a healthy gut, studies connect beneficial bacteria with areas such as mental wellbeing, immunity and immune function, sports and athletic health and beyond.
Prebiotic supplements, which can form part of an everyday health routine and dietary behaviour, can be a way to support multiple fields of wellbeing as the same time.
Supplements for convenience
In much the same way as ‘grab and go’ snacks are growing in commercial strength, there is a clear move towards simplicity and convenience in the healthcare industry. Today’s consumer is cash-rich but time-poor, leading busy lives with less time to dedicate to health and wellness initiatives.
This changing dynamic is powering the resurgence of supplements, which fit easily into everyday routines. According to Grand View Research, the dietary supplement market is set to see a strong CAGR of 8.6% to 2028, demonstrating enormous commercial potential.
Formats such as tablets, capsule, powders and gummies are a simple way for businesses to deliver a formulated product in a way the consumer is proactively looking for.
Concentrated solution
In the vast industry of health and wellness, product categories tend to be split into one of three different categories. Conventional foods are typical products purchased for physiological and subsistence needs. Medical products, including drugs and pharmaceuticals sit at the other end of the spectrum as a product category that targets specific health needs and tend to be used by consumers and patients short-term. In between the two is nutraceuticals, a category which can include vitamins and supplements, as well as functional or fortified foods, that are consumer-oriented and retail-ready, designed to offer stronger nutritional profile than alternative products of the same kind.
The nutraceutical space, including prebiotic supplements, is the ideal middle ground between commercial and pharmaceutical, offering consumers a simple everyday behaviour to improve health, backed by strong scientific principles. Probiotic supplements, while operating in a different way to prebiotics and more limited in their application, are a good measuring stick of the prebiotic supplement market’s potential.
Bimuno® is a great example, this versatile galactooligosaccharide (GOS) ingredient is supported by over 100 scientific publications, including more than 20 clinical trials. Its focus on strong microbiome science has led to Bimuno becoming the most studied prebiotic of its kind.
Better health made simple
Consumers are connecting with prebiotic supplements for a number of reasons, but the true driving force is the combination of today’s health consumer demands and how prebiotic supplements address them.
The challenge for formulators is to deliver highly technical scientific solutions in a simple format, promoting better health in a way that aligns with the consumer’s existing behaviours. This is where prebiotic supplements truly shine and can enable formulators and brands in the healthcare industry to capitalise on a rapidly emerging market.
Versatile and high performance, Bimuno is a functional prebiotic fibre ingredient – a proprietary GOS blend – that is ideal for use in health supplement formulations today, tomorrow and beyond.
Available in syrup or powder formats, Bimuno selectively targets and nourishes bifidobacteria, an important beneficial bacterium in the gut microbiome that is associated with digestive health, the immune system and cognitive health.
Through this mode of action, Bimuno promotes a more optimal balance of bacteria in the gut, improves nutritional profiles and adds a strong commercial edge for products.
