According to Diane Ray, vice president strategic innovation at Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), personalised probiotics is the way forward for gut health as research moves away from a ‘one-strain-fits-all’ approach.
“The emerging science behind probiotics shows that there might be different strains that are better for one condition than another,” said Ray.
“All that ties into the personalisation of probiotics, what’s right for the consumer and their lifestyle.
"A consumer might not be an athlete but might be experiencing environmentally induced stress. Or personal eating habits might be causing stress that needs addressing.
“Personalising the probiotic solution for the consumer is absolutely a way to go. It’s challenging but will probably provide longevity over time.”
Probiotics the new multivitamin?
There is no doubt as to the potential of probiotics, which looks to provide a wealth of business opportunities for precise and personalised microbiome restoration for consumers.
But such is the gut’s reach and influence on whole body health, there is also a line of thinking that says a probiotic regimen can benefit everyone to some degree, possibly as a lifestyle aid not unlike a multivitamin.
According to Ray, 41% of European probiotic users are millennials, who want to know holistically how it fits into their lifestyle.
“Prevention is always attractive to that group that is very proactive in their health. Being able to see a tangible benefit immediately or within 30 days is appealing to a much broader audience,” she explains.
“So if this is solving a specific problem such as bloating or indigestion and there is a solution, there’s always going to be a lot more appeal.
“The idea that this can aid in whole-body health, holistically is good. A tangible ‘feel’ difference is even better.”