All About the Gut: Postbiotics on the Rise

Over the past few years, gut health has become one of consumers’ top priorities when it comes to nutrition and wellness. From kombucha to fermented foods, innovative and exotic products that claim to improve gut health have witnessed rapid growth recently. Now on the horizon are postbiotics – fermentation by-products in the gut that create system-wide health benefits. The key to improving gut health is to increase postbiotics in the gut, which means consuming foods that contain probiotics that promote the production of postbiotics.

With health and wellness on everyone’s minds these days, it comes as no surprise that consumers have demonstrated considerable interest in postbiotics.  According to Spoonshot, interest in postbiotics went up by 391% over the last year. Containing antioxidant properties, the benefits of postbiotics include improved gut health, immune system support, and reduced inflammation. As more consumers begin to seek out foods that promote the production of postbiotics in the gut, brands have an opportunity to introduce new products to the market that offer a holistic way for consumers to accomplish their health goals.

Trending Foods that Promote Postbiotics

The postbiotic trend goes hand-in-hand with consumers’ cravings for all-things sour and fermented. Foods like kimchi and kombucha, for example, have witnessed major increases in demand in recent years, thanks to their trendy flavor profiles. Now, however, a wider range of consumers are beginning to seek out these foods to support their gut health. The fact that these foods are already familiar to many customers will help accelerate the gut health and postbiotic trend in 2022 and beyond.

So, what foods help promote the production of postbiotics in the gut?

• Yogurt
• Miso Soup
• Kimchi
• Tempeh
• Kefir
• Kombucha
• Sourdough Bread
• Pickles

The Trend Driving Postbiotics

Functional foods started gaining momentum in the early 1900s, according to Kadence Food & Beverage Trends. In fact, the category has an annual growth rate of 14.7%. The desire for functional foods has increased even more since the onset of the pandemic, as consumers have been more focused on their health and preventative care. Gut health is no exception to this trend, as Mintel reports that 57% of consumers in the US are trying to consume foods that support gut health. Furthermore, according to Mintel, almost half of consumers would like to see better digestion as a benefit in better-for-you foods.

While many companies have capitalized on this trend over the past 2 years by creating products that make functional foods a staple in households, there’s still plenty of room for brands to tap into this space. Even though functionality has become one of the biggest buzzwords recently, when it comes to products that support gut health, innovation has been lacking. With consumers focusing on their gut health and increasing their consumption of postbiotic-boosting foods, now is the time to start innovating with new flavors and bases for this category.

Want to spice up your functional foods? Contact us today to work with our expert research & development team to create something buzzworthy.