The corporate’s newest accolade for Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v (LP299V) and iron below the class of Innovation in Girls’s Well being was introduced on the 2025 NutraIngredients-Asia Award ceremony held in Bangkok on September 17.
In response to Amy Lau, advertising and marketing supervisor for Probi’s APAC market, iron deficiency is a severe challenge, significantly amongst ladies, within the area.
In South East Asia alone, the prevalence charge is estimated to be about 259m ladies, and almost half of the adolescent woman inhabitants are affected.
Iron deficiency is especially attributable to menstruation, being pregnant, and inadequate dietary consumption of the nutrient, with a key problem of present interventions being low absorption charge.
“If we eat iron or any form of food plan that comprises iron, we normally take up about 5% to twenty% of the iron. Even when we’re prescribed a really excessive iron dosage, we nonetheless solely take up a most of 20%—for instance, for a dose of 100mg, about 80mg of that iron travels all the way down to the decrease a part of the big gut in the end. There, it causes plenty of unintended effects” Caroline Montelius, division supervisor for Scientific Affairs at Probi, advised NutraIngredients.
“It has a destructive influence on the microbiome, you’d really feel stomach ache, you’d have constipation, and you might have flatulence.”
To beat these issues, LP299V is focused at rising iron absorption.
“First off, the L. plantarum pressure is prevalent within the higher a part of the small gut, which is crucial half as a result of iron is absorbed from right here. Secondly, L. plantarum produces lactic acid, which decreases the pH. With a decrease pH within the intestinal lumen, extra iron stays bioavailable, that means we will take up extra iron from our food plan.
“The third mechanism is that L. plantarum binds on to intestinal cells that line the intestinal wall. When it binds in, it upregulates an enzyme known as Duodenal cytochrome b (Dcytb) that’s answerable for making iron from our food plan or from a complement extra bioavailable,” Montelius defined.
Lau and Montelius imagine that the NI awards, which characterize “good recognition” from the trade, would assist drive consciousness and steer campaigns concerning the wider advantages of probiotics amongst each its companions and customers.
“Training is de facto wanted to assist customers perceive that the whole lot begins within the intestine, and it has so many implications throughout our physique—iron is only one of them. With this award, I believe we’re opening many doorways. We’re only one participant. We’d like appropriate partnerships within the trade to have higher outreach and protection.”
Huge room for innovation
Montelius sees varied openings for innovation, together with addressing iron deficiency throughout totally different phases of a lady’s life.
“One of the vital necessary phases is throughout being pregnant, the place ladies will want extra iron assist. Typical medication trigger unintended effects, which means that plenty of pregnant ladies cease consuming them, and that’s actually not good for themselves and their infants. That’s one space the place we see [room for innovation].
“Inside the ladies’s well being class and biotics house, we’re additionally seeing an increasing number of improvements pushed by shopper consciousness. From adolescence to the fertile and menopausal ages, totally different hormonal adjustments—with iron being part of it—that have an effect on ladies all begin within the intestine, the place probiotics can actually assist.”
As well as, Montelius named bone well being as an up-and-coming class, because the microbiome impacts the bone reworking course of, which is essential throughout perimenopause when estrogen ranges drop.
“With extra irritation that begins within the intestine, there shall be extra bone loss. Probiotics can assist lower this bone loss, so that is one space the place we’re undoubtedly focusing and driving extra innovation in.
“The genital space, equivalent to having a superb secure microbiome within the vagina and reducing urinary tract an infection (UTI), is one other space of curiosity.”
Different innovation alternatives cited by Montelius embody steady enchancment of probiotics for immune well being, psychological well being assist by the gut-brain axis, and metabolic well being focusing on levels of cholesterol.
As an illustration, the elevated use of GLP-1 agonists has led to many instances of nutrient malabsorption. Moreover, as many individuals over the world eat proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)—a category of medicines that scale back abdomen acid manufacturing to deal with circumstances like acid reflux disorder and heartburn—this additionally causes a really low absorption charge of iron.
These are conditions the place an elevated iron absorption might be necessary.
Market wants
From the buyer’s perspective, Lau mentioned that many individuals need to enhance their psychological well being, particularly merchandise to assist them sleep higher and handle stress ranges.
On the identical time, metabolic well being is a class the place shopper wants are rising.
“Customers are in search of a more healthy way of life and more healthy biomarkers on their blood check stories, so it’s crucial for us to have an answer that may assist them enhance their ldl cholesterol and insulin ranges, that are essential for metabolic syndrome.”
Montelius added that these facets are all a part of ladies’s well being, a very large class that consolidates varied well being capabilities, in addition to longevity, as individuals right this moment search not simply to stay longer, but additionally more healthy for an extended time.
