Prebiotics refer to special types of dietary fibers that feed the
bacteria inside the human gut. Now it might make you think about why would
anyone want to feed the bacteria inside your body? Shouldn’t it be killed
instead? The reason is that these are good bacteria. Due to the fibers, the
bacteria produce some useful nutrients for the colon cells and help maintain a
healthy digestive system. Prebiotics are found in the non-digestible parts of
food items like onion, garlic, bananas, and whole grains. While reducing the risk of diseases,
prebiotics help maintain the overall digestive health of the body.
A lot of times, people end up confusing prebiotics with probiotics.
While prebiotics feeds the bacteria living inside our body, probiotics are live
bacteria that are found in food items like yogurt or supplementary health
drinks and formed due to the fermentation process of the food items.
Undoubtedly, both are essential and have a positive impact on the body.
Global Market Outlook
Reports on prebiotics market size indicate that it is estimated to grow at a
CAGR of 11 percent by 2022 and reach approximately $6 billion. The application
of prebiotics in infant food holds a major share of almost 24 percent in the
market.
As per application, the prebiotics industry is segmented into food
& beverage, animal feed, and dietary supplements, with the food and
beverage segment leading the industry growth. Based on ingredients, it is
segmented into inulin, fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS), Mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS), and Galacto-oligosaccharide
(GOS). Inulin ingredient has been dominating the industry. Among the geographical segmentation, Europe
is the leading consumer of prebiotics in the world, holding approximately 50
percent of the share. However, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to
witness the highest growth in the consumption of prebiotics in the next five
years. According to the demography, the market can be segmented into pediatric,
geriatric and adult.
Industry Trends
The recently discovered health benefits of prebiotics indicate that their scope and
usage exist beyond the prebiotics industry. They don’t just improve your
digestive health but also reduce lipid levels in the blood, improve brain
functions and may also help in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular
diseases and in improving metabolism. Owing to these recent findings of the
potential benefits of prebiotics, many research organizations are pumping in
money to fund the research further and diversify their usage.
Due to the increasing awareness of the importance of a healthy gut and
natural occurrences of prebiotics in mother’s milk, the production of
prebiotics is being driven to growth. Rising obesity and lifestyle diseases
also contribute to increasing awareness in the market. Prebiotics are also
known for improving the taste of food items and enhancing sweetness without any
actual sugar content. This increases the sensory appeal of the food while
maintaining nutritional value.
Prebiotics may also enter the preventive healthcare segment because of
their health benefits. These benefits are not just limited to humans.
Prebiotics are also known to improve health and bacterial function among
livestock. They also help in the prevention of diseases among livestock, which
has been a major concern for livestock owners across the world. Given their
utility and potential health benefits, the prebiotics industry will expand to
other sectors soon.
Conclusion
In light of the growing benefits, prebiotics industry will see
exponential growth in the coming years. Rising investment in research and
development and rising cultivation of natural prebiotic herbs in Europe majorly
will drive the market in the coming years. Growing awareness on improving the
metabolism and maintaining gut health with the right protein intake is bound to
give the necessary push in the demand for prebiotics. Increasing disposable
income of the middle-class population combined with the willingness to spend on
health and wellness products will also be a contributing factor. Even though
prebiotics may be a relatively new trend in the nutrients and wellness sector,
the dietary supplement segment is taking the industry by a storm.
