The healthy ageing agenda has recently gained traction across the Asia Pacific region, drawing the attention of both government bodies and consumers alike to look towards prebiotics. This heightened concern stems from the rapid expansion of the ageing demographic, currently encompassing around 670 million people aged 60 years or older residing in the region, with this number projected to double to 1.3 billion by 2050.
As individuals age, their immune system naturally weakens, evidenced by an increase in the risk of severity and mortality related to infections and a reduced vaccinations response in the elderly. The composition of the microbiota also changes, prompting a decrease in the population of bifidobacteria; the good bacteria in one’s body. With 70 per cent of the inner defence system housed in the gut, ensuring nutrition that fosters a healthy gut microbiome will play a significant role in supporting one’s immune health.
As the region grapples with an increasingly ageing population, there is a rising demand among consumers for preventive solutions to strengthen inner defence. Notably, 53 per cent of Asians are taking supplements to boost their immunity, and are more likely to purchase immune boosting food and beverages.
Supporting Asia Pacific’s ageing population with the help of prebiotic chicory root fibres
To tackle this, food manufacturers can harness prebiotics – such as BENEO’s Orafti Inulin and Oligofructose – to bolster a healthy gut microbiota, fortify the gut against pathogens, and strengthen the gut’s barrier function. Prebiotics help the good bacteria which are naturally present in the body to grow. Defined by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), a prebiotic is “a substrate that is selectively utilised by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.” There are only very few prebiotics which are scientifically and clinically proven to be classified in accordance with ISAPP’s definition. BENEO’s chicory root fibres, Orafti Inulin and Oligofructose, belong to this exclusive group of proven prebiotics.
A published systematic literature review with meta-analyses explored the effects of inulin-type fructans derived from chicory root on 50 human intervention studies and found that chicory root fibre intake (starting at 3g/day) promotes significant growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria in the gut microbiome in all age groups and improves bowel function parameters.
Furthermore, several studies have specifically confirmed the link between gut health and the body’s own defences. A scientific study with seniors undergoing treatment for a diarrhoeal illness displayed that those receiving inulin or oligofructose daily had a lower recurrence rate and needed significantly less hospitalisation.
Prioritising taste and texture with BENEO’s Orafti Inulin and Oligofructose
As the region’s prebiotics market size is anticipated to reach around AUD $7.5 billion by 2028, with two in three consumers (68 per cent) reporting that they are interested in prebiotics, food manufacturers have the golden opportunity to craft healthy and palatable food and beverage products for consumers with the help of BENEO’s prebiotic chicory root fibres.
BENEO’s Orafti Inulin and Oligofructose offer a wealth of health benefits, including managing and reducing inflammation, weight management , as well as increasing calcium absorption for bone health. Additionally, chicory root fibres contribute to a low glycaemic diet by replacing available carbohydrates and enriching the food with a dietary fibre, thus enabling effective blood sugar management. Such a diet-related intervention is a key way to help promote long-term health and healthy ageing, as lower blood sugar levels have also been shown to help strengthen immunity.
Read the in-depth paper to discover more about bringing these proven benefits to consumers and how to make valid prebiotic claims in a region.