A recent consumer perception study from global taste and nutrition company Kerry Group found that its BC30 Probiotic may help reduce the digestive discomfort commonly associated with GLP-1 medications, helping users to stay on track with their health goals.
“Gastrointestinal issues are among the main drivers of a reduced quality of life and one of the key reasons consumers abandon weight management treatment with GLP-1 medications,” said Alexandra Boelrijik, global RD&A vice president at Kerry. “Although several products in the marketplace claim to support digestive issues, few have necessarily been evaluated and tested by a consumer population of GLP-1 medication users.”
This latest study—framed as a bridge between scientific research and real-world applications— builds on Kerry’s Adapting Appetites research released earlier this year, which identified five distinct types of GLP-1 users to help drive innovation.
Translating science to sentiment
According to the World Health Organization, more than 30% of the world population is overweight or obese. Many have turned to GLP-1 drugs as weight loss tool, but side effects like fatigue and intestinal discomfort often lead to early discontinuation or reduced quality of life—creating a white space for solutions that address these pain points.
Mathieu Millette, scientific & RDA director of Proactive Health at Kerry, noted that in this context, BC30 was selected because of the strong clinical evidence developed over the last 30 years, which supports the strain’s ability to improve digestive symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, constipation, diarrhea and bloating.
“We know that that strain has a strong impact on the same kind of symptoms that are observed in GLP-1 users, but we wanted to conduct a study in the population that we were now targeting to confirm that the efficacy that we’ve seen in other populations can be replicated in GLP-1 users,” he told NutraIngredients at the recent Probiota Americas conference in Vancouver, which included a session dedicated to biotics and weight management.
Not only does this type of survey study provide fast and accurate insights in a real-life setting, but it helps to de-risk any future randomized controlled trials, Milette added. Findings also support the marketing and education arm of the business in a fast-evolving weight management category filled with an ever-growing number of companion solutions.
“The consumer perception study is really important for us because it helps us translate science benefits into real consumer sentiments,” said Loretta Kelly, global head of marketing, Proactive Health & Supplements at Kerry. “It allows our customers to apply our learnings and framework to their product development so they can then convey that same messaging, same insights into what they create with BC30.”
Consumer appetite for BC30
The open-label study, which featured as one of the Probiota Pioneers Scientific Frontiers poster presentations this year, evaluated the effects of four weeks of BC30 supplementation on gastrointestinal comfort and improved quality of life. The survey group included 253 participants, primarily women between the ages of 31 and 50, who were using either Semaglutide (Ozempic or Wegovy) or Tirzepatide (Zipbound or Mounjaro).
After four weeks, 77% reported a moderate to significant improvement in their daily quality of life, and 69% said they planned to continue using GLP-1 medications, citing BC30’s positive effect on gastrointestinal discomfort and quality of life measures like vitality, energy and mood. What’s more, 66% expressed interest in purchasing BC30, and 91% indicated they would recommend it to other GLP-1 medication users.
“People are taking GLP-1 medications to enhance their healthspan, so anything Kerry can do to reduce their discomfort during that process and reinforce the value of staying on this medication to support long-term well-being is a win,” Kelly said.
Kerry is hosting a webinar titled “Adapting Appetites Part 2: Keep Your GLP-1 Journey on Track” on June 25 and is replicating the consumer perception study for its Plenibiotic Postbiotic, which has been clinically shown to support digestive health and target constipation symptoms.
