Peptides have exploded across wellness—from sports nutrition to healthy aging and GLP-1 support—but now they’re beginning to emerge in digestive health as well. Elevate Organic co-founders Brian Upton and Hank Ramsey joined the NutraCast to examine why that shift is happening and whether peptides could become the next frontier in gut health innovation.
The company’s latest digestive health line combines probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics and fermentation-derived peptides, which Upton described as signaling molecules that may support gut barrier integrity, microbial balance and immune function. While peptides have gained attention in areas such as sports nutrition, collagen and GLP-1 therapies, Upton said he believes digestive health represents the next emerging opportunity.
Both founders acknowledged that research into bioactive peptides for digestive health remains in its early stages. Upton pointed to growing evidence around gut barrier support, immune signaling and microbial activity but emphasized that additional clinical research is needed to better understand their role.
“I don’t think peptides are just a marketing trend that’s layered on top–there’s real research and data showing that bioactive peptides work, and they’re here to stay,” said Ramsey. “We think the peptide science in the natural space is an area we want to be in more, especially with the reception we’ve gotten so far.”
The discussion also explored how the probiotic category itself is evolving. Rather than emphasizing CFU counts alone, Elevate Organic focuses on total cell count (TCC), reflecting growing interest in postbiotics and other microbial metabolites that may contribute to digestive health.
Looking ahead, Upton and Ramsey expect peptide science to become increasingly integrated into the digestive health category as research expands and consumer awareness grows. At the same time, they stressed that future innovation must move beyond “me too” formulations and be supported by clinical validation.
“The digestive category needs innovation,” Ramsey said. “We think bioactive peptides are here to stay.”
Beyond digestive health, the founders also highlighted detoxification, environmental toxin exposure and women’s health as key areas of future product development, while reiterating the company’s commitment to certified organic, regenerative and clinically studied formulations.
To hear more on why they think digestive health formulations should move beyond increasing probiotic strain counts or CFUs and what’s next for Elevate Organic, listen to the NutraCast above or on your preferred podcast platform.
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