Botanicals for microbiome support and healthy ageing

Healthspan is rapidly emerging as a key consumer trend and with modern life often perceived to be working against that objective, more people are turning to dietary supplements in an effort to take control of their long-term health.

The solutions that are coming to market span a broad range of botanicals traditionally associated with supporting physical health and these actives are being explored for their potential role in healthy ageing.

Growing category demand for healthy ageing supplements (valued at $1.4bn in 2024 and expected to reach nearly $2.1bn in 2034 – a CAGR of over 5.9% in that time) is being driven by consumer sophistication and a growing body of scientific research exploring efficacy.¹

At the same time, public health factors – such as the ageing global population and the obesity crisis – are driving forward innovations across solutions including functional food and beverages as well as ‘food as medicine’ approaches.

A growing body of research indicates that gut health has a key role to play in healthy ageing with increasing evidence linking the microbiome to immunity, metabolism and cognitive function.

For example, BacoMind®, a flagship ingredient from Natural Remedies – a botanicals supplier which develops standardised botanical extracts designed to deliver consistent phytochemical profiles for use in formulations – has been clinically studied and found to support overall cognitive function, across domains including memory, attention, learning and recall.

To explore how these trends are translating into ingredient innovation and commercial opportunities, NutraIngredients spoke with Natural Remedies about microbiome health, cognition and healthy ageing.

Botanical benefits

Establishing and sustaining a healthy gut microbiome requires a multi-layered approach. This can be achieved using different functional ingredients acting at various stages of the digestive and microbial processes. Botanical extracts are being explored as part of this toolkit, offering gut function modulation and microbial balance.

For example, licorice-derived ingredient GutGard® has been studied for its role in supporting microbial balance and gastrointestinal function. This flavonoid-rich extract of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has been studied for its role in supporting digestive health including dyspepsia. It can be combined with biotics in formulations. Beyond gut health, the gut-brain axis and its effect on cognition over the lifespan is also driving innovation in the cognitive health sphere.

Botanicals such as Bacopa monnieri are increasingly being explored for their potential to support cognitive performance and memory and attention, with ingredients like BacoMind positioned at the intersection of cognition and healthy ageing. BacoMind is a clinically studied extract standardised to a defined profile for bacosides, the key active compounds and verified using HPLC for batch-to-batch consistency. This flagship product has been studied in relation to the support of focus and memory.

Natural Remedies’ strategy is to produce single plant, standardised extract products and phytochemical compositions. Both GutGard and BacoMind have been commercially available across multiple markets for many years.

Evidence from clinical studies

BacoMind is positioned for cognitive health applications across life stages, including memory, attention, learning, recall, focus and cognitive performance.^2-3 Its clinical evidence base includes studies in adults, elderly individuals and children, as well as a human clinical study assessing efficacy and safety.^3-6

This makes BacoMind particularly relevant to healthy ageing because cognitive longevity is becoming a key consumer need, not only among older adults but also among professionals, students and active consumers seeking sustained mental performance.^3,8

BacoMind has also received Health Canada Natural Product Numbers for adult and children’s cognitive-health positioning, allowing claims related to brain health, cognitive function and memory support in specific contexts.³

GutGard has been clinically studied across multiple digestive-health outcomes, with evidence supporting its role in digestive comfort, reflux-related symptoms, alongside a favourable safety and tolerability profile in clinical trials.^7-11

Phase III randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults with gastroesophageal reflux-related symptoms reported earlier and better symptom resolution in the GutGard group compared with placebo, particularly for heartburn and regurgitation. The study also assessed safety and tolerability, with no evidence of symptoms worsening during the post-intervention follow-up period.⁷

The literature also supports BacoMind’s antioxidant and neuroprotective benefits and proposes mechanisms including modulation of neurotransmitter pathways (e.g., acetylcholine and monoaminergic systems such as serotonin).¹²

Vision for the future

The future of botanicals will be an opportunity for companies that can bring to market scalable solutions, with efficacious ingredients that have undergone rigorous scientific enquiry.

With its expertise across the botanicals, Natural Remedies is an innovator and knowledge partner when it comes to ingredient development. The organisation is a leader in the scientific and operational aspects of botanicals and can guarantee its supply chain, so is well placed to be a credible partner for long-term success in this market.

“Our goal is to be a transparent, innovative supplier to the market,” says Dr Narrender Reddy, CEO of Natural Remedies. “Our two flagship products – BacoMind and GutGard – are well placed to support many of the gut and brain health innovations that are being developed in answer to today’s health challenges – those of an ageing population, which are trying to be healthier.

“GutGard is being explored for digestive support, which may be relevant for individuals using GLP-1s where gastrointestinal side effects are often reported, and BacoMind can benefit cognitive health. We are excited to speak to partners who are developing solutions in these areas,” adds Reddy.

Find out more about BacoMind and GutGard here.

Reference