Probiotics have emerged as a dietary therapy with favourable effects on the skeletal system. They are considered affordable and have fewer side effects.29
Probiotics may have benefits for bone and joint health due to their inflammatory-reducing properties. Gut and systemic inflammation have been cited as a trigger for impaired immune, digestive, and brain health.30
This inflammation is thought to speed up the rate of bone loss by interfering with the formation of bone-resorbing cells.31 It is thought that probiotics can restore the balance of the gut microbiota, allowing absorption of nutrients, especially in older adults.32
“As people become more educated on the products, they do recognise that these products can address wider areas of health such as skin health, mental wellbeing, and women’s health,” says Hughes.
“This is something that appeals, as consumers want multifunctional products that address a variety of areas in one go.
“If prebiotics and probiotics can provide scientific evidence on how they can address joint and bone health, it will enhance the appeal of products, especially [as] mobility problems become more common amongst younger people because of modern lifestyles.”
Specific species of interest include strains of Lactobacillus (L. casei, L. reuteri, and L. gasseri) and Bifidobacterium (B. longum), which researchers believe could work best in tandem with such ingredients as vitamin D, C, or K, or folate.33,34,35
Early postmenopausal women were given a probiotic blend consisting of three Lactobacillus strains (Lactobacillus paracasei DSM 13434, Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 15312, and Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 15313). Its administration appeared to offer protection against lumbar spine bone loss in these women.36
Additionally, the strain Limosilactobacillus reuteri (formerly known as Lactobacillus reuteri) ATCC PTA 6475 appears to offer benefits for bone health in an elderly sample population.37
In spite of numerous applications submitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), there are no approved health claims for probiotics, let alone ones related to bone and joint health. Products claiming to be probiotics or have specific health effects cannot be sold in the EU, as use of the term “probiotic” is considered to be an unauthorised health claim.
As a result, probiotic strains contained in products must be referred to by their Latin name, which creates confusion rather than clarity.38
The probiotic regulatory landscape is similar in the APAC, where the region is currently undergoing extensive revision to keep pace with the new product development and probiotic strain approval.
According to Hughes from FMCG Gurus, transparency and providing consumer resources and opportunities for education are key in gaining trust.
“One thing that must be factored in when evaluating consumer attitudes and behaviours in relation to functional ingredients is not to overestimate people’s levels of awareness about the specifics behind an ingredient,” he says.
He goes on to say that brands also need to offer reassurance that such high dosages do not create the risk of side effects. While efficacy is important, so is the delivery mechanism.
“Products need to be affordable, convenient, and ideally, offer sensory appeal,” he says.
“This is something that must be factored [in] when developing formats such as gummies, powders, and liquid – how can the design make daily consumption as hassle-free as possible?”
