Improving Gut Health with Colostrum, Fiber, Digestive Enzymes & More

Trusting one’s gut is taking on a whole new meaning when it comes to wellness.

The gut health trend has been steadily gaining momentum — and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. According to The Vitamin Shoppe’s 2024 trend report, it’s one of the top categories to watch, especially given the virality of #GutTok on TikTok. The hashtag has posted 452 percent year-over-year growth and an increase of 2.4 billion in total views, per data from Spate. 

“Improving your gut health is definitely going to be a staple in health moving forward,” said Mark Lacy, an investment banking director at Raymond James. 

Dr. Roshini Raj, gastroenterologist and founder of skin care brand Tula and digestive health brand YayDay, agreed, noting: “Digestive issues are on the rise,” citing several possible reasons, including stress, the modern American diet and long COVID symptoms. 

Thanks to this growing consumer awareness, gut health is entering a new era. Last year, the category was abuzz with formulas consisting of pre- and probiotics called synbiotics. These products are still popular and are often a starting point for a consumer’s gut health journey. 

“People are getting smarter about their gut health,” said Katerina Schneider, founder and chief executive officer of Ritual, which has its bestselling Synbiotic+, $54. “The probiotics space is the anchor.” 

As for what’s next in synbiotics, Love Wellness founder Lo Bosworth posits that postbiotics, the dead bacteria resulting from a probiotic feeding on a prebiotic, will lead the next generation of innovation. 

But a slew of other ingredients and products — though not necessarily new to market — are also gaining traction, including colostrum, fiber, digestive enzymes and metabolic support supplements. The rash of entries has sparked a change in consumer behavior: Rather than focusing on one product, many shoppers are building out an arsenal of gut health tools with a deeper understanding of the importance of a functioning microbiome. 

Fiber, which aids digestion, has been having a moment over the past year with launches from BelliWelli, Bio.me, Sakara Life, Benefiber and YayDay. Though each iteration has its own specific formula, the goal is the same — to develop a fresh take on the sleepy fiber category, largely dominated by heritage brands.

“Fiber has long been associated with health concerns that are reactive, with minimal discussion around its importance in our diets as a tool for proactive wellness — one that is essential to gut health,” said Shannon Race, chief executive officer and cofounder of Bio.me, which launched in fall 2023 and currently has several fiber and digestive health products including its latest Gut Remedy, $44, a digestion detox reset. 

For each brand, disruption looks different. For example, Sakara Life’s powder employs a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber via 10 whole food sources, as well as 10 digestive enzymes. YayDay combines fiber with magnesium to further aid digestion and act as a dual sleep supplement. BelliWelli formulates it with electrolytes, collagen and prebiotics for added beauty and immunity benefits.

It’s not just young brands tapping into the current fiber craze. Heritage brands, like Benefiber, which recently launched its Dual Action Biotic + Stress Relief, $23, are aiming to energize their offerings by harnessing the increased understanding of the gut’s connection with other areas of health like immunity and stress.

“Consumers are now making the connection with what your gut could do to your overall health,” said Jennifer Nadelson, senior director of marketing at Haleon Consumer Healthcare, Benefiber’s parent company, adding that the brand is experiencing double-digit growth. 

While fiber has been around for years, brands are eager to double down on it now.

“There’s a group consciousness,” said Danielle Duboise, cofounder of Sakara Life, which launched a fiber powder in March and also serves fiber-rich meals. “When people have been talking about gut health for long enough, then people start to want the tools.” 

Aside from this, the Ozempic craze has no doubt had an impact on the category. Weight loss drugs have increased the gut health conversation, as they can cause side effects including constipation, diarrhea and general digestive discomfort that fiber can relieve. Therefore, retailers, like The Vitamin Shoppe, have introduced dedicated areas of complementary products that address the related gut health issues — think fiber, probiotics and protein. 

“As we’ve seen GLP-1 usage go up, we’ve seen fiber usage go up. It’s undeniable,” said BelliWelli cofounder Katie Wilson. 

In addition, brands are looking to provide weight-conscious customers with an alternative or GLP-1 complementary product. Over the last year, Lemme, Apothékary, Arrae, Pendulum, Hum Nutrition, Veracity, JSHealth and more have launched metabolic support supplements. 

Like fiber, colostrum — the first milk feed after birth — is nothing new, but with the launch of Armra, the ingredient has gained prominence among average consumers. It was previously popular among bodybuilders and the medical community, according to Armra founder and CEO Dr. Sarah Rahal.

Several other brands have launched their own versions, including influencer Mari Llewellyn’s Bloom Nutrition, Cowboy Colostrum and Miracle Moo. The ingredient, which is derived from bovine colostrum and is often referred to as liquid gold, has gained notoriety for its many benefit claims, which have included gut, skin and immune health.

However, some argue this may be too good to be true. Both Miracle Moo and Armra have recently faced class action lawsuits for misleading advertising claims. That being said, brands, like BelliWelli, which recently launched a colostrum on Amazon, are still eager to test out the waters.

“The most legitimate claims attached to colostrum are gut health benefits,” said Wilson, noting the brand is doubling down on these when it comes to messaging.

While the Armra team declined to discuss the lawsuit, Rahal is still bullish on colostrum for its ability to improve gut lining. “I expect that it will be a household name and recognizable ingredient very soon,” she said.

Concurrently, sources previously told WWD that the ingredient could pose a significant opportunity should its growth remain stable. “What I don’t think is here to stay is everyone jumping in to create a quick and easy colostrum product,” said Wilson. “The cleanest, best sourced colostrums will stick around.”

While ingredients like fiber, probiotics and colostrum offer preventive measures, with at least 60 million Americans experiencing digestive diseases per the National Institutes of Health, reactive products, like digestive enzymes that help to break down food, aid digestion and reduce bloating, are also gaining steam.

“Gut health is quite complicated and there’s a lot of different factors that are involved in it,” said Siffat Haider, cofounder of Arrae, which has gone viral several times for its digestive enzyme-based Bloat, $55, supplement. “Having different products allows people to get a degree of personalization versus a blanket approach.”

It’s this level of personalization, especially as new science comes out on how gut health impacts other areas of health, that is expected to be a key driver of the category going forward. 

“We’re not even at the tip of the iceberg [in terms of] what our gut is in control of,” said Duboise.

Ara Katz, cofounder and co-CEO of microbial science company Seed, added: “Where the field started was that people equated gut health with just digestive health [and] very localized benefits. Now, as they start to understand the connectivity and the systemic health implications of the gut, you start to see very big shifts.”

However, with an influx of information and products, customer confusion is still high — Duboise noted it’s one of the top subjects Sakara Life consumers are interested in learning more about. Therefore, the next wave of gut health may rely on simplification and concise education.

“Right now, [the category is] very complicated,” said Lacy. “Demystifying gut health and putting it in layman’s terms is a trend moving forward.” 

That being said, experts predict that consumers will be open to learning more. 

“It’s not a discussion that we have to force because it’s already organic,” said Nadelson. “It’s already there.”

BelliWelli Daily Fiber + Probiotics Drink Mix, $23 for 16 servings

With four grams of fiber and a blend of collagen, electrolytes and probiotics, BelliWelli’s launch, which sold out at Walmart nationwide in 48 hours, taps into the hottest wellness trends: gut health and functional beverages.

Sakara Life Fiber Super Powder, $45

Although Sakara Life has been providing customers with their daily dose of fiber via their meals since 2011, the brand’s recent launch packs an additional punch with six grams of fiber per serving via 10 whole fruits and vegetables.

Bio.me Gut Remedy, $44

Bio.me’s five-day reset Gut Remedy combines psyllium husk fiber, magnesium citrate, berberine and more to remove toxins and clear the digestive tract.

Armra Immune Revival, $110

With its colostrum concentrate, Armra claims its powder supplements can support gut health, specifically reducing bloating and promoting a healthy microbiome.

Arrae Constipation, $49

While Arrae’s digestive enzyme supplement Bloat, $55, steals the show, its Constipation capsules, formulated with magnesium citrate, are a newer addition to its digestion lineup that promotes regularity.