Probiobrain psychobiotic for mental wellness 

More and more consumers are recognising the relationship between gut health and mental wellness. With Probiobrain™, Novonesis is helping people harness the incredible power of the gut-brain axis.

Modern life is complex, hectic, and challenging for most people. Consumers understand that good mental wellness is essential for their general health and well-being, as it can help improve their quality of life, relationships, work productivity, and overall happiness. 

For this reason, mental wellness has become an important area of human health. Novonesis, created when Chr. Hansen and Novozymes joined forces, is dedicated to understanding consumers’ health and wellness needs. The biosolutions expert produces enzymes, functional proteins and microbes to  
help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges.  

In May 2023, Novozymes OneHealth, part of Novonesis, released a mental wellness insights report, which highlights the gut-brain connection (axis) and how consumers perceive mental wellness. The report also focuses on Probiobrain™, a game-changing psychobiotic proven to meet consumers’ mental wellness needs.   

Market and consumer awareness  

According to Frost & Sullivan, the global probiotic ingredients market for human nutrition is expected to increase from $2 127.2 million in 2020 to $2 927.1 million in 2026, at a CAGR of 5.5%.¹  

Mental wellness is now the number one aspect when people define what health means to them.² This is not surprising as there is a significant increase in mental wellness conditions worldwide. Coupled with this is the trend towards natural solutions to help support consumers’ health and mental wellness needs. 

For brands and manufacturers looking to innovate in this area, understanding the nuances of how consumers perceive health and wellness will become increasingly important as the market matures. 

Consumers generally identify mental wellness as the state of psychological and emotional well-being, often linking it to mood and emotions. 

Across segments and markets, consumers mention that mental wellness is associated with having positive attitudes and emotions, such as positive thoughts, happiness, optimism, and stress-coping strategies, without being overwhelmed with anxiety or sadness. They also mention the ability to manage emotions and interpersonal relationships in a way that helps them cope with everyday life situations and challenges – without experiencing negative feelings. 

The research also revealed that consumers adopt different approaches to manage their mental wellness. Dietary supplements are recognised and perceived as a credible part of the solution consumers seek to manage their mental wellness. They are also aware of the benefits of probiotics, which have high acceptance, and there is a growing understanding of the gut-brain axis and the role of probiotics. 

Fermentation-based psychobiotics  

Probiobrain™ is Novonesis’ game-changing psychobiotic for mental wellness. It is developed specifically to target the gut-brain axis and has been shown in two positive placebo-controlled clinical trials to help:  

• maintain a calm state of mind 
• support the ability to cope with everyday stress 
• modulate brain function during stressful times.^3,4 

ProbioBrain™ is produced using microbial fermentation, one of Novonesis’ core competencies. A patented Bifidobacterium longum strain is fermented in a controlled environment to produce the psychobiotic. Depending on the final format and formulation, the active ingredient is mixed with a bulking agent and added to the final format. 

ProbioBrain™ is currently available as a standardised ready-to-mix blend powder formula with microcrystalline cellulose, which is ideal to formulate for capsules. The other alternative is maltodextrin, which is ideal for sachets. 

ProbioBrain™ is available in South Africa from Savannah Fine Chemicals.  

References: 

1. Global Probiotic Ingredients in Human Nutrition Growth Opportunities, Oct 2021 
2. Euromonitor International’s Health and Nutrition Survey (2022): total respondents, n= 20236 
3. Allen AP et al. Bifidobacterium longum 1714 as a translational psychobiotic: modulation of stress, electrophysiology and neurocognition in healthy volunteers. Transl Psychiatry. 2016 Nov 1;6(11): e939 
4. Wang H et al. Bifidobacterium longum 1714™ Strain Modulates Brain Activity of Healthy Volunteers During Social Stress. Am J Gastroenterol. 2019 Jul;114(7):1152-1162