Gut health goes mainstream: The new growth engine for functional F&B

Gut health has hit the mainstream with global consumers increasingly perceiving microbiome boosters as the gateway to holistic wellness. The surging demand for food and beverages with gut health benefits is reshaping the industry as manufacturers respond with wide-ranging innovations in functional, clean label foods. 

The gut health trend is also driving rapid innovation in low-additive formulations and an expanded range of probiotic and fiber-rich products beyond traditional dairy. 

Innova Market Insights data shows there has been a 42% growth in F&B launches tracked with a gut or digestive health claim (Global, Jul 2023–Jun 2024 vs. Jul 2024–Jun 2025).

“Gut health is a trend we’ve been talking about for a while, but we see now that it has increasingly become the gateway for holistic wellness. We are seeing a big increase in F&B launches that have a gut or digestive health claim — and it’s growing very fast,” says Lu Ann Williams, global insights director at Innova.

“A kefir product from Nestlé Kefir, for example, is on fire. It has a clean, clear claim on the front suggesting it is good for your digestion and immunity.”

Williams was speaking during a recent webinar in which she unraveled Innova’s top F&B trends for 2026. “Gut Health Hub” was identified as the second leading industry trend behind “Powerhouse Protein.”

Innova research has found that nearly 60% of global consumers believe that gut health is “really important” for their whole body. Some 44% say they notice when they improve their gut health that they see other benefits, such as energy, skin, or immunity improvements.

Personalized nutrition and microbiome-based solutions also push brands toward more transparent, science-backed offerings and premium-positioned gut-friendly products.Nestlé Kefir (Image credit: Innova Database).

Gut health, weight & stress

Global consumers increasingly see a strong connection between gut health and weight, and gut health and stress. Some 59% say weight management is the top physical health aspect behind their gut health product demands (followed by immunity and sleep quality), while 53% say stress relief is the top mental health aspect (followed by better sleep and easing of anxiety).

“In terms of mental health, stress relief is interesting, but then we do relate a stomach ache with a stressful situation,” says Williams.

“One standout gut health product for stress relief is a kind of super porridge from Adday Wellness. The product is oats also containing soy protein isolate, and a lot of other ingredients promoted for weight control and as a great source of fiber for gut health.”

“Another interesting product is a little probiotic kombucha shot from Humm that is supposed to help with your focus, immunity, and everyday stress.”

Nutrition Insight recently spotlighted some of the year’s leading gut-health science and innovation developments.Humm Kombucha shot (Image credit: Innova Database).

Gut health & functional beverages

A recent study by Synergy Flavors found that gut health is the most sought-after functional benefit consumers look for in functional beverages, with 39% of respondents interested in products that promote it.

However, many of the most sought-after flavors are not common in new products, creating opportunities for beverage brands wanting to reach gut health-conscious consumers.

“We conducted a gap analysis combining new product launch data with primary consumer research and used the Innova Database to identify the top 15 flavors by launch volume in products targeting a specific functionality,” Chris Whiting, European category development manager at Synergy Flavors, tells Food Ingredients First.

“Based on this data, a pre-qualified consumer panel was asked which flavors they would most likely choose, enabling us to identify ‘oversaturated’ flavors, which appeared in a large number of product launches but had lower consumer interest, and flavors that have high consumer interest but appear in fewer product launches.”

Consumer interest in mango, ginger, and turmeric flavors for gut health products was found to be much higher than the number of global products available with these flavors.