Prevention and cure of disorders such as lactose intolerance and inflammatory bowel disease are some of the benefits offered by probiotics, with rising health-consciousness levels and wider access to probiotic dietary supplements. The past decade has witnessed the launch of more than 500 food & beverage probiotic products, which have garnered exceptional response in terms of acceptance.

Some of the factors that lead to digestive disorders are bloating and reduction in resistance to infections include poor and untimely diet, age and stress levels. Studies have revealed that consuming products enhanced with probiotics has been successful in moderating these conditions to a large extent. The presence of lactose-intolerant consumers is one of the main reasons, driving the probiotics market in the country, in fact, Europe has witnessed a strong demand for probiotics induced products over the past years.

Probiotics are moving beyond digestive health to immunity, feminine health, oral health, skin health, weight control and diabetes, cognitive health, sports endurance, and the gut-brain axis, gut-muscle axis, and cardiovascular health. They are proving to be one of the most versatile ingredients of all time.

Consumer needs and preferences are ever-changing, but it’s important to understand them for market opportunities. As consumers become more familiar with probiotics, they are exploring various delivery systems. Innovations are being made in probiotic delivery formats. The traditional dietary supplement format will remain the most vital, but new delivery technologies that protect strains and deliver them with greater accuracy will become a more important part of the probiotic category.