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The concept of prebiotics, which are substrates selectively utilized by host microorganisms to confer health benefits, was first introduced nearly 30 years ago. Since then, prebiotics have gained considerable attention as a potential means of enhancing health through the gut microbiota. However, rapid advancements in microbiome research and increasing knowledge about how dietary compounds influence the gut microbiome have created confusion among scientists and consumers about which substances truly have prebiotic effects.
To address this, a group of eight leading international scientists has developed a comprehensive framework for defining prebiotics, providing much-needed clarity in the evolving field. Their expert recommendations, published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology, outline the criteria required for establishing prebiotic status and offer practical guidelines for accurately identifying these substances and assessing their health effects. The recommendations are the result of a collaboration facilitated by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP).
The new framework lays out clear scientific pathways for demonstrating prebiotic effects, with an emphasis on key criteria that prebiotic substances must meet. First and foremost, a prebiotic must be a well-characterized substance that provides a measurable health benefit. Additionally, it must be selectively utilized by host microorganisms and show demonstrable effects on the microbiome’s composition or function. Furthermore, the prebiotic must have a plausible mechanism that links microbiome changes to the observed health benefit and must be safe for its intended use.
One critical requirement of the framework is that at least one study in the target host is necessary to demonstrate both microbiome modulation and a concurrent health benefit. This is a significant step toward ensuring that claims about prebiotics are substantiated by rigorous scientific evidence.
Among the challenges addressed in the framework are two key issues: validating selective utilization of prebiotics within the complex microbial ecosystem and establishing methods for determining how microbiome-mediated mechanisms contribute to the health benefits of prebiotics. These challenges are particularly important given the intricate interactions between various microorganisms in the gut and the specific effects of prebiotic interventions.
Professor Robert Hutkins, lead author of the paper from the University of Nebraska, highlighted the long-term implications of the framework: “Over time, we hope regulatory and commercial approaches to prebiotics will increasingly align with the scientific criteria we specified. Our criteria provide a foundation for understanding what prebiotics are and how to substantiate them, which is essential for the field going forward.”
The unified approach recommended by the authors is expected to bring greater clarity and consistency to the scientific study of prebiotics, ultimately promoting better-informed decision-making around prebiotic products. With this framework, researchers, regulatory bodies, and consumers alike can navigate the growing market of prebiotics with confidence, ensuring that only substances with proven effects are recognized as true prebiotics.
This landmark publication is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of prebiotic research, commercial development, and regulatory frameworks.
Journal Reference: Hutkins, R., et al. (2024). Classifying compounds as prebiotics — scientific perspectives and recommendations. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. DOI: 10.1038/s41575-024-00981-6.
Source: International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics.
