Page 59 - FoodFocusThailand No.193 April 2022

STRATEGIC R&D

residing in the gut, a healthy gut translates
to an optimal immune system, giving the
body the best chance to fight off infection
and limit overall inflammation. This
appreciation helps drive the growth of
products with probiotics and prebiotics,
yeast beta-glucan, human milk
oligosaccharides, etc., that help improve
our immune function via the gut microbiota.
What most consumers are less aware
of is the critical role of a healthy gut barrier
in supporting an optimum immune system.
The gut barrier is prone to certain levels of
permeability (or leakiness) caused by
several factors, including a poor diet,
certain medications, alcohol consumption, To have a holistic approach to developing an effective immune health product, both the immune
stress, and environmental toxins and and digestive systems should be supported. A combination of single ingredients can be mixed, or
infections, to name a few. When the gut one comprehensive ingredient that provides multiple benefits can be selected, so there is no searching
barrier becomes leaky, the junctions (or for several ingredients to combine. An example of such a comprehensive solution is colostrum, the
connections) between the intestinal cells first milk produced by the mother of all mammal species that provides the strongest immunity boost
become loose, allowing pro-inflammatory to their offspring early in their lives. Bovine colostrum is the most researched and commercially
components to penetrate the barrier into available colostrum, contains many components, including immunoglobulins, cytokines,
our bloodstream. This causes an overall oligosaccharides, and immune factors such as lactoferrin and lysozyme can support and modulate
increase in inflammation and autoimmunity, the immune system in various ways to address immune health both directly and via the gut axis.
potential issues with nutrient absorption,
and possibly impact the integrity of the
blood-brain barrier.
More Information Service Info C010

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