GLP-1 support takes over SupplySide Global 2025

Without a doubt, GLP-1 was the most prominent trend at the SupplySide Global 2025 show floor. More people are either taking the drug or considering the taking the drug, and ingredient manufacturers see an opportunity to offer either adjunct support or a non-pharmaceutical option.

“The numbers suggest 30 to 50 million in the U.S., potentially in the market for GLP-1 drugs, and its explosive growth due to this very convenient approach,” explains Dominik Mattern, vice president of marketing, business development and science for Balchem (Montvale, NJ). “In the past, weight management was about changing behavior. Now it's very convenient with an injection. And convenience always is the secret ingredient for explosive growth, and that's what we're seeing.”

“It's everywhere. I think I've seen it on half of the booths here,” says Jake Klinghammer, strategy director for Marketplace, owner of Nextin Research. “And there's a two sides of the coin: nutrition support for people who are on a GLP-1 drug and then also we are seeing a lot of product innovation when it comes to products that have been shown to naturally increase GLP-1 production in the body, so, a non-pharma alternative to a GLP-1 drug. That's got to be one of the biggest things driving just what sort of products are going into market and then how they're being positioned as either GLP-1 alternatives or support companion products to GLP-1.”

Nutritional Support for GLP-1 Users

While convenient, GLP-1 drugs can also come with a host of challenges for its users, creating opportunities for adjunct support. “GLP-1 medicines have dramatically changed how millions of people experience food and beverages,” says Ernest de Freitas, senior sales director, health and nutrition, Univar Solutions. “This is not just about appetite. It's about nutrition and wellbeing.”

People taking GLP-1s dramatically reduce how much they eat because the drug suppresses their appetite, but this also impacts their nutrition, and there are additional side effects they may experience that hurt their quality of life.

"Generally speaking, we're seeing GLP-1 consumers eating less, so, in turn, they need to achieve more out of every bite or sip,” explains de Freitas. “So, dehydration, appetite suppression and early satiety are real issues that consumers are facing while on this medication. Nutraceuticals and food can play an important role in supporting consumers through their GLP-1 journey, whether it's a hydration powder or beverage, a protein solution to assist with muscle loss or fiber or bone density aids. There are many ways that Univar Solutions can support consumers as manufacturers navigate recipe formulation and new product development targeting the potential side effects of a GLP-1 medication.”

Mattern echoes these concerns. “When you are on a diet, you certainly miss a couple of nutrients, so the deficiency you already have for certain ingredients like folate or choline or certain minerals is just being accelerated,” he explains. “So, people on GLP-1 drugs, looking for companion supplements, GLP-1 support products that help to bridge the gap, the nutrient gap, that is why dietary supplements have a great position, but that's not the only thing. It's also about protecting lean body mass. When you're on a diet low in nutrients or low in energy, then you have to make sure you protect your muscle mass, and protect your protein intake.”

Indeed, rapid weight loss does not just mean fat loss, it can mean muscle loss, and people taking GLP-1 drugs benefit from consuming more protein and exercising to maintain their muscle mass. Balchem for example, showcased its Z-crisp ingredient, which boosts protein and texture in snack and larger food formats. Mattern also noted the importance of functional beverages that can help boost nutrition without sacrificing flavor or mouth feel, as well as meat sticks as a growing snack formats low in carbohydrates and high in protein that helps meet the needs of GLP-1 users.

Digestive Health Support

GLP-1 drugs can also impact digestive health, causing symptoms such as constipation and nausea. As a result, digestive health ingredients like pre-, pro-, or even postbiotics may be beneficial to GLP-1 users. For example, a postbiotic ingredient from Kerry, called Plenibiotic was recently found in a consumer perception study to improve the quality of life of GLP-1 users.

“Plenibiotic has been evaluated clinically in humans, and has been showed to reinduce the bowel movement in healthy adult affected by slow bowel movement.¹ So it's there to stimulate the gut for better function,” explains Mathieu Millette, scientific director of Bio-K+ at Kerry. “There's another interesting characteristic of Plenibiotic, in that it can help hydrate the skin. ^2,3 So, there's a lot of clinical evidence showing that Plenibiotic can help bowel movement, but also skin hydration, two important characteristics looked at by GLP-1 users.”

The consumer perception study involved 233 individuals actively taking GLP-1 dugs and reporting GI issues such as frequent constipation, bloating, nausea, and burping. They were given 50 mg of Plenibiotic per day for 28 days. According to Millette, results showed that 78% of the GLP-1 users reported a moderate to huge improvement in their quality of life. Between 70 and 84% reported improvements to specific GI symptoms noted at baseline, with 75% of perceived improvements experienced in the first two weeks of intervention.

A probiotic from Kerry, called BC30, was also shown in a different consumer perception study to support digestive health in GLP-1 users. The four-week open-label, uncontrolled study showed that 77% of participants experienced improvements in over quality of life, with over 80% reporting noticeable improvements in GI symptoms compared to baseline, and 69% reporting that they continued their GLP-1 medications because the probiotics helped their symptoms.

NXT USA also recently announced the results of an open-label study they conducted on the effects of its Digexin ingredient on GLP-1 users experiencing GI side effects. The participants took Digexin, which is a proprietary blend of okra fruit and ashwagandha, over three weeks. According to NXT USA, participants reportedmeaningful improvements in digestive comfort and function, such as reductions in constipation, reflux, swallowing difficulties, as well as more regular and complete bowel movements. The company goes on to explain that the polysaccharides in okra are soothing, coating and hydrating the intestinal lining to promote smoother transit, while ashwagandha reduces cortisol and support serotonin production to alleviate stress. The combo therefore targets the interplay between stress and digestion.

Natural GLP-1 Boosters

No one is claiming their ingredients have the same impact on GLP-1 as GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, but it’s important to note that GLP-1 is a naturally occurring hormone secreted by the body, and there are ways to boost its secretion, naturally.

Rousselot (Son, Netherlans), for example, has a collagen peptide ingredient, called Nextida GC, that preclinical and clinical data has shown increases the secretion of GLP-1 and PIP hormones, both of which are related to glucose control and the feeling of fullness.⁴ This can indirectly support weight management, says Florencia Moreno Torres.

“I think it's very important to understand the power of increasing or having this boost in GLP-1, because what it does is that if you take it before a meal, it helps lowering down your sugar spikes,” explains Torres. “So, after we eat, it's completely normal to have a sugar spike. That's just a physiological response. But we have researched that when taking Nextida GC at five grams or 10 grams before a meal, this sugar spike is lower by up to 43% so that means that then the sugar crash that follows is way less. The problem with these sugar crashes is that the deeper they are, then they come with secondary effects, like fatigue, like cravings, like really wanting to eat more of these sugary things, and it leads you to overeating.”

Another ingredient that impacts GLP-1 secretion is a citrus flavonoid called Eriomin, from Ingredients by Nature (Montclair, CA). Research from 2022 shows that the extract not only significantly increase GLP-1 levels but also decreased blood glucose, insulin resistance, and inflammatory biomarkers.⁵ A more recent study shows that it may be a valuable adjunct to blood sugar medications, specifically metformin.⁶

“Metformin is a very inexpensive pharmaceutical active that people are actually taking proactively,” explains Doug Lynch, commercial lead for Ingredients by Nature. “They’re technically not diabetic yet, but they're showing metabolic distress, so doctors will put people on Metformin just to see if there's a benefit. That's exactly the type of people that we actually did our study for.” This was important to demonstrate the safety of the ingredient in combination with drugs like Metformin. For GLP-1 users, ingredients like Eriomin may also be a good adjunct for those getting off of the GLP-1 drugs.

“There are a lot of consumers that are on drugs for GLP-1 boosting; at some point they have to get off,” says Lynch. “What happens is, if you're on an injectable product, you lose your weight, and you lose your fat, but you also lose muscle. The challenge here is that when you come off these drugs, the fat comes back. So, there has to be an alternative to those for people that want to have a soft landing when they come off those medications.”

Another innovation to note is Trpti from Saanroo. This is an Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) ingredients, which Ramaswamy Venkatesh, Saanroo's managing director, explains is an endogenous fatty acid amide produced in response to feeding. It also binds to G-protein-coupled receptor 116 which enhances the release of GLP-1. Thtis is how the body naturally produces GLP-1, says Venkatesh. Additionally, Trpti is a bioavailable form of OEA, combined with Pharmako Biotechnologies’ Lipisperse technology to ensure it can travel through the digestive tract without degrading.

According to Venkatesh, poor microbiome can impact OEA production. “When you're young, you're fine. Your microbiome is good. Your health is good. You can eat and drink what you want. You don't have issues related to sugar, related to GLP-1, obesity, anything, because your body is producing OEA, but as you age or due to pollution, smoking, drinking, and eating processed food, and multiple other factors, your gut dysbiosis causes disruption in the production of OEA,” he explains. “And when OEA production is disrupted, GLP-1 release is affected. That's when you start seeing that for obese people, the body doesn't produce OEA, and you start seeing issues related to impaired glucose tolerance, as well as fat, and multiple other effects related to that.”

Venkatesh says two studies have demonstrated the benefits of Trpti. “We have done two clinical studies on Trpit, and we have shown that GLP-1 levels went up as well as DPP-4 levels came down. DPP-4 is an enzyme which degrades GLP-1. So that's also a challenge,” he explains. “This is the classical pathway by which your body works. What you're doing is giving back to your body what it does best in a bioavailable form. That's how Trpti works.”

In response to demand, Innovation is bound to continue when it comes to developing ingredients that support GLP-1 users and naturally boost GLP-1 levels in the body.

References

1. Saito, Y.; Mihara, T.; Oki, M.; Kumagai, T. Effects of heat-killed Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei 327 intake on defecation in healthy volunteers: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. Biosci Micobiota Food Health. 2018, 37 (8), 59-65. DOI: 10.12938/bmfh.17-025
2. Saito, Y.; Mihara, T.; Maruyama, K.; Saito, J.; Ikeda, M.; Tomonaga, A.; Kumagai, T. Effects of intake of Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei 327 on skin conditions: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study in women. Biosci Microbiota Food Health. 2017, 36(3), 111-120. DOI: 10.12938/bmfh.16-031.
3. Mahmud, M.R.; Akter, S.; Tamanna, S.K.; Mazumber, L.; Esti, I.Z.; Banerjee, S.; Akter, S.; Hasan, M.R.; Acharjee, M.; Hossain, M.S.; Pirttila, A.M. Impact of gut microbiome on skin health: gut-skin axis observed through the lenses of therapeutics and skin diseases. Gut Microbes. 2022, 14(1), 2096995. DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2096995
4. Grasset, E.; Briand, F.; Virgillio, N.; Schon, C.; Wilhelm, M.; Cudennec, B.; Ravallec, R.; Aboubacar, H.; et al. A Specific Collagen Hydrolysate Improves Postprandial Glucose Tolerance in Normoglycemic and Prediabetic Mice and in a First Proof of Concept Study in Healthy, Normoglycemic and Prediabetic Humans. Food Sci Nutr. 2024, 12, 9607-9620. DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.4538
5. Cesar, T.B.; Ramos, F.M.M.; Ribeiro, C.B. Nutraceutical Eriocitrin (Eriomin) reduces hyperglycemia by increasing glucagon-like peptide 1 and downregulates systemic inflammation: A crossover-randomized clinical trial. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2022, 25 (11). DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2021.0181
6. Cesar, R.; Oliveia, M.R.; Sandrim, V.; Mendes, A.; Bruder, R.; Oliveria,R.; Sivieri, K.; Milenkovic, D. Citrus flavonoid supplement enhances glycemic and metabolic control in prediabetic patients on metformin: a randomized controlled trial. Front. Nutr. 2025, 12,1639901. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1639901