Since discovering its flagship probiotic strain, Bifidobacterium longum BB536, 50 years ago, Morinaga Milk has been actively researching on the relationship between the gut condition and metabolic health.
Today, the company boasts four bifidobacterium strains and one postbiotic. Specifically, B. breve B-3 has been clinically proven to be effective for various areas of weight management.
During her presentation at Growth Asia Summit 2024, Saki Yamashita, Assistant Manager of Marketing and Legal Support at Morinaga Milk, highlighted the link between ageing and metabolic syndrome, and how B. breve B-3 could play a part in mitigating the increasing global prevalence of obesity.
“Many people think ageing and metabolic health are separate topics, but they are actually interrelated. As we age, the decline in cellular functions accelerates. The biggest change is the slowdown in metabolic rate. If we keep eating like a teenager without changing our dietary habits, it will lead to weight gain, obesity, and eventually metabolic dysfunction.
“Obesity and impaired metabolic health are established risk factors for insulin resistance and non-communicable diseases, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. These conditions can negatively impact the ageing process and health span.”
According to data cited by Yamashita, 2.5bn adults (18 years and older) were overweight in 2022. Among this group, 890m people were living with obesity.
While obesity is preventable, the need for solutions has become more pressing as ageing populations worldwide are growing rapidly.
“Usually, we think of strict diet control and increasing exercise as ways to prevent obesity. But what we would like to suggest is to approach the gut condition. In recent years, there have been many studies showing the connection between the gut and metabolic syndrome.
“When we take antibiotics or make lifestyle changes, our gut balance can be disturbed. Gut dysbiosis may lead to body fat accumulation and inflammation. It is suggested that by consuming functional ingredients such as probiotics, the gut microbiota may be altered or restored to a healthier state. Therefore, our approach of influencing the gut condition is one way to tackle weight reduction and obesity.”
This is in line with consumer trends reported by market research firm FMCG Gurus, Yamashita added.
“45% of global consumers are reportedly showing a greater interest in health-boosting ingredients in the last two years. This means that the incorporation of ingredients that are effective for obesity may be the key to developing innovative products and meeting consumer demands at the same time.”
Backed by science
B. breve B-3 is a Human-Residential Bifidobacteria (HRB) strain discovered by Morinaga Milk in 2002. To date, it has obtained halal and kosher certifications, as well as “Generally Recognised As Safe” (GRAS) status by the US FDA in 2022.
The company has conducted several studies on the probiotic, with the first being a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group study involving 44 participants aged between 40 and 69 who had high BMI of 24 to 30.
The intervention group was given B. breve B-3 capsules with a dosage of 50bn CFU per day for a period of 12 weeks.
“The findings indicated that B-3 intake had a significant effect on reducing body weight and body fat mass. We then conducted another study to test the efficacy of a lower dosage, and consistent results were found.”
In the second study, 80 participants aged between 20 and 65, who also had high BMI, took B. breve B-3 capsules with a dosage of 20bn CFU daily.
Notably, the consumption of B. breve B-3 at a lower dosage saw additional results — a significant increase in muscle mass and reduction of waist circumference. This led to the attainment of the Foods with Functional Claims (FFC) label for reducing waist size in Japan.
A third study was carried out to investigate the effects of a dosage of 5bn CFU per day.
“Even with a lower dosage, we confirmed that B3 significantly reduced body fat mass, body weight, BMI, and waist circumference. This time, the results also showed a decrease in hip circumference in participants who had taken B-3.
“Because of this study, we received individual recognition in South Korea, which means products that use B. breve B-3 can claim to reduce body fat in the country.”
In addition, Morinaga Milk did another study to elucidate the mechanism of action for B. breve B-3, and found that it can improve damaged intestinal barrier function, upregulate fat metabolism, and suppress accumulation of body fat.
“Continuous consumption of a high-fat diet can damage the barrier function of the gut, leading to invasion of inflammatory substances, and eventually metabolic syndrome.
“The study showed that even if the gut barrier function is impaired and inflammation has already occurred, the intake of B-3 could repress inflammation in the body and contribute to alleviation of metabolic syndrome.”
Furthermore, B. breve B-3 is said to be highly stable due to Morinaga Milk’s “unique culturing method” and advanced production technology, spelling potential for various types of application and product formats, including capsule, tablet, sachet, granola bar, cereal, protein powder, and chocolate.
“The main format that we are seeing at the moment is still capsule, but more and more people are interested in functional foods. So, we also see interesting applications, such as chocolate incorporated with probiotics, these days,” Yamashita said.