FORMULATING PRODUCT GUIDE GLP-1: The Buzzword in Food Supplements – Implications for the Industry
In the continuously developing nutraceuticals world, GLP-1 has quickly become a top-of-the-agenda topic among the most controversial subjects, transitioning from clinical to mass-market consumer interest. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone hailed for its central role in glycemic control and appetite inhibition, is here to stay, fueling innovation, investment, and R&D throughout the food supplement industry. This revival is largely driven by the substantial publicity surrounding GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and liraglutide, which have shown dramatic weight loss and effective type 2 diabetes treatment outcomes. As consumer awareness of the metabolic impacts of GLP-1 continues to grow, the competition among supplement companies to secure market leadership at the forefront of a category poised for significant consumer engagement and future expansion intensifies. From the product development perspective, the task is to find ingredients that can naturally stimulate or enhance GLP-1 activity and demonstrate it within regulatory limits. Ingredients such as berberine, chromium, inulin, bitter melon, and some probiotic strains are being investigated or repositioned based on new data which suggest their potential to modulate GLP-1 secretion or receptor sensitivity. Also, the convergence of gut microbiome science and metabolic health is underpinning the role of prebiotic fibres and postbiotic metabolites in
