Digestive Aging™: Staying Young from the Inside Out

In the pursuit of healthy aging, consumers are increasingly recognizing the significance of maintaining a youthful digestive system. Aging encompasses more than just the passage of time; it reflects the culmination of lifestyle choices impacting various bodily functions.^1-2 At Kemin, we are compelled by curiosity to explore the intricate dynamics of digestive aging and offer solutions to support optimal health.

What is Digestive Aging™?

As we age, some signs are obvious like finding some gray hairs for the first time or feeling some added aches and pains that weren’t there a few years ago. But just as the skin reflects a lifetime of sun exposure, the culmination of years of effects from diet and other lifestyle choices increases the risk of something going awry in the digestive system.^3-6 The gut and its components, including the intestinal barrier, resident immune cells, and microbiome, are important not only to one’s overall health, but to the rate at which one ages.^2,3,4,7,8

The Role of the Gut in Healthy Aging

The gut is often overlooked in discussions of aging but it plays a pivotal role in overall health. When we eat food, we are introducing external things into our bodies.  As the body's primary interface with the external environment, the gut's integrity directly influences nutrient absorption, immune function, and even cognitive health.³⁵ However, over time, factors such as diet, medication use, and aging itself can disrupt the delicate balance of the gut ecosystem, leading to a phenomenon known as gut dysbiosis.³⁶

Understanding Gut Dysbiosis

Gut dysbiosis, characterized by an imbalance in the gut microbiome, is emerging as a key hallmark of aging.² This imbalance not only compromises digestive health but also intensifies systemic inflammation and weakens immune responses, contributing to a host of age-related ailments.⁴ Recognizing the importance of addressing gut dysbiosis, researchers are exploring innovative strategies to promote healthy aging from within.

Supporting Healthy Digestive Aging with Kemin

Kemin offers science-backed ingredients shown to support areas affected by digestive aging, including:

ButiShield™: An encapsulated form of calcium butyrate providing a controlled release of butyric acid to support gut health.³⁴ Studies have demonstrated its efficacy in bolstering intestinal barrier function and maintaining a healthy gut environment.^9-13

BetaVia™: Algae-sourced beta 1,3 glucans that help to prime key immune cells, shape the microbiome, and protect intestinal barrier integrity. By modulating immune responses and promoting microbiome diversity, BetaVia™ offers comprehensive support for digestive health.^14-33

Conclusion 

At Kemin, we remain committed to understanding digestive aging and providing innovative solutions to support lifelong wellness. With our expertise and cutting-edge ingredients like ButiShield™ and BetaVia™, we invite formulators to join us in shaping the future of digestive health supplementation.

Explore how Kemin's digestive health solutions can elevate your product offerings and meet the evolving needs of health-conscious consumers. 

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This web page and its associated brochures and other documents do not constitute or provide scientific or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and are distributed without warranty of any kind, either expressly or implied. This web page, its title or contents and associated brochures and other documents do not in any way make recommendations for health or marketing claims by the reader. Country and region specific regulations should be considered in this regard. Each claim or statement about the effectiveness of Kemin products and/or each claim or statement comparing the effectiveness of Kemin products to the effectiveness of other products is expressly limited to the United States, unless otherwise disclosed on the Kemin websites.

References:

1. López-Otín, C., et al., The hallmarks of aging. Cell, 2013. 153(6): p. 1194-217.
2. López-Otín, C., et al., Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe. Cell, 2023. 186(2): p. 243-278
3. Badal, V.D., et al., The Gut Microbiome, Aging, and Longevity: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 2020. 12(12).
4. Ghosh, T.S., F. Shanahan, and P.W. O’Toole, The gut microbiome as a modulator of healthy ageing. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2022. 19(9): p. 565-584.
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6. GI-Society. Aging Digestive Tract. Gastrointestinal Society A-Z Digestive Topics 2020 [cited 2024 January 16]; Available from: https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/aging-digestive-tract/
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12. Peng, L., Li, Z.R., Green, R.S., Holzman, I.R. and Lin, J., 2009. Butyrate enhances the intestinal barrier by facilitating tight junction assembly via activation of AMP-activated protein kinase in Caco-2 cell monolayers. The Journal of nutrition, 139(9), pp.1619-1625.
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16. Kemin, BetaVia Complete can prime key cells in the innate immune system. KHTL-017-150.
17. KHTL-017-162 BetaVia Pure Can Prime Key Cell sin the Innate Immune system. KHTL-017-150.
18. KHTL-017-160 Paramylon Improves Antioxidant Status and Metabolic Health-TL-20-18529
19. KHTL-017-149 Characteristics and Prebiotic like Properties of BetaVia Complete
20. Kemin, Characteristics and prebiotic like properties of BetaVia Complete. KHTL-017-149.
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29. KEMIN internal document: SD-18-00083
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34.  KHTL-017-183
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