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The intestine has increasingly gained a leading role in contemporary health. According to the analysis of Astute Analytica, one of the major influencing factors for this scenario is the increased interest and knowledge on the part of the consumer regarding issues involving the intestine - such as diet quality, digestion and the importance of taking care of the intestinal flora.
In this sense, the analysis also highlights that:
- 75% of adults are now aware of the importance of gut health;
- 65% of consumers prefer to include products that favor the intestinal microbiota as part of wellness strategies (in developed countries);
- 58% of consumers have already incorporated prebiotics and probiotics into the daily diet;
In addition, the analysis shows that greater public interest was driven by the Covid-19 pandemic and the growing incidence of gastrointestinal diseases.
As an example, a study published in 2022 in The Lancet Regional Health — Americas indicated that, over eight years, there was an increase of 233% In the amount of brazilian with a diagnosis of IBD (inflammatory bowel diseases). In this sense, it is worth considering that, already in 2013, gastrointestinal diseases generated costs of approximately R$ 140 million annually for the Unified Health System (SUS).
Meanwhile, on a global scale, it is estimated that 20% of the population has some form of gastrointestinal condition, and that 90% of these individuals do not seek medical care.
In line with this scenario, the investments in research and innovation associated with the intestinal microbiota have grown 80% in the last five years, generating about 200 new patents between 2023 and 2024. In addition, this line of study also showed an increase of 70% on the number of clinical studies in the same period.
In general, this research explores the interaction of the intestinal microbiota with other organs of the human body and which may help to better understand neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
Consequently, the projections for the future of this market are promising. Still according to Astute Analytica, the intestinal microbiota market is expected to break out of 579 million dollars (2023) to reach around 3.6 billion dollars in revenue by 2032, driven by an estimated annual growth rate of 22.5%.
But before we understand how scientists and the market achieved such results and projections, let's understand the concept of gut microbiota.
What is an intestinal microbiota
Microbiota it is the term used to designate specific environments where bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms live. The human body has several microbiota, the main of which are intestinal, oral, vaginal, urinary and cutaneous.
As pointed out this review article, the intestinal microbiota is the most relevant for the preservation of health, since, among its various functions, vitamin production and immune protection stand out. To this end, it counts on the joint action of viruses, phages, archeas, fungi and bacteria. Also according to the review, the intestinal microbiota is categorized into six phyla:
- Firmicutes
- Bacteroidetes
- Actinobacteria
- Proteobacteria
- Fusobacteria
- Verrucomicrobia
The first two are considered to be the region's main bacterial groups. At the same time, the fungi most studied in this microbiota are: Candida, Saccharomyces, Malassezia and Cladosporium.
In addition, it is worth noting the difference between microbiota and microbiome. While the terms are often used synonymously,”microbiome refers to the collection of genomes of all microorganisms in an environment, which includes not only the microbial community, but also the microbial structural elements, metabolites, and environmental conditions,” explain the researchers in the review article published in the journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, from Nature, in 2022.
The importance of the intestinal microbiota
Since studies focused on intestinal microbiota began - around 1900, as explained by microbiologist David Relman in an interview with Nature Portfolio —, the main conclusions about this region related to digestion, fiber fermentation, the production of vitamins (especially K and some of the B complex), and the modulation of the immune response.
However, the “boom” of recent studies suggests that the intestinal microbiota may offer more answers about the functioning of the human body. The imbalance in the composition of the microbiota (dysbiosis) has been associated with several diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, and even certain types of cancer.
In an article published in the magazine Microorganisms, in 2022, researchers argue that understanding these imbalances could pave the way for new therapeutic approaches, based on the modulation of the microbiota with probiotics, prebiotics, diet or fecal transplantation.
Scientific Advances
The gut microbiota has been studied on different fronts — and we'll look at some of them below. However, the main recent findings refer to communication on the so-called “gut-brain axis”. It is the interaction between the two organs, which occurs through a connection involving neural pathways (such as the vagus nerve) and chemical mediators produced by bacteria (such as short-chain fatty acids and neurotransmitters).
Currently, evidence suggests that this axis has an influence on neurological and psychiatric disorders. In order to illustrate this issue, at the end of April, the portal Medscape published conclusions presented in Gut Microbiota for Health (GMFH) World Summit 2025.
In short, scientists are betting on the intestinal microbiota to find modulating therapies that help treat diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative conditions. Although much research is still in the preclinical stage - that is, carried out only in test tubes and animals - the results suggest that the use of probiotics, prebiotics, diet, and fecal microbiota (TMF) transplantation may be a promising solution for these clinical conditions.
Another line of research seeks to understand the role of the microbiota in metabolism and obesity. Still according to microbiologist David Relman, “researchers found that obese people tend to have a different composition of intestinal microorganisms compared to lean people”.
In addition, science has increasingly looked at the relationship between microbiota and immunity. “Researchers are now exploring how the microbiome can influence the efficacy of immunotherapies against cancer, such as checkpoint inhibitors. Some intestinal microorganisms appear to increase the activity of these treatments, while others may interfere. Clinical trials are underway to test whether microbiota manipulations—such as fecal transplants or the use of probiotics—can improve treatment outcomes,” Relman explained.
However, in 2025, one of the most worrying issues is antimicrobial resistance. In this case, the correlation with the intestinal microbiota occurs due to the fact that the human intestine houses large groups of bacteria, forming an environment conducive to the selection of resistant variants. A study published in the journal Nature and peer-reviewed showed that even a short period of exposure to antibiotics can lead to persistent mutations in bacterial genes associated with resistance.
The microbiota market
The intestinal microbiota market is still in its infancy in Latin America, but it is already showing signs of expansion, driven by growing scientific, clinical and commercial interest.
Although the largest share of the global market remains concentrated in North America - with more than 44% of the total, according to data from Research and Markets —, Brazilian biotechnology companies and clinical analysis laboratories are also researching the topic and are already offering microbiome tests for direct sale to consumers (Out-of-Pocket), as well as services associated with other microbiota - such as female microbiota, used for fertility issues, and oral microbiota, aimed at strengthening immunity and supporting treatments.
There are also research institutions that partner with international centers to carry out clinical studies and the development of personalized therapies, such as fecal transplantation and the use of probiotic strains adapted to the local microbiota.
In Latin America as a whole, the sector's growth is linked to three main fronts:
- the increased incidence of chronic diseases associated with intestinal dysbiosis, such as obesity and diabetes;
- interest in preventive medicine strategies;
- and the search for lower-cost therapeutic alternatives for health systems with limited resources.
Although there are still obstacles related to cost, infrastructure, investments, and technical training, the regional market is expected to follow the global trend.
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