As consumer understanding of gut health deepens, prebiotics are becoming an essential building block across nutrition categories, from everyday gut health to active lifestyle formulations. Yet one of the challenges for prebiotic formulators has been dosage. Traditional prebiotics typically require 5–15 g per day to achieve measurable efficacy, which can restrict product design, particularly in compact formats such as small capsules, gummies or ready-to-drink beverages.
Recent scientific evidence suggests that this barrier is beginning to shift.
A new peer-reviewed study published in Metabolites has shown that Bimuno® GOS, the galactooligosaccharide (GOS) developed by Clasado Biosciences, can deliver a statistically significant prebiotic effect at a dose of just 380 mg of active GOS per day.
The research observed increased abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, alongside rises in short-chain fatty acids and a reduction in gut pH — all indicators of a balanced and healthy gut environment. These changes were recorded as early as six hours and became more pronounced at 24 hours.
Such low-dose efficacy is attributed to the distinctive structure and selectivity of Bimuno GOS, which enables it to be preferentially utilised by beneficial gut microbes. For formulators, this offers a new level of flexibility, allowing prebiotic functionality to be integrated into smaller capsules, synbiotic concepts or functional beverages without compromising space, taste or stability.
Whilst an ultra-low dose provides a significant prebiotic effect for everyday gut health, low doses of Bimuno GOS (1.37–2.75 g) demonstrate clinically supported benefits across multiple health areas, including cognitive and immunity support and, more recently, in sports nutrition, where maintaining gut health can influence recovery, resilience and overall wellbeing.
This dose versatility broadens its application potential across multiple product categories, from daily wellness supplements to active lifestyle formulations, allowing brands to tailor prebiotic inclusion levels to their specific health positioning and desired outcomes.
With over 125 scientific publications and more than 20 clinical trials, Bimuno GOS remains one of the most studied prebiotic ingredients globally. Its proven efficacy, stability and selectivity make it a reliable foundation for next-generation gut health innovation.
Click here to learn more about how Bimuno GOS can elevate your next formulation.