Food for Thought Leadership: Peptides, Protein & Fiber – The Wellness Trends to Watch

Peptides Could Gain More Attention

Marie Molde: “Consumers will be looking at protein in a almost a more granular sense, in the form of peptides.”

Marie Molde: “Peptides are essentially smaller versions of proteins.”

Marie Molde: “They’re both made up of amino acids, but peptides are just much shorter than proteins.”

Marie Molde: “There’s this idea that peptides are easier for us to absorb because they’re smaller.”

Marie Molde: “Collagen peptides, which have been around quite a while now, for beauty benefits and gut health and joint health.”

Marie Molde: “Creatine can help you build, like, leaner, more toned muscles, and help you bounce back from workouts, and make your thinking clearer.”

Marie Molde: “There’s another peptide called BPC 157… and that’s something you can take to heal inflammation.”

Marie Molde: “People are talking about it to really be used in that way, and also heal your gut lining.”

Marie Molde: “As the year goes on, we might start to hear more about peptides too.”

Fiber May Finally Have Its Moment

Marie Molde: “Maybe fiber hasn’t had its moment yet, because it’s almost like a bathroom topic versus like a cool, like exciting thing to talk about in the wellness space.”

Marie Molde: “It’s such an important piece of the diet.”

Marie Molde: “Fiber is only found in plant foods.”

Marie Molde: “We have soluble fiber, which dissolves in water.”

Marie Molde: “That slows our digestion. It kind of forms a gel and slows our digestion in a positive way.”

Marie Molde: “Insoluble fiber is another type, and that does not dissolve in water.”

Marie Molde: “That adds bulk to digestion, so we need both of those.”

Marie Molde: “They’re only found in plant foods, so you simply don’t find fiber in meat or eggs or dairy products.”

Fiber Supports Digestion, Immunity, and Longevity

Marie Molde: “Digestion is a huge benefit of fiber, but I think it’s honestly certainly not the only one.”

Marie Molde: “Another one is immunity.”

Marie Molde: “Fiber feeds the good bacteria in our gut.”

Marie Molde: “Eating fiber helps keep our microbiome healthy and balanced.”

Marie Molde: “We have 70% of immunity in our guts, fiber helps benefit our immunity.”

Marie Molde: “It also helps with hormone health.”

Marie Molde: “Fiber binds to estrogen and cholesterol, and helps carry excess out of our bodies.”

Marie Molde: “It helps with insulin regulation.”

Marie Molde: “When we consume fiber along with sugar, our bodies uptake sugar more slowly.”

Marie Molde: “Weight management is another benefit.”

Marie Molde: “Fiber helps us feel fuller longer, so helps us curb snacking.”

Marie Molde: “The common thread you see is that all of those cultures have high fiber diets.”

Marie Molde: “Right now people are not eating enough fiber, and it has so many health benefits.”

Protein and Fiber Are Complementary Nutrients

Marie Molde: “Fiber and plants is important, protein is also important, and I think it’s a really smart thing to think of them as complementary nutrients.”

Marie Molde: “If especially if you’re a high protein eater, the protein could be really just like sitting there in our guts, if you don’t have fiber to complement it, because fiber helps move things along.”

Marie Molde: “Both of these nutrients work together to help us stay fuller longer.”

Marie Molde: “They both have digestion benefits.”

Marie Molde: “When you’re eating a high protein diet, you absolutely need fiber.”

Marie Molde: “All of us need both.”

Marie Molde: “Don’t think of them in isolation.”

Marie Molde: “Consumers should understand that we need both of them, and they both work together to help us have optimal health.”