IPAWC + Probiota Americas 2024: Get ready for the Microbiome Revolution in Women’s Health

The IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas 2024 is just weeks away, with day one of the event starting off strong.

The first panel, Microbiome Revolution for Women’s Health, will feature Caroline Carralero, founder and chief executive officer, Nouri; Jordi Riera, chief business officer, Kaneka Probiotics; Prof. Franco Vicariotto, obstetrician gynecologist, Humanitas Hospital and University Milan, Italy; Hongwei Wang, chief technology officer, BioGrowing; and Jessica Younes, PhD, scientific director, International Probiotics Association.

As women's health receives the attention it deserves, we’re seeing more brands tap into a range of needs, from PMS relief to menopausal control. The market, the science, the opportunities and the gaps in this rapidly expanding category will all be discussed by this panel. 

"I’m excited to highlight the pivotal role women play as key customers in the probiotic dietary supplement market, driving innovation in women's health,” said Riera. “At Kaneka, we’ve put women’s health at the center of our innovation, making a small yet significant contribution to addressing the gender bias that has historically overlooked the specifics of women's physiology in research.”

Carralero said where the category is headed is what she's most excited about: "There has been great progress made over the past year with additional research and innovation focused on hormone health, menopause, vaginal health, and more. I look forward to sharing what Nouri is seeing in the market and what is coming next in the Women’s Health category.” 

Wang said he’s looking forward to bridging the gap between female health and microbiome research.

“The benefits of probiotics on female health have gained more and more recognition. It is reasonable that females have more opportunities to benefit from probiotic applications, however, all benefits should be proven by solid evidence,” he said. 

Only in recent years have researchers begun to connect the dots between the microbiome’s role in energy and estrogen metabolism and menopause’s alteration of the gut microbiome, which can increase fat gain, lower metabolism and increase insulin resistance​. 

Prof. Vicariotto plans to discuss ways to improve metabolic health during menopause via the gut microbiome—which starts with a healthy diet. 

“It makes no sense to take probiotics and eat badly,” he said. “In the coming years, [women experiencing] menopause will be the largest population in the world, and women have the duty and right to do prevention and ask for help.”

Registration is open

Registration is already open​ for the leading event for the probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics and microbiome community. 

The event will take place June 10-12 at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City and promises three days of engaging, inspiring and informative sessions covering a wide array of topics including Microbiome Modulation to Support Women’s Health, Prebiotics, Healthcare Practitioners, Retailer Insights, Gut-Brain Axis, Companion Animals, Tech Advances and much more. The event program features presentations and panel discussions from a range of stakeholders, including industry, academia, regulatory and market experts.                      

For more information and to register, click HERE​​. Speakers are affiliated with: The University of California, Kroger, Whole Foods Market, Nouri, Maiome, SuperGut, Nestlé Health Science, FTC, FDA, Health Canada, University Milan, Georgetown University, International Probiotics Association, Beneficial Microbes Consultancy, SPINS, Seventure Partners, National Animal Supplement Council, Örebro University, Novonesis, IFF, ADM, EpiCor/ Cargill, Kaneka Probiotics, BioGrowing, Solnul, CanBiocin, Swift Strategy Group, Morinaga, Jona, Preebio, HelloBiome, BioMilq, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and many more.