Seed Health, a supplement company specializing in microbiome solutions, has introduced three new products, expanding beyond its signature synbiotic product DS-01.

AM-02 Energy + Focus contains ginseng root; B vitamins; a postbiotic GABA ingredient; a prebiotic complex made of Japanese wasabi and Japanese pagoda tree extracts; a bioenergetic cellular complex containing CoQ10, PQQ, and a postbiotic form of vitamin K2 as MK-7.

The product claims to deliver fast-acting and sustained energy, improve cognitive function in one hour, and increase attention for up to six hours.

DM-02 Daily Multivitamin contains 20 essential vitamins and minerals; a cellular energy complex featuring CoQ10, PQQ, spermidine, and a postbiotic vitamin K2 as MK-7; and a prebiotic complex of Japanese wasabi and Japanese pagoda extracts.

The supplement is formulated to cover daily nutrient gaps, promote healthy aging and immune function, and optimize the absorption of key nutrients.

The third product, PM-02 Sleep + Restore, is a formulation designed to promote restorative sleep, featuring thiamine; riboflavin; niacin; a postbiotic GABA; a restorative sleep complex featuring Shoden ashwagandha and PQQ; a prebiotic complex of Japanese wasabi and pagoda extracts; a cellular renewal complex of pterostilbene and spermidine; and extended-release, biphasic, bioidentical melatonin.

Nutraceuticals World spoke with Zain Kassam, MD, chief medical officer at Seed Health, about the company’s expansion and microbiome science.

“Seed was founded with a clear vision: to recognize the full potential of the microbiome in human health,” Kassam said. “Our journey began with DS-01, our flagship synbiotic, which helped set new expectations for what probiotics could deliver. We did this by melding pioneering innovations with a data-driven approach, all rooted in a deep understanding of human health needs. Now, the microbiome science has exploded, showing us that microbes are central to almost every aspect of our health, from immunity and metabolism to sleep, cognition, and even how we age. At the same time, our community has made clear that they want more ways to harness that power in their daily routines.”

Targeted Delivery

Each of the three formulas utilizes the company’s ViaCap capsule-in-capsule technology, which it first validated in studies on DS-01.

“The outer capsule is for the human body,” Kassam said. “It delivers bioavailable vitamins, minerals, and clinically studied compounds. These can be efficiently absorbed in the small intestine to meet core human physiological needs. Second, the inner capsule is for the microbiome. It’s designed to release prebiotics, postbiotics, and other microbially-accessible nutrients in the colon, home to the majority of the gut microbiome, where they can support microbial activity and downstream functions linked to long-term health.”

ViaCap helps to ensure the stability of the many sensitive ingredients within the formula, ensuring they don’t lose potency before reaching the intended target. “For optimal biological impact, some ingredients need to be released at completely different points in the GI tract,” Kassam said.

Circadian Rhythms

The Co-Biotics line is intended for round-the-clock support. Kassam discussed emerging science on how important the gut microbiome can be to circadian rhythms.

Beyond observations that link sleep disruptions to dysbiosis (imbalances in the gut microbiome), certain gut microbes produce potent concentrations of metabolites that are key regulators of sleep.

“Take serotonin, for example. It’s a key signaling molecule for sleep regulation, and over 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut,” Kassam said. “When the microbiome is disrupted, it can lead to reduced serotonin levels in the colon and a decrease in deep, restorative sleep.”

Further, short-chain fatty acids, one of the most commonly-known microbiome metabolites, have wide-ranging effects, including on sleep cycles. Butyrate, in particular, impacts the expression of genes related to sleep-wake cycle regulation, and has been shown to increase sleep duration and quality.

“That’s why we designed our PM-02 Sleep + Restore formulation with both the human and microbiome in mind. The outer capsule supports the human body with a bioidentical dose of melatonin for sleep onset and compounds like ashwagandha that optimize sleep quality. Meanwhile, our inner capsule is designed to support the beneficial microbiome via compounds like pterostilbene and quercetin, both plant-based antioxidants.”

Further, having a plethora of supportive ingredients beats a hefty dose of melatonin, said Kassam, the latter of which is associated with drowsiness, headaches, and dizziness. Seed specifically chose Shoden ashwagandha for its clinical validation for sleep support; in a 2020 clinical study of 150 participants, 72% showed a mean increase in sleep quality, compared to 29% in the placebo group, based on both questionnaires and sleep actigraphy.

Meanwhile, AM-02 Energy + Focus was formulated based on human clinical data showing meaningful cognitive improvement. The standardized American ginseng extract in the formula was found to support acute measures of working memory and attention, with stronger effects occurring after two weeks.

The extract also increased short-chain fatty acid production, suggesting beneficial microbial changes. Quercetin is included in the inner capsule, with the goal of supporting microbes that optimize the gut-brain axis, Kassam noted.

Redefining Categories

Traditional multivitamins “ignore the microbiome,” Kassam noted. Seed’s DM-02 Daily Multivitamin uses “colonic delivery technology to deliver specific nutrients to the microbiome where they support cellular processes, just like the cells in our body,” which is supported by clinical and pre-clinical evidence, he said. For example, CoQ10 and riboflavin (vitamin B2) each target the colon in this formulation.

Kassam said that, in developing Co-Biotics, Seed sought to create a new product category, acting on the microbiome and the human body in tandem through targeted delivery. The ViaCap capsule-in-capsule technology “opens the door to formulations that simply weren’t possible before: stable, dual-action products that combine human physiology ingredients with microbiome-targeting compounds in a single capsule.”

The lineup was designed as a system that pairs with DS-01, building on foundational gut health to create a full daily routine inclusive of nutrition, energy, and sleep. “Together, each product complements the others to reflect the full 24-hour cycle of health,” said Kassam. “We see this not only as an innovation for consumers today, but as the foundation for an entirely new category of care that can evolve with the microbiome field in the years to come.”

Bridging Knowledge Gaps

Kassam noted that while research in the microbiome field has expanded rapidly, awareness from consumers, practitioners, and others remains lacking. The new product line, in many ways, serves as a sort of correction for nutritional regimens that overlook the importance of the gut microbiome in general well-being.

“The microbiome is a foundational ‘invisible organ’ that impacts nearly every aspect of our health, from immunity and metabolism to sleep and longevity,” he said.

More than 10,000 peer-reviewed articles have been published on the topic of the gut-brain axis alone, with one-quarter of those published in the last year, he noted. “As chief medical officer, one of my roles is to be a scientific information sherpa, guiding both clinicians and the public through the complex world of microbiome science to empower them to make informed health decisions. Through our brand channels and creative campaigns, ranging from real-world activations to digital learning experiences, we’re not just sharing data, we’re building a culture of health literacy.”