The New Gut Health Tool You May Not Have Heard Of: Human Milk Oligosaccharides

If you’ve been working on your gut health for a while, you’ve probably heard me or someone else talk about the importance of feeding your good gut bacteria. But there’s a big difference between simply adding more fiber or taking a probiotic and actually giving your microbiome the specific fuel it needs for the good bacteria to thrive (and crowd out the bad bacteria in the process!).

One of my favorite tools for doing this is Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs).

But no, you do NOT need to be a baby to benefit from them! 😂 Adults can benefit from HMOs in the same way that they benefit from Colostrum supplementation.

More recently, researchers are discovering the various (and impressive) benefits from these unique compounds found naturally in human breast milk. So what exactly are HMOs and why would something found in breast milk be helpful for your gut?

Let me explain...

First... what exactly are Human Milk Oligosaccharides?

HMOs are special types of complex carbohydrates naturally found in human breast milk. But here’s the really interesting part:

Your body doesn't digest HMOs like regular carbohydrates. Instead, they make their way through your digestive tract and interact with the bacteria living inside your gut.

Think of HMOs almost like a specialized food delivery service for your microbiome’s good bacteria.

Rather than throwing a giant buffet on the table and allowing every type of bacteria to eat whatever they want, HMOs provide a very specific source of nourishment that certain beneficial bacteria, particularly Bifidobacteria, thrive on.

It's almost like giving the good guys a food source that comes with a key that only they know how to unlock.

And this is one of the reasons I find HMOs really exciting for gut health.

1. They help nourish beneficial gut bacteria

One of the biggest reasons I love HMOs is because they can act as a prebiotic. You've probably heard the terms probiotic and prebiotic before, but they aren't the same thing.

Probiotics = the bacteria.

Prebiotics = the food that helps certain beneficial bacteria grow and thrive.

HMOs fall into that second category, but they're much smarter than your average fiber.

Certain beneficial bacteria, especially Bifidobacteria, have the ability to break down and utilize HMOs.

So rather than simply throwing more "food" into your gut and hoping the right bacteria eat it, HMOs can provide a much more targeted source of nourishment. This is particularly interesting if you have a sensitive gut and don't tolerate a lot of traditional prebiotic fibers well. THIS WAS ME FOR A LONG TIME, but this product wasn’t available then 😕

2. They can help support a healthier gut microbiome

Your gut is basically an ecosystem, and just like a garden, you don't necessarily want to throw a bunch of fertilizer over everything and hope for the best. You want to feed the plants you actually want to grow. Some plants need special fertiziler

This is one way to think about HMOs: You’re providing nourishment that beneficial bacteria can utilize, HMOs may help support a healthier microbial environment and encourage a more favorable balance within the gut.

Your microbiome influences digestion, the gut barrier, immune function, and even the communication between your gut and the rest of your body.

3. They help support the gut barrier from becoming a “Leaky Gut”

Your intestinal lining isn't just a passive tube that food travels through, it's actually an incredibly important barrier between the contents of your digestive tract and the rest of your body.

Think of your gut lining like the security system of your house.You want it to let the right things in — nutrients, water, etc. — while helping keep unwanted substances where they belong. Under the lining are these guards that protext your “tight junctions” and when the lining is compromised, those tight junctions widen, making it much harder for the guards to keep the particles from entering your bloodstream.

Research suggests HMOs can interact with intestinal cells and the gut microbiome in ways that help support the integrity and function of this barrier. Without the barrier, you can develop autoimmune conditions, ezcema/psoriasis, systemic inflammation, and a whole slough of unfortunate symptoms.

This is one of the reasons I think HMOs are a great tool for people who are focused on whole-body gut health, rather than simply trying to make their digestion move faster or slower.

4. They may help keep unwanted microbes from attaching to your gut

I see people every day who have parasites, archae, and pathogenic overgrowth of bacteria in their guts. Every. Day. So when I read into HMOs, I was intrigued. I learned that some HMOs have structures that resemble the sugars found on the surface of the intestinal lining.

So imagine that a harmful microbe is looking for a place to "park" itself on your gut wall. The HMOs can essentially act like decoy parking spots so intead of attaching directly to your intestinal cells, certain microbes can bind to these decoy structures instead.

As a result, they may be less likely to attach to the actual intestinal lining and can instead continue moving through the digestive tract - and out of it! To me, this is one of the most fascinating protective functions researchers have identified with HMOs.

5. They support the gut-immune connection

A huge portion of your immune system is associated with your gastrointestinal tract? Some scientists say 70% of your immune system is dictated by your gut! That's why I don't like to think about gut health and immune health as two completely separate things. They’re interdependent.

Because HMOs can influence the gut microbiome, the intestinal barrier, and interactions between microbes and intestinal or immune cells, they may help support a healthier immune response to things your body encounters.

But HMOs aren’t an "immune booster" in the way we think of colostrum or Vitamin D, I like to think of them more as helping to support the environment where healthy immune function can happen.

6. They can support beneficial microbial byproducts

Here's where things get even more interesting…and pretty nerdy. But that’s kinda my thing when it comes to the gut 😜…

When beneficial bacteria ferment certain carbohydrates in the colon, they can produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In stool analyses, my SCFAs were chronically low…for YEARS. HMOs would have saved me so much time!

SCFAs play an important role in the gut, your metabolism, and can help support the integrity of your intestinal lining. HMOs are said to help the gut produce MORE of the metabolites that are produced by your beneficial bacteria - so if you’re low on beneficial bacteria, HMOs may very fill in for those guys that aren’t there to do their jobs!

7. They may support the gut-brain connection

Your gut and brain are constantly communicating through what we call the gut-brain axis. I’ve often had my clients look into apps like Nerva or have recommended breathwork and meditation because the gut- brain connection functionally correctly is so important! But aside from apps and homework, we now know the microbiome also plays a part in how the gut and brain communicate.

Research into HMOs and the gut-brain connection is still developing, but we do know for certain that supporting a healthy microbiome and intestinal environment is an important piece of the bigger gut-brain picture.

And this is another reason I love looking at gut health from a whole-body perspective.

So where do you actually get HMOs?

Specific HMOs can now be produced through fermentation and incorporated into supplements designed for adults, which means there’s no reliance on humans or animals

One of the HMO products I personally like and recommend to my clients is kēpos.

I like it because it isn't simply throwing another probiotic into the mix. The formula is designed around HMOs and human milk lactoferrin, giving you compounds that can support the microbiome while also supporting the intestinal environment.

If you want to take a closer look at the exact product I use/recommend, you can find kēpos here.

This is an affiliate link, which means in addition to a 15% off discount for my clients, I receive a small commission if you purchase through my link. I only share products that I genuinely believe can be useful though, and that fit within my approach to gut health. Kepos is definitely one of them!

If you're dealing with digestive issues, have a history of antibiotics, don't tolerate traditional prebiotic fibers well, or simply feel like your gut microbiome needs some extra support, HMOs may be worth putting on your radar.

They aren't a magic fix, and they're certainly not something everyone needs to take.

But if you're looking for a more targeted way to support the beneficial side of your microbiome, this is one of the tools I think is worth knowing about.

👉 You can learn more about the kēpos HMO formula here.

And as always, if you're not sure whether something like this is appropriate for your gut, that's exactly where our coaching sessions can make a difference. Your symptoms, diet, medications, and health history all matter when deciding what supplements make sense for you.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions!

Be well, xoxo