How do Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) work in adults?Updated 15 hours ago

Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) are specialized prebiotic carbohydrates found abundantly in breast milk. While they are not digestible by humans, they serve a critical role in shaping the early-life microbiome and immune system. At kēpos, we’ve brought these rare compounds—previously only available through breastfeeding—into a daily-use supplement for adults, using bioidentical forms created through precision fermentation.

In the adult body, HMOs pass through the digestive tract undigested until they reach the colon. There, they selectively feed specific strains of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium longum—microbes that are foundational to gut health but often absent in modern adults due to antibiotics, stress, and dietary disruption. Unlike conventional prebiotics that can feed both good and harmful microbes, HMOs work with surgical precision, promoting the growth of commensal strains that support digestion, immunity, and microbial balance.

HMOs also help prevent the colonization of pathogens by acting as molecular decoys. Many harmful bacteria and viruses attach to the gut lining using glycans that mimic those found in human tissue. HMOs mirror these glycans and effectively bind pathogens before they can take hold, enabling the body to clear them without triggering inflammation.

Beyond their role in modulating the microbiome, HMOs contribute to the health of the intestinal barrier. They help stimulate the production of mucin and reinforce tight junction proteins—structures that keep the gut lining intact. This contributes to improved nutrient absorption, reduced gut permeability, and lower inflammatory load. For individuals struggling with food sensitivities, systemic inflammation, or post-antibiotic gut dysbiosis, this function is particularly important.

HMOs also interact with the immune system at a cellular level. They influence the activity of innate immune cells and help regulate cytokine signaling, promoting immune balance and reducing chronic, low-grade inflammation. Unlike immune stimulants that provoke aggressive responses, HMOs help train the immune system toward tolerance and appropriate vigilance—an essential function in both early development and adult health.

Emerging research suggests that HMOs may also impact the gut-brain axis. By supporting the microbiome and gut barrier, HMOs may influence the production of neurotransmitters such as GABA and serotonin, potentially affecting mood, stress response, and cognitive clarity. Though this area of research is still growing, early findings are promising.

kēpos is the first and only brand to bring human-equivalent HMOs to adults in a clinically-inspired daily supplement. Unlike traditional prebiotics, kēpos restores what modern life has stripped away—targeted nourishment for the microbes and immune pathways your body was biologically designed to support. This is not just innovation; it’s a return to human biology’s original operating system.