A new study from the University of Surrey has found that young women who took four weeks of prebiotic supplements made healthier food choices and consumed less sugar.
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First of its kind study indicates prebiotic can reduce anxiety A first of its kind clinical trial has shown the ability of Biotis GOS, the galacto-oligosaccharide prebiotic ingredient by FrieslandCampina Ingredients, to reduce self-reported anxiety in young women.
While previous animal studies have suggested a significant impact of the gut microbiota on the development and maturation of brain networks that underlie emotional behaviour, fewer studies have been conducted on humans.
The current research team, including an employee of FrieslandCampina, conducted a four-week trial involving 64 women, aged 18–25, with self-reported anxiety. The women were blindly randomised to receive a daily dose of Biotis
Written by James Kingsland on May 4, 2021 Fact checked by Anna Guildford, Ph.D.
Could prebiotics help relieve anxiety? Getty Images
There is an intimate, two-way line of communication between the gut and the brain, called the gut-brain axis.
This allows the gut microbiota the community of microorganisms living in the gut to affect mood, with possible links to anxiety and depression.
There is good evidence that prebiotics, which feed “friendly” bacteria in the gut, can help relieve depression in healthy adults.
A new study suggests that a type of prebiotic may also reduce anxiety in some females in late adolescence, through changes in their gut microbiota.