Prebiotic Effects on Anxiety, Cortisol, and Emotional Processing in Mild-to-Moderately Stressed Adults

Summary

The levels of stress that we experience as a population are continuing to rise due to financial, social and work pressures, particularly in mid-life where additional factors such as family and career often compound these issues. When we experience high levels of stress for prolonged periods, this often has detrimental effects on our mental and physical wellbeing, leading to chronic illness and mental health disorders.

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibres found in food and supplements which promote the growth of beneficial bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Research shows that prebiotics may be used as a lifestyle intervention to support individuals experiencing stress and help reduce physiological and psychological feelings of stress.

As such, this study will build on previous research and explore whether a prebiotic supplement (Bimuno®) has a beneficial effect on stress, mental health outcomes, and sleep in mild-to-moderately stressed adults. To address these questions, participants will take the prebiotic or a placebo for 6 weeks, and visit the University of Reading to complete some questionnaires and cognitive tests at the start and end of the trial. The investigators will also ask participants to collect saliva samples to see if the prebiotics influence cortisol levels, which are linked to stress.

Conditions

• Mild-to-Moderate Stress

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Prebiotic (Bimuno®)

The prebiotic supplement (Bimuno®) is a galactooligosaccharide (GOS) supplement derived from lactose which is publicly available and sold in the UK. Subjects will consume a daily dose of 2.75g GOS (3.65g total powder) which will be administered in sachets and consumed with breakfast by mixing into water, tea or coffee, or sprinkling on top of/mixing into food.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Placebo

A matched placebo for the prebiotic intervention, containing 3.65g of maltodextrin. Consumed in the same manner as the prebiotics.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Clasado Research Services Ltd

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• University of Reading

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Daniel Lamport, PhD · University of Reading

• Piril Hepsomali · University of Reading

• Claire Williams · University of Reading

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

25 Years

Max Age

40 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-03-31

Primary Completion

2025-10-17

Completion

2026-02-28

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations