Cerebiome’s latest findings boost Lallemand Health Solutions’ “most documented psychobiotic in the world”
23 Oct 2020 --- Lallemand Health Solutions’ probiotic targeting mental health, Cerebiome, is tapping into the burgeoning gut-brain axis sector with its new post-hoc analysis.
It found that the psychobiotic may significantly increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum levels in humans. Serum BDNF levels are lower in depressed patients and they increase after a long course of anti-depressant treatment.
The new analysis builds on more than a decade of research on the psychobiotic’s effects on emotional well-being.
In 2014, researchers first identified an increase in BDNF in mice given the two probiotic strains contained in Cerebiome: Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell-52 and Bifidobacterium longum Rosell-175. The latest findings confirm the same mechanism in humans.
“These new results bring more understanding about the potential modes of action of Cerebiome on the gut-brain axis (GBA), especially on the population that suffers from depression,” Lucie Lingrand, product manager, specialist of the GBA at Lallemand Health Solutions tells NutritionInsight.
“This is a great example where the clinical trial observations matched the observations from the preclinical studies,” she adds.
Investigators found that the probiotic formula Cerebiome significantly increased BDNF levels, which inversely correlated with depression severity compared to placebo.In the new analysis, the investigators found that Cerebiome significantly increased BDNF levels compared to the placebo group and to the prebiotic group.
Taking Cerebiome was also inversely correlated with depression severity compared to placebo.
“[Increasing BDNF levels] may be one of the mechanisms of action by which Cerebiome reduces depression in humans, in addition to all the demonstrated modes of action to date,” details Lingrand.
A market set for growth
Lingrand explains that there has been a “clear acceleration in sales and market diversification” in the psychobiotic sector in the past five years.
“During this anxiety-inducing pandemic year, this is a segment that has definitely reached a higher peak than expected in the sales forecast,” she reveals.
However, she attributes the bulk of the sector’s growth to increased awareness of psychobiotics in general.
She observes that both the scientific community and customers now have an increased understanding of the GBA, which has developed over the past years. 
Seventy percent of psychobiotic clinical trials were published after 2014, which suggests it is an emerging category.
“Seventy percent of psychobiotic clinical trials were published after 2014. From 2017 to mid-2019, 66 clinical trials targeting the GBA with probiotics were registered,” she notes.
Moreover, mental health has gained more awareness in recent years as a critical societal issue.
“A health issue that once was taboo and neglected is now in the spotlight, supported by many testimonials and personalities ‘coming out’ about their anxiety and stress,” she observes.
Building off a body of research
Lallemand Health Solutions touts its probiotic as “the most documented psychobiotic in the world with more than a decade of evidence after its first proven effects on the GBA.”
In 2008, two clinical studies with Cerebiome demonstrated an improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms related to stress in healthy people, such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort.
Ten year later researchers followed 110 adults suffering from mild to moderate depression. They found out that Cerebiome, used as an adjunct therapy to conventional antidepressant treatment, contributed to a significant reduction of Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) depression score from 18 down to 9 on average.
Supplementation with the psychobiotic to anti-depressent also increased serotonin precursors after eight weeks of intake, according to the 2018 study.
These results are clinically significant, showing the patients were now categorized with “minimal depression” according to the validated assessment scale.
More precisely, the participants taking Cerebiome showed a decrease in the blood kynurenine/tryptophan ratio, which suggests that tryptophan was diverted toward the synthesis of serotonin and away from the inflammatory pathway compared to the placebo group.
Cerebiome formulation hits Brazil
This increasing awareness about mental health and the desire to improve mental well-being with natural, effective solutions has brought companies to launch new products dedicated to brain and mental health.
Probians and Probid contain Cerebiome, which has been recognized by the Brazilian Health Authorities for its safety and benefits in stressed healthy individuals. Earlier this month, Brazil-based Apsen Farmacêutica launched the first probiotic formulation for the GBA on the Brazilian market. Its Probid and Probians contain Cerebiome, which has been recognized by the Brazilian Health Authorities for its safety and benefits in stressed healthy individuals.
“This recognition from Brazilian health authorities adds tremendous value and indicates that the scientific evidence supporting the psychobiotic is robust, reliable and verifiable. Cerebiome is the first and only psychobiotic with specific approved health claims in Brazil and in Canada, for its benefits on stress, anxiety and mood balance,” says Lingrand.
More studies to come
More studies are on-going and new ones are planned to be launched over the coming years. The Rosell Institute for Probiotics and Microbiome by Lallemand continues to invest in them. Others are initiated by different research teams willing to investigate the effect of Cerebiome on various health conditions and populations, such as seniors, adults, teenagers or children.
By Missy Green, with additional reporting by Anni Schleicher
