Chr. Hansen probiotics offer immunity benefits and improve stress and sleep of rotation shift workers, finds study

22 Apr 2021 --- Specific probiotic strains have a favorable impact on stress and sleep quality of rotation shift workers, supporting immunity by extension, according to a study by Chr. Hansen and Griffith University in Australia. 

Irregular sleep patterns are associated with immune health and may underpin a range of health issues in rotation shift workers. 

The study analyzed the impacts of Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium animalis UABla-12, on the immune system of 87 individuals working rotating shifts.

“In this clinical trial, we expected more of a probiotic influence after the work shift change. However, we noted more of an effect on anticipatory stress,” Dr. Gregory Leyer, senior director, scientific affairs, human health at Chr. Hansen, tells NutritionInsight.

“By this, we mean stress and anxiety, as well as the resulting impact on the immune response, in the period leading up to a stressor. For example, those receiving UABla-12 reported a 22 percent improvement in sleep quality,” Leyer notes.

“Our findings provide initial evidence for the use of these probiotic strains to help moderate the effects of stress associated with undertaking a night shift work cycle. This subject population can serve as a model for a multitude of other stressful situations where probiotics could have a benefit.”

The study is exploring the interplay between the gut-brain axis and the immune system, which is still a novel area of research.Gut health for better sleep
By supporting the intestinal microbiota, probiotic supplements may lessen the negative impact of interrupted sleep on the immune system, the study suggests. 

In order to keep society running, many people – security guards, transport workers and healthcare professionals among them – must work rotating shifts. In the US alone, more than 22 million people work evening, rotating or on-call shifts. 

While awareness of some of the costs of rotating shift work has been increasing in recent years, many aspects of rotating shift work remain under-discussed, Chr. Hansen supports. 

One of these aspects is “night shift stress.” This is the mental unease in anticipation of, or as a consequence of, night shift work, coupled with challenged sleep. 

Night shift workers get a daily average of two to four hours less sleep than normal, the study flags.

“There has been growing interest and research in the interplay between sleep and health along with a focus on the immune system being the biological link between sleep disruption or sleep deprivation and health and disease,” Leyer says. 

“Numerous studies have linked night shift work schedules with various conditions like obesity, immune challenges and depression.”

Gut-brain axis focus
The study is taking steps into exploring the interplay between the gut-brain axis and the immune system, an early novel area of research, according to Leyer. 

The gut and brain are connected physically through millions of nerves, referred to as the gut-brain axis, and this is also connected through the immune system. 

“The gut and its microbes play an important role in our immune system by controlling what is passed into the body and what is excreted. Recent advances in research have described the importance of gut microbiota in influencing these interactions,” Leyer explains.

“In the study, we looked at several stress markers in the body, such as the level of the stress hormone cortisol and a number of other biological markers identifiable in blood tests. 

Irregular sleep patterns, associated with immunity, may underpin a range of health issues in rotation shift workers.

Moreover, the researchers had the participants evaluate the quality of their sleep based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a self-reported questionnaire used for research purposes. 

“Probiotic supplements have a history of use in respiratory and gastrointestinal health and this study provides initial support for supplementing with specific probiotic strains for anticipation stress,” Dr. Nic West, lead researcher from Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland, notes.

“The gut-brain axis is a fantastic area of study, and probiotics certainly have a role to play in this holistic approach to health,” Leyer adds.

Probiotics’ importance
According to Leyer, probiotics are considered a natural and holistic way to influence health. 

“When considering the complexities of the human immune system, and the ways in which the immune system responds to stimuli, we like to think about the benefits of probiotics as being an important component in maintaining immune system balance or homeostasis.”

The need to maintain homeostasis is central to our understanding of health and disease. 

“Maintaining healthy immune responses within normal limits, even in periods of stress, is a role that probiotics can play, as evidenced by a variety of studies in the literature and the data generated in our study.”

This study provides a strong indication that probiotics can help influence the immune system, as probiotic supplementation tended to quiet the exaggerated, and unhealthy, inflammation response associated with anticipatory stress.”

Applicable to more people
The study focused on the potential of probiotics to impact the change across markers of stress and the immune system in rotating shift workers. However, the findings may be applicable to a large, otherwise healthy population dealing with inconsistent sleep – be that new parents, students facing exams or people in stress-filled situations.

“Sleep and immunity go together. What it comes down to is obtaining a balance in your body, and probiotics can be helpful in supporting a balanced immune function,” supports Leyer. 

“Chr. Hansen will continue to invest in scientific documentation of the immune benefits that can be obtained from probiotics,” he concludes.

Last year, Chr. Hansen shed more light on the connection between the human microbiome and the immune system. NutritionInsight spoke with the company on the nuances and complexities of using probiotics to address a broad group of consumers with diverse demands.

Meanwhile, the company is on track to fulfill its 2025 strategy following its Q1 2020/21 results, which revealed overall organic sales growth of 10 percent. Moreover, Chr. Hansen spotlighted the potential of the Asia-Pacific market for HMOs. 

By Kristiana Lalou