Gut-brain axis study: FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ Biotis GOS provides anxiety relief to young women

20 May 2021 --- FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ galacto-oligosaccharide prebiotic ingredient Biotis GOS has shown an anxiolytic influence on the emotional well-being of self-reported highly anxious late adolescent women.

New clinical research conducted at the University of Surrey, UK, provides further evidence into the gut-brain axis (GBA), the two-way relationship between the gut and the brain. 

“Although this interrelationship was originally acknowledged primarily with respect to digestive functions like satiety, we now know it’s true for brain function, behavior and mental well-being,” Linda Peek, Biotis’s global segment marketing manager at FrieslandCampina Ingredients, tells NutritionInsight.

“Even before the coronavirus pandemic, stress, anxiety and mental health were shooting up the healthcare agenda – so exploring the potential role of nutrition in this respect has also become a priority,” she adds.

Notably, Innova Market Insights crowned “Mood: The Next Occasion” as one of its Top Ten Trends for 2021. The market research reports that 44 percent of people have taken action to improve their mental and emotional well-being.

A step closer to the GBA
During the four-week trial, 64 women aged 18 to 25 with self-reported anxiety received a daily dose of Biotis GOS or a placebo supplement. Participants completed baseline and end of study surveys to assess their general health, including their sleep quality, mood and stress levels. Gut microbiome sequencing analysis was also carried out.

After 28 days, the group receiving Biotis GOS reported improved mental well-being and reduced anxiety levels, while the microbiome sequencing analysis showed they had better gut health, characterized by significantly increased bifidobacteria levels, compared to the control group. 

Supplementing with Biotis GOS for four weeks helped highly anxious women reduce their anxiety.In addition, brain imaging was employed on a sub-sample of participants to measure key emotion regulation regions, allowing for further understanding of how changes in the gut microbiome may relate to brain functioning.

The study found fortifying food and drink with Biotis GOS increased Bifidobacterium abundances in the gut microbiota, with trends toward differential diversity after intervention. 

The study authors further suggest that promoting prebiotic bacteria growth could have adaptive effects in preventing the development of less beneficial bacteria.

However, the study results showed “no demonstrable impact” of GOS on measures of mood, depression, emotion regulation or reported anxiety levels at the group level. Only the high anxious prebiotics group reported a significant reduction in trait anxiety.

Prebiotics for gut and mental health
Biotis GOS was initially launched under an epinonymous platform targeting gut health in May last year. At the time, the company shared in a video interview how Biotis GOS also taps into brain and immune health.

“Biotis GOS beneficially impacts the gut microbiota, which contributes to gut physiology, gut mobility, intestinal barrier homeostasis and nutrient absorption,” explains Peek. 

Biotis GOS is featured in the company’s D-Stress sachet launched late last year.“In addition, the gut microbiota has a crucial role in the development, training and functionality of the innate and adaptive immune system.”

As mounting GBA research on how digestive care continues to translate into beneficial mental well-being, FrieslandCampina Ingredients launched Biotis SleepWell last October. This marked the Biotis brand’s first concept touting brain health benefits. It was followed by the company’s D-Stress sachet and Re-lax health shot rollout last December. 

Future research
While the GBA mechanisms of action are not yet fully understood, some areas of current investigation include biochemical and neuroendocrine signaling, direct interactions of the microbiota with the nervous system and microbial metabolite function.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients is further interested in exploring how men and women experience anxiety differently. 

“This is a really exciting area and definitely one we want to explore further,” Peek continues. “We will extend our studies to other age groups and also include both genders. But it’s too early at this stage to predict the outcomes.”

By Anni Schleicher