Kaneka Probiotics and AB-Biotics unveil breakthrough in menopause management with new probiotic blend

03 Jul 2024 --- Kaneka Probiotics and AB-Biotics reveal the results of a recent study, which examined the ability of probiotics to modulate estrogen in peri- and post-menopausal women. The results show that a proprietary blend of the two companies’ probiotic strains, called Gyntima Menopause, may slow estrogen decline.

The probiotic works by increasing deconjugation and impacting estrogen levels in the gut and contains a blend of Levilactobacillus brevis KABP 052, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABP 051 and Pediococcus acidilactici KABP 021 and works on the estrabolone — a collection of bacteria in the gut that metabolize and modulate estrogen.

“Menopause is an in-demand and under-researched therapeutic area of women’s health, and with women proactively searching for natural, alternative solutions to menopause symptoms, there’s a world of commercial opportunities to explore in the probiotics space,” says Jordi Riera, chief business development manager at Kaneka Probiotics.

“That’s why we are excited to share Gyntima Menopause — the first commercial probiotic to deliver the benefits of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) mechanism of action — and the study behind it, as a development within this market.”

The menopause market
The companies highlight that the transition into and out of menopause lasts several years. Moreover, the accompanying decline in estrogen often has negative physical, emotional and mental well being effects for women. 

Kaneka Probiotics emphasizes that around 85% of women at menopausal age report menopause symptoms from vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes to joint and muscle pain. Furthermore, the company reveals consumers are demanding more effective options to mitigate menopausal symptoms.Gyntima Menopause was shown to maintain estrogen levels in the bloodstream over 12 weeks.

The company also notes that 73% of women report that they are currently not treating their symptoms. Currently, most options are drug-based treatments and there is growing demand for alternative and natural therapies.

“This probiotic blend expands a range of extremely successful products in our portfolio, and we’re looking forward to continuing our research to further understand the mechanism of action behind the blend, as well as exploring the benefits that this can bring to women worldwide,” Riera adds.

Understanding GUS
Estrogen is essential for the functioning of several bodily functions in women and the hormone’s reduction during menopause is associated with a range of menopause symptoms. Menopause is also associated with a loss of GUS — an enzyme found in the gut that is responsible for the deconjugation of estrogen and reabsorption back into the bloodstream. As GUS levels lower, so do estrogen levels.

Kaneka Probiotics spotlights that this latest double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study on 100 individuals comes on the heels of the discovery of a new mechanism of action for GUS enzymes. The enzymes have been shown to boost the natural process of recycling estrogen in the body.

The study examined the probiotic blend of strains in Gyntima Menopause to assess whether probiotic strains exhibiting a high GUS activity could modulate the estrabolome and increase the amount of estrogen in the bloodstream.

The study included healthy peri- and post-menopausal women between the ages of 45 and 55. The researchers first conducted an in vitro screening of over 80 strains for GUS activity and eventually moved forward with Levilactobacillus brevis KABP 052, which shows the highest ability to deconjugate estrogen. The strain was then combined with the two additional probiotic strains that have been shown to improve gut homeostasis. Gyntima Menopause contains the three strains at a ratio of 2:1:1 colony-forming units.

The results show that after 12 weeks of supplementation with one capsule a day, estrogen levels were sustained in the Gyntima Menopause group compared to the placebo group. Additionally, estrogen levels in the placebo group decreased during the study, while levels within the Gyntima Menopause group did not.