Study: prebiotic dietary fiber can improve adults' moods

The study, which ran over five weeks (one-week run-in and four weeks intervention), aimed to look at the effect of the chicory root fiber oligofructose and the human milk oligosaccharide 2’fucosyllactose on intestinal colonization and their ability to reduce anxiety and depression.

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A new study, conducted by Jackson et al., demonstrates that intake of the prebiotic dietary fiber oligofructose alone, or in combination with the human milk oligosaccharide 2’fucosyllactose, promotes a significant increase in Bifidobacteria in the gut and can result in substantial improvements in mood in healthy adults with mild to moderate feelings of anxiety and depression.

The study, which ran over five weeks (one-week run-in and four weeks intervention), aimed to look at the effect of the chicory root fiber oligofructose and the human milk oligosaccharide 2’fucosyllactose on intestinal colonization and their ability to reduce anxiety and depression. The 92 subjects chosen for the study were healthy and had mild to moderate levels of anxiety and depression. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-designed methodology, the subjects were split into four groups of 23 and given either 8g of oligofructose plus 2g of maltodextrin per day, 8g of oligofructose plus 2g of 2’fucosyllactose per day, 2g of 2’fucosyllactose plus 8g of maltodextrin per day, or 10g of maltodextrin per day.

The results showed that at the end of the four-week intervention period, those participants taking the prebiotic oligofructose on its own, or in combination with 2’fucosyllactose, experienced significant increases in beneficial gut bacteria, including Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, compared to the control group. Additionally, those taking oligofructose on its own or in combination with 2’fucosyllactose also significantly outperformed the control group in improvements in several mood state parameters.

“Thanks to this study, an important piece of scientific evidence has been contributed to the fascinating science of the gut-brain axis. The results add to the growing body of evidence showing that the composition of gut microbiota and resulting metabolites impact mood state," Dr. Stephan Theis, head of nutrition science at BENEO said. "The findings also demonstrate that targeted influence with prebiotics may be a viable way to improve mood. It is notable that oligofructose has once again been shown to have a significant effect on beneficial microbiota and is an essential contributor to the beneficial effects on gut microbiota and mood parameters when combined with 2’fucosyllactose.”

Chicory root fibers are derived from the plant via a gentle hot water extraction method, unlike some synthetic fibers. Due to their technical properties, chicory root fibers can be used in a wide range of food and beverage applications including baby food, according to national legislations. As the only proven plant-based prebiotics, inulin and oligofructose support a healthy gut microbiota and selectively promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms, such as Bifidobacteria, in the gut. They are the preferred food for those good microorganisms and thus help them to selectively multiply and grow in numbers. Due to the increased bacterial metabolism in the large intestine, regularity is also improved.

Photo courtesy of BENEO, which provided the information about this study.