DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences launches Howaru Calm probiotic to support stress

Photo © iStockphoto.com/BartekSzewczyk

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences (Madison, WI) launched Howaru Calm, a probiotic aimed to support consumer’s response to stress. Prior to launch, Howaru Calm’s featured strain, L. paracasei Lpc-37, was tested to ensure quality, efficacy, and performance. According to DuPont, in a recent clinical study, participants consumed the strain daily for five weeks before undergoing an acute stress test called The Trier Social Stress Test. Researchers measured subjects’ mood, stress, and anxiety levels in response to the five-week intervention with Lpc-37, their perceived and physiological response to the acute stress test at the end of the study, and their overall mood, health and well-being throughout the study.

Compared to placebo, those taking the probiotic strain reported a significant reduction in perceived stress after five weeks of intervention. “Too much stress, or daily chronic stress has become more prevalent in today’s society and can seriously impact our mental and physical well-being and overall health,” said Elaine Patterson, PhD, senior R&D scientist, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, in a press release. “Over the last few years, we have been investigating the links between the gut microbiota and brain health —the so-called microbiota-gut-brain axis. During these investigations, our focus was on discovering a natural probiotic solution targeting brain health, more specifically mood, stress and anxiety. We are proud to finally share the fruits of our innovation and have developed a product that helps consumers target stress at the source so they can prioritize both their mental and physical health.”

“In the last five years, the industry has seen a 34 percent global increase of new probiotic supplements that help stabilize mood and combat stress, as consumers have begun to recognize the critical impact the gut has on the brain,” said Stephanie Udell, global marketing leader, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, in a press release. “By launching Howaru Calm, we’re allowing dietary supplement manufacturers to develop an efficacious end-product that satisfies market demand for probiotic supplements aimed at reducing stress and promoting mental well-being.”