Prebiotic fiber, oligofructose, and human milk oligosaccharide, 2’fucosyllactose, may support mood via the gut-brain axis according to a recent study

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A recent study¹ published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consumption of oligofructose (chicory root fiber) alone or in combination with the human milk oligosaccharide 2’fucosyllactose may support mood in healthy adults by increasing the population of Bifidobacteria in the gut. In the five-week, four arm, parallel, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 92 healthy adults with mild-to-moderate levels of anxiety and depression were given either 8 grams per day of oligofructose (plus 2 g/d maltodextrin); 10 g/day of maltodextrin; 8 g/d of oligofructose plus 2 g/d of 2’fucosyllactose; or 2 g/d of 2’fucosyllactose (plus 8 g/d maltodextrin).

The study’s primary outcomes wer the change in microbial load and composition while the secondary outcomes were gastrointestinal sensations, bowel habits, and mood state parameters. Results showed that subjects in both the oligofructose and oligofructose/2’fucosyllactose experience significant increases in Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Roseburia, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Researchers observed significant improvements in Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Y1 and Y2, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form (PANAS-SF) scores as well as cortisol awakening response (CAR) for subjects taking oligofructose, 2’fucosyllactose, and oligofructose/2’fucosyllactose combined. However, oligofructose alone and combined with 2’fucosyllactose outperformed 2’fucosyllactose alone in improvements across a number of mood state parameters, including BDI.

Researchers investigated the relationship between gut microbiota taxa and mood state, and found that there was a significant negative correlation between Bifidobacterium and BDI, STAI Y1, STAI Y2), PANAS-SF negative affect (NA), and CAR.

“Thanks to this study, an important piece of scientific evidence has been contributed to the fascinating science of the gut-brain axis,” said Stephan Theis, PhD, head of Nutrition Science at Beneo, in a press release. Beneo supplied the test products used in this study. “The results add to the growing body of evidence showing that the composition of gut microbiota and resulting metabolites impact mood state,” Theis continued. “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.”

Reference

1. Jackson, P.P.J.; Wijeyesekera, A.; Williams, C.M.; Theis, S.; Harsselaar, J.V.; Rastall, R.A. Inulin-type fructans and 2’fucosyllactose alter both microbial composition and appear to alleviate stress-induced mood state in a working population compared to placebo (maltodextrin): the EFFICAD Trial, a randomized, controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Article ASAP. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.08.016