Stress has been defined by the WHO as the “Health Epidemic of the 21st Century”, and pandemic outbreak has further emphasized this condition. Moreover, the pursuit of happiness is having a renaissance moment, especially in these two years of great challenges, since consumers are seeking for the silver lining to make them able to deal with life’s difficulties.
In this context, ROELMI HPC has developed a science-based probiotic ingredient: SynBalance® KeepCalm composed by Limosilactobacillus reuteri PBS072 and Bifidobacterium breve BB077 designed for stress management.
The two strains have been selected, as the most performing strains, through an in-vitro screening based on the enhancement of neurotransmitters (serotonin and GABA) and the modulation of epigenetic enzyme (LSD1). Then, a proof-of-concept trial was carried out on 30 stressed students to evaluate SynBalance® KeepCalm (4B CFU/day) ability in improving stress-related parameters for 28 days. Results demonstrated a significant improvement of short-term memory, attention and problem solving flexibility with a better responsiveness with respect to the beginning. Moreover, positive results have been recorded also for sleep quality and anxiety.
Following, a double-blind crossover clinical trial was carried out to evaluate probiotics ability on mood and sleep during pandemic. A total of 33 volunteers were randomly assigned into two groups, with an inverted administration of SynBalance® KeepCalm (4B CFU/day) and placebo for 30 days each, with a 4-week intermediate wash-out. The efficacy on stress response, in terms of mood and sleep, were assessed using The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Profile of Mood State (POMS) questionnaires. Results showed that both POMS and PSQI reported a significant lower score after 30 days, while the placebo reported a higher score reflecting a worsening of mood and sleep quality.
Last, since mental health has recently become one of the biggest concern and stress can come in different shades, ROELMI HPC has invested in another model of potential mood impairment for healthy subjects. A randomized double blind clinical trial is now on-going to evaluate the effect of the probiotic complex on 200 healthy women after delivery, in terms of modulation of new-mothers’ mood-related status and to assess the quality of breastfeeding.
