©
Shutterstock
A new research partnership between the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford and ADM will explore emotional and cognitive effects of probiotics in perimenopausal women.
The research seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the links between the gut microbiome and the emotional and cognitive changes occurring during this period.
The research will add to a growing body of evidence on the effects of probiotics on mood and cognition and their ability to positively affect menopausal symptoms.
The eight-week trial, which has enrolled its first volunteer, will focus on the emotional and cognitive effects of a probiotic supplement containing 14 live bacterial strains in 106 perimenopausal women, building on existing evidence for this combination of probiotics on mood and cognitive and emotional processing.
The study is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with volunteers randomised to receive either the probiotic or placebo. The emotional processing, cognitive function, subjective mood ratings and faecal microbiome of individuals taking part in the trial will be measured before and after taking the investigational products (the commercially available probiotic or the placebo).
The transition to menopause also referred to as the ‘perimenopause’ can be a gradual process, usually beginning with changes in the menstrual cycle. The perimenopause period can last for several years and impact a woman’s physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Studies have shown that women are two to five times more likely to experience depression during menopause compared with the time period before perimenopause. Worsened cognitive function, particularly memory performance, is also common during this time.
Professor Phil Burnet from the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry said:
We and others have provided compelling evidence for the psychotropic effects of probiotics in humans, and recent studies have demonstrated that probiotics can ameliorate some symptoms of menopause in female volunteers. This new study aims to build on that growing body of evidence.”
Richard Day, Vice President of Medical Affairs Research and Development Health & Wellness at ADM said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the University of Oxford again, and to have initiated this study, which aims to fill a gap in knowledge about the role of the microbiome in menopause. Better understanding this link could help lead to new interventions to alleviate what can be debilitating symptoms for perimenopausal and menopausal women.”
This trial follows an earlier 2022 study, which showed ADM’s 14-strain probiotic reduced low mood scores by around 50% in four weeks.
The recruitment phase of the new study in women who are in perimenopause is planned to run until summer 2027, with headline results expected in spring 2028.