Stress, Psychological
Conditions
Brief summary
In modern life, many people state to experience stress. Women compared to men report more and higher levels of stress. Recent research found that supplementation of galactose-oligosaccharides (GOS) resulted in reduced anxiety levels in British female students with higher anxiety scores at baseline in self-reported trait anxiety. Moreover, supplementation of probiotics in germ-free rodents resulted in reduced levels of circulating corticosterone (cortisol in humans). These findings illustrate the potential of prebiotic supplementation, through the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, to improve mental health and wellbeing. The present study aims to study the effect of oligosaccharides on self-perceived stress.
Interventions
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTRelax+
Prebiotics, daily administered
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTMaltodextrin
Placebo, daily administered
Sponsors
FrieslandCampina
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
25 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Apparently healthy women * Moderate or high stress level; DASS42 stress sub-score ≥19 * Age between 25 and 45 years * Body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 30 kg/m2 * Access to internet and a smart phone
Exclusion criteria
* Any metabolic, gastrointestinal, inflammatory or chronic disease * History of gastro-intestinal surgery or having (serious) gastrointestinal discomfort * Use of supplement to relief stress during or within 2 weeks prior to the start of the study * Use of pre- and/or probiotics during the study (except for the study product) or within 4 weeks prior to the start of the study * Use of medication that may influence the study results, such as laxatives * Self-reported and/or clinical lactose intolerance * Self-reported and/or active cow's milk protein allergy * Pregnant or lactating (or having the wish to become pregnant during the study period, self-reported) * Having used antibiotics in the 6 months prior to the start of the study
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived stress | 28 days | The difference in absolute stress sub-score after the product intervention between the product groups (using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-42)), in which a lower score corresponds with a lower stress level |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed