Study suggests Bimuno prebiotic reduces sleep disturbance impact
The prebiotic ingredients specialists funded the research in partnership with Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology (PCSG), which complements and validates existing clinical trial data, suggesting the sleep and gut health benefits of the Bimuno ingredient through real-world evidence.
"Real World Evidence (RWE) studies are extremely useful in understanding the effects and benefits of Bimuno GOS," said Dr Lucien Harthoorn, R&D Director at Clasado. "Clinical trials are under controlled and ideal conditions, where RWE brings insight into how a product can support users in day-to-day use. Bimuno GOS stands out as the most studied prebiotic ingredient of its kind, and this RWE study further strengthens that research."
“For health and nutrition formulators engaged in the development of gut health-supporting products, primarily targeting digestive health, this research will be of interest as it confirms Bimuno GOS as a strong science-backed choice of prebiotic ingredient,” he added.
Gut-brain axis
As the prevalence of disorders of the gut-brain increase, such as irritable bowel syndrome and sleep disturbances, the interest in dietary interventions to target this interaction has been growing. Prebiotics have been shown to have significant benefits to the gut microbiome and beyond.
The Bimuno GOS ingredient is the most widely studied commercially available GOS prebiotic, with over 110 scientific publications including 20 clinical trials supporting its health benefits for the microbiome. Specifically, human clinical trials have linked intakes with benefits including digestive health and wellbeing, immunity, metabolic health, pathogenic activities, and brain function and mood. The structure contains 3-galactosyl-lactose, known as human milk oligosaccharide (HMO), which is known to support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria Bifidobacterium.
Whilst controlled studies have been conducted in patients with IBS and sleep disturbances, the researchers noted the need for randomised, controlled trials to build on this previous research and support the validity of the findings.
Study details
The study recruited 1,170 UK-based Bimuno users through an online questionnaire developed by Clasado, as well as an external control group of 50 subjects.
Participants completed a questionnaire that assessed reasons for Bimuno use and symptoms, which found that one in three subjects suffered from IBS and one in three from sleep disturbances. The most frequently cited reasons for supplementation with B-GOS included promotion of healthy digestion, bloating or stomach discomfort, and sleep disturbances.
Among those using B-GOS for GI and sleep issues, the study reported significant improvements in quality-of-life measures. Before supplementation, nearly 100% of participants self-reported that their condition had a significant or moderate impact on quality of life.
Following intakes of B-GOS, those who had reported ‘significant’ impacts fell to 19%. Additionally, 59% of users rated the supplements’ usefulness of B-GOS in improving their condition as moderate or significant.
“Our analysis adds substantial real-world evidence (RWE) to existing clinical study data on B-GOS and suggests that further investigation is warranted to explore the benefits of prebiotics on the conditions reported,” the researchers concluded.
Commenting on the study findings, Dr Marion Sloan, chair of the PCSG, added: “There is plenty of research going on into prebiotics, which are non-digestible starchy food substances found in plant-based foods as well as in supplements. Evidence is growing that they can significantly improve modulation of the gut microbiome by increasing ‘good’ gut bacteria and our Real World Evidence study is a helpful addition to understanding the positive impact prebiotics can have. Further investigation into the benefits of taking prebiotics for certain GI problems and sleep is surely warranted.”
Source: The Digest
“Real-world experience from a survey of UK-based users of the prebiotic B-GOS”
Authors: Dr Marion Sloan et al.
