Gut health hack: prebiotic may ease daily stress
NCT ID NCT06991023
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a prebiotic supplement called Bimuno® can lower stress and improve mood in healthy adults aged 25-40 who feel mild to moderate stress. Participants take the supplement or a placebo daily for 6 weeks, then complete questionnaires and saliva tests to measure stress levels and cortisol. The goal is to see if feeding gut bacteria with prebiotics can help the body handle stress better.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Prebiotic supplement (Bimuno®)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, natural way to help manage everyday stress without medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 55 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The supplement is already available, so any benefit is likely modest.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 55 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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25 to 40 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 25-40 * Meeting at least mildly stressed as per the stress subscale on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-42) (score of 15 or more) Exclusion Criteria: * Antibiotics within 3 months of enrolment * Habitual consumption of pre-, pro-, or synbiotics within 3 months of enrolment * Diagnosis of a mental health disorder within 6 months of enrolment * Use of antidepressant medication within 6 months of enrolment * Smoking (defined as having smoked anytime within a month of enrolment * Following a vegan diet, or dairy or lactose intolerance * Shift workers with unsocial hours * Current or historic gastrointestinal disorder, including IBS and IBD * Current or historic diagnosis of type 1 or 2 diabetes, or any other metabolic disorder * Current or historic diagnosis of any cardiovascular or related disease/illness * Current or historic diagnosis of chronic fatigue or cancer * Current or historic use of weight-loss drugs * Current of historic diagnosis of any disorder affecting cortisol levels, including Cushing's
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Nutrition, Cognition & Health Lab, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading
Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6ES, United Kingdom