L. plantarum HEAL9, a proprietary strain belonging to probiotic supplier Probi, was linked to significant improvements in cognitive test performances in 129 healthy but stressed individuals in a study published in Nutrients. Individuals qualified as stressed in accordance with the Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaires. The former questionnaire was also used to assess subjective feelings about stress throughout the study, along with Profile of Mood States questionnaires.
 
In order to test global cognition, the participants took the Competency Assessment battery of test, which is used extensively to test the cognitive benefits of dietary supplements, nutritional compounds, and probiotics.
 
Significant achievements were observed in improvements in the domains of learning and working memory following 12 weeks of daily treatment, which corresponded with strong tendencies for improved mood and sleep, while no improvements in self-reported mood or sleep were achieved in the placebo group.
 
There were significant improvements in inflammatory markers achieved in the treatment group, which corresponded with cognition improvements and improved sleep.
 
“Several different endpoints were included in the study, and the results showed that intake of LPHEAL9 for 12 weeks had a positive and significant impact on cognition. More specifically, the study showed a significant improvement in learning and working memory after the consumption of LPHEAL9 compared to placebo, potentially by ameliorating aspects of mood and improving sleep. These effects may be linked to the stabilization of inflammatory biomarkers and to a significantly lower awakening level of cortisol in the probiotic group compared to the baseline,” the authors concluded.
 
“Mental health and wellness is a field with significant growth potential. This complementary study demonstrates that our strain HEAL9 has a strong clinically proven effect in the gut-brain area and boosts our confidence ahead of the official launch of our new product at Supply Side West in Las Vegas in October.” says Anita Johansen, CEO of Probi.
 
Probi notes that probiotic supplements which support mental health and wellness are forecasted to have a significant growth of 44% over the coming decade, form $140 million to $202 million in 2033, according to market researcher Future Market Insights. This is thanks to growing interest in the gut-brain axis, a bi-directional communication between the gut microbiome and neural, endocrinal, and immune pathways.