CALM Study: Can A Prebiotic Fibre bLend Improve Stress, Mood, and Anxiety?
ID: NCT07201909
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This clinical trial will investigate whether a powdered prebiotic fibre blend can improve perceived stress levels in healthy adults with mild-severe stress levels.
Read Full Scientific Objectives & Methods
There is growing interest in how the gut microbiota interacts with the brain to influence psychological outcomes, particularly stress. Even in otherwise healthy individuals, persistent psychological stress is associated with measurable physiological changes-including elevated cortisol levels, heightened hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity, and systemic low-grade inflammation. These biological signatures are increasingly understood to be shaped, in part, by the composition and activity of the gut microbiota. In this study, we're investigating how a powdered prebiotic fibre supplement can improve stress levels. You may have heard people refer to this as the 'gut-brain axis'. We'll also be looking at the link between the prebiotic fibre supplement intake and changes in other areas of health, like depression, mood, anxiety, cognition, inflammation, and the gut microbiome.
A blend of prebiotic fibres in a powdered supplement form.
Maltodextrin powder
Treatment Arms Description
Prebiotic fibre blend, consisting of 10g of a powdered supplement, to be taken daily alongside usual diet for 12 weeks.
Placebo will be 10g of maltodextrin powder, to be taken daily alongside usual diet for 12 weeks.
- Aged 18-50 years of age
- Capacity to give informed consent to participate in the study
- Able to comply with study requirements and visits
- Meet the range required for mild-severe stress levels (as assessed by DASS-42 stress subscale)
- Normal or corrected to normal vision and/or hearing
- Current smoker
- Having food allergies and/or intolerances
- Diagnosis of Type 1 or 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease or psychiatric or neurological conditions (e.g. schizophrenia, dementia) including eating disorders
- Current or previous diagnosis of depression in past 6 months
- Receiving medications that lower cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, or improve insulin sensitivity
- Receiving antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications or treatments
- Receiving hormonal birth control
- Perimenopause or menopause
- Pregnancy, lactation, or an intent to become pregnant during the course of the study
- Continuous antibiotic use for \> 3 days within 1 month prior to enrolment
- Continuous use of weight-loss drug for \> 1 month before screening
- Major change in dietary intake in past month (e.g. excluding whole food groups)
- Currently consuming daily prebiotic or probiotic supplements
- Prior use (\< 6 months) of any blood glucose or cholesterol lowering medication
- Any significant GI condition affecting GI absorption including (but not limited to) inflammatory bowel disease, weight loss surgery, irritable bowel disease.
- End stage renal disease
- Active cancer, or treatment for any cancer, in last 3 years
- Consuming more than 20g of fibre a day as assessed by the 18-item FiberScreen
Primary Outcome Measures
- Perceived Stress — Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
The primary objective is to determine the effect of 12-week long daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on stress scores (Perceived Stress Scale) on a scale between 0 - 40 (where higher scores indicate higher stress).
View Secondary Outcome Measures (11)
- Perceived Stress — Time Frame: Baseline and 8 weeks
To determine the effect of 12-week long daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on stress scores (Perceived Stress Scale) on a scale between 0 - 40 (where higher scores indicate higher stress).
- Depression — Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks
To determine the effect of 12-week daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on depression scores (DASS-42), on a scale between 0 - 21 (where higher scores mean higher depression).
- Mood — Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
To determine the effect of 12-week daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on mood scores (PANAS-X), on a scale between 10 - 50 (where higher scores on the Positive Affect scale indicate higher levels of positive engagement with your environment; while higher scores on the Negative Affect scale indicate higher levels of negative engagement).
- Anxiety — Time Frame: Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12
To determine the effect of 12-week daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on anxiety scores (DASS-42), on a scale between 0 - 21 (where higher scores mean higher anxiety levels).
- Serum hs-CRP — Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
To determine the effect of 12-week daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on serum high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP).
- Gastrointestinal symptoms — Time Frame: Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12
To determine the effect of 12-week daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on gastrointestinal symptoms (GSRS), on a scale of 15 - 105 where higher scores indicate more severe gastrointestinal discomfort.
- Cognition: Emotional Stroop — Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
To determine the effect of 12-week daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on emotional interference in attention and processing (reaction time and accuracy), as assessed by the Emotional Stroop where better scores are achieved by lower reaction times and higher accuracy score.
- Cognition: Affective 2-Back Task — Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
To determine the effect of 12-week daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on emotional interference in working memory under emotional load, as assessed by the Affective 2-Back Task, where better scores are achieved by lower reaction times and higher accuracy score.
- Cognition: Emotional Go-No-Go — Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
To determine the effect of 12-week daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on emotion-related inhibitory control and response suppression, as assessed by the Emotional Go-No-Go, where better scores are achieved by higher correct response rates and lower commission errors.
- Cognition: Number-Letter Task — Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12
To determine the effect of 12-week daily administration of Prebiotic fibre blend as compared to Placebo on cognitive flexibility and task-switching ability, as assessed by the Number-Letter Task, where better scores are achieved by higher numbers of correctly recalled items.
This trial is recruiting at 1 study facilities worldwide. Click below to see if there is a clinic or hospital in your area:
Show All 1 Facilities & Contact Sites
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View Official Medical/Scientific Title
Can A Prebiotic Fibre bLend Improve Stress, Mood, and Anxiety? Assessing the Impact of a Daily Prebiotic Fibre Blend on Affect, Inflammation, and the Gut Microbiome: a 12-week Double-blind Placebo-controlled RCT