A double blinded randomized placebo trial of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 on sleep quality and gut microbiota in healthy adults

Apr 1, 2025Scientific reports

Bifidobacterium animalis BLa80's effects on sleep quality and gut bacteria in healthy adults: a double-blind placebo trial

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Abstract

After 8 weeks, supplementation with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 significantly reduced the total score in healthy individuals.

BLa80 supplementation is associated with improved sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
No significant changes in the overall diversity of gut microbiota were observed, but distinct differences in the composition were noted between the intervention and placebo groups.
BLa80 significantly decreased the abundance of the Proteobacteria phylum and increased levels of Bacteroidetes, Fusicatenbacter, and Parabacteroides compared to the placebo.
Enhancements in metabolic pathways related to purine metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and arginine biosynthesis were observed due to BLa80 intervention.
BLa80 exhibited notable production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which may play a role in its effects on sleep quality.

AI simplified

Human sleep quality is intricately linked to gut health. Emerging research indicates that Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 has the potential to ameliorate gut microbiota dysbiosis. This randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluated the impact of BLa80 supplementation on sleep quality and gut microbiota in healthy individuals. One hundred and six participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo (maltodextrin) or BLa80 (maltodextrin + BLa80 at 10 billion CFU/day) for 8 weeks. Sleep quality was evaluated using the (PSQI), a validated tool consisting of 18 items assessing seven components of sleep quality over a one-month period, and the (ISI), a secondary measure of insomnia severity. Gut microbiota changes were assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing, while the in vitro gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production capacity of BLa80 was analyzed by HPLC. After 8 weeks, the intervention group exhibited a significant reduction in the PSQI total score compared to the placebo group, suggesting improved sleep quality. While no significant changes in alpha diversity were noted, beta diversity differed markedly between groups. The gut microbiota predominantly consisted of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria, collectively accounting for over 99.9% of the gut microbiota. Statistical analysis showed that BLa80 significantly decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria phylum and increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes, Fusicatenbacter, and Parabacteroides compared to placebo. PICRUSt2 analysis indicated noteworthy enhancements in the pathways of purine metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and arginine biosynthesis due to BLa80 intervention. Moreover, BLa80 demonstrated notable GABA production, potentially contributing to its effects on sleep quality modulation. These results demonstrate the ability of BLa80 to improve sleep quality through modulating gut microbiota and GABA synthesis, highlighting its potential as a beneficial probiotic strain.

Key numbers

4.0

Decrease in Score

score for BLa80 group at week 8

106

Participants

Total participants in the study

significant

Decrease in Proteobacteria

Relative abundance of Proteobacteria decreased in BLa80 group

Full Text

We can’t show the full text here under this license. Use the link below to read it at the source.

View full text (PDF) ↗View full text (HTML) ↗

A double blinded randomized placebo trial of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 on sleep quality and gut microbiota in healthy adults

Abstract

Key numbers

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

Abstract

Key numbers

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief