The study, which was funded by French biotech company and microalgae ingredient supplier Microphyt, found that four weeks of supplementation significantly reduced gut disturbances such as constipation and indigestion by around 20%.
The intervention group also saw notable reductions in negative feelings including anger, fear and nervousness, suggesting potential mental health benefits.
This was supported by blood tests that showed that chromogranin A, a stress biomarker, was significantly reduced after four weeks of intervention.
“While more research is needed to understand these benefits, the results from this pilot study are promising and suggest that this extract could be optimized as a dietary supplement for gut and mental health,” the researchers wrote in the journal Nutrients.
The microalgae market
Microalgae are microscopic algae that live in salt or freshwater. Research has demonstrated that microalgae can have positive effects on gut health due to their high fiber, phytochemical and omega-3 content, reducing intestinal inflammation, modulating gut microbiota and improving gut barrier integrity.
This has led to a boom in the microalgae market, with one forecast projecting growth at a CAGR of 9.3% to reach $491.9 million by 2030.
Microphyt is one brand capitalizing on the benefits of this ingredient, with a range of microalgae products designed to boost cognition, exercise capacity and bone health.
Sourced from the Tetradesmus obliquus Mi175.B1.a strain (TOME), ZenGut is one of Microphyt’s most recent product launches designed to regulate gut microbiota and mood via the gut-brain axis.
Study details
To evaluate the gut and mental health effects of supplementation, researchers at Colorado State University randomized 56 healthy adults to receive either ZenGut (250 mg) or placebo (maltodextrin) for four weeks.
All participants had mild to moderate gastrointestinal distress at baseline alongside relatively low levels of stress and anxiety.
Gut health was monitored via the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) and the Bristol Stool Chart, while mood, anxiety and stress questionnaires were used to monitor mental health.
Plasma and saliva samples were collected to assess biomarkers associated with these changes as well as stool samples to extract microbial DNA and assess for alterations to microbiota composition.
The intervention arm saw improvements in GSRS global scores compared to the placebo group, with symptoms of constipation and indigestion significantly reduced. Fecal analysis also revealed an increase in microbial diversity according to Shannon’s index, although it was not significant after adjusting for False Discovery Rate.
Mental health symptoms also appeared to improve according to Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) scores. This was supported by plasma analyses which showed reduced levels of stress biomarker chromogranin A.
This suggests that ZenGut may contribute to an improvement in mental health symptoms via the gut-brain axis, according to Christel Lemaire, marketing manager at Microphyt.
“By improving gut health, ZenGut may regulate certain neurotransmitter signaling pathways through a reduction in neuroinflammation, which contributes to improved mental health and reduced stress,” she said.
Future research
Overall, the supplement was generally well tolerated among participants, with increased flatulence being the only major side effect.
The researchers say further research is now needed to capture the effects of ZenGut on microbiota composition in participants with varying types and levels of gastrointestinal complaints and mental health conditions.
“Currently, we are focusing on refining the underlying mechanisms of action of ZenGut through specific preclinical models,” Lemaire said. “A crossover study design could help address individual variability and reveal subtle changes that may have been masked in previous trials [...] A mechanistic study is already underway in collaboration with the University of East Anglia.”
Source: Nutrients. doi: 10.3390/nu17060960. “Effects of Supplementation with Microalgae Extract from Tetradesmus obliquus Strain Mi175.B1.a on Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Mental Health in Healthy Adults: A Pilot Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Arm Trial." Authors: S. Maltz, et al.
