Cerebiome increased BDNF serum levels in recent study, potentially supporting mental health

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A recent post-hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial found that a probiotic formulation called Cerebiome increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum levels in subjects. Cerebiome from Lallemand (Mirabel, Canada) is a proprietary combination of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longumR0175 and is designed to support cognitive health and mood.

In the double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 110 patients with low-to-moderate depression received either the probiotic combination, prebiotic, or placebo for eight weeks. Seventy-eight subjects were included in the post-hoc analysis. Post-intervention, researchers found that BDNF levels were significantly higher in subjects taking the probiotic formulation, compared to both prebiotic and placebo, inversely correlating with depression.

“This is a great example where the clinical trial observations matched the observations from the preclinical studies,” explains Lucie Lingrand, specialist of the brain-gut axis at Lallemand Health Solutions, in a press release. “The increase of BDNF identified in animal model by Ait Belgnaoui in 2014, appeared to translate to humans. It may be one of the mechanisms of action by which Cerebiome reduces depression in humans, in addition to all the demonstrated modes of action to date.”

Reference

1. Heidarzadeh-Rad N et al. “Effects of a psychobiotic supplement on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in depressive patients: A post hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial.” Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, vol. 26, no. 4 (2020): 486-495