Experiences of a probiotic food supplement: retrospective analysis of e-commerce reviews
Objective
Placebo-controlled trials in healthy people indicated Bifidobacterium longum 1714™ may improve perceived stress and anxiety(2), and change brainwave activity associated with energy/vitality(3). This retrospective analysis of e-commerce reviews explored reasons and experiences of individuals who purchased a food supplement (Zenflore®, produced for PrecisionBiotics Group Ltd, Ireland) containing Bifidobacterium longum 1714 and B vitamins (Probiotic).
Method
Text from eligible reviews of the Probiotic (n=62; September 2018-22) was exported from an online retailer. Codes assigned captured reason(s) for use, and health outcomes (categorised positive, negative, or no perceived effect). Another researcher independently assigned codes for 50% of reviews for accuracy.
Results
79% of reviews reported ≥1 positive outcome associated with the Probiotic (Table). 37% reported reason(s) for use, commonly feeling anxious (46%), difficulty sleeping (29%), feeling stressed (25%) and busy work/life (25%).
Table. Common positive health outcomes coded in reviews
| Code | n | % |
|---|---|---|
| Feeling of calm | 17 | 27 |
| Improved sleep | 14 | 23 |
| Reduced fatigue | 12 | 19 |
| Positive effect (unspecified) | 10 | 16 |
| Improved ability to manage anxious feelings | 9 | 15 |
| Improved ability to manage feelings of stress | 7 | 11 |
| Improved digestive health | 7 | 11 |
| Improved cognitive function | 5 | 8 |
| Improved mood | 5 | 8 |
| Reduced feelings of stress | 4 | 7 |
| Improved overall wellbeing | 3 | 5 |
| Increased productivity | 2 | 3 |
| Improved physical fitness | 2 | 3 |
Conclusions
Benefits associated with the Probiotic included improved sleep, mood, feelings of stress and anxiousness. These real-world data suggest the Bifidobacterium longum 1714 strain could be incorporated into first-line lifestyle approaches to support aspects of psychological health, such as everyday stress and sleep.
References
1) Vijaykumar S, McCready J, Graham PL, et al. That gut feeling: public perceptions of media coverage and science surrounding probiotic products. British Food Journal. 2021;124(11):3428-3446. (2) Allen AP, Hutch W, Borre YE et al. Bifidobacterium longum 1714 as a translational psychobiotic: modulation of stress, electrophysiology and neurocognition in healthy volunteers. Translational Psychiatry. 2016;6:e939. (3) Wang H, Braun C, Murphy EF, et al. Bifidobacterium longum 1714™ Strain Modulates Brain Activity of Healthy Volunteers During Social Stress. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2019;114(7):1152-1162. This research was funded by Novozymes Onehealth.