ADM has announced the start of a clinical study in partnership with the University of Oxford to study the effects of a probiotic supplement in women who are in perimenopause. The research aims to understand potential links between the gut microbiome and the emotional and cognitive changes that occur during this life stage in women.

The eight-week trial, which enrolled its first volunteer, will focus on emotional and cognitive effects of a probiotic supplement containing 14 bacterial strains in 106 perimenopausal women. The formula, which is commercially available, was found in prior research to support improved measures of mood and cognitive/emotional processing.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will assess changes across a treatment period in measures of emotional processing, cognitive function, subjective mood ratings, and fecal microbiome.

Perimenopause, a gradual transition to menopause, can last for several years, impacting a woman’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Women are two to five times more likely to experience depression during menopause, compared to before menopause, ADM reports, and worsened cognitive function, particularly with memory, is also common during this time.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the University of Oxford again, and to have initiated this study, which aims to fill a gap in knowledge about the role of the microbiome in menopause,” said Richard Day, vice president of medical affairs for ADM’s health and wellness R&D unit. “Better understanding this linking could help lead to new interventions to alleviate what can be debilitating symptoms for perimenopausal and menopausal women.”

“We and others have provided compelling evidence for the psychotropic effects of probiotics in humans, and recent studies have demonstrated that probiotics can ameliorate some symptoms of menopause in female volunteers. This new study aims to build on that growing body of evidence,” said Phil Burnet, professor from the University of Oxford’s department of psychiatry.

In 2022, ADM and the University of Oxford collaborated on a clinical study assessing the effects of the same probiotic formula in healthy adults who reported having a low mood. The study found that a four-week treatment with the probiotic strain decreased self-reported low mood scores by 47%.

The recruitment phase of the study is expected to run into summer 2027, and ADM expects initial results to be reported in spring 2028.