Kaneka Probiotics and AB-BIOTICS’ proprietary blend may slow down estrogen decline

Results of a new randomized, double-blind clinical study^[1], which set out to test the potential of probiotics to modulate estrogen levels in healthy peri- and post-menopausal women, have shown that Kaneka Probiotics and AB-BIOTICS’ proprietary blend may slow down estrogen decline. Made up of strains Levilactobacillus brevis KABP™ 052​, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABP™ 051​ and Pediococcus acidilactici KABP™ 021, the blend is commercially known as Gyntima Menopause^®, and has been shown to increase deconjugation, and therefore impact modulation, of estrogen levels in the gut. This is often known as the estrabolone, a collection of bacteria in the gut that metabolize and modulate the body’s estrogen.

Exploring alternatives to menopause therapies

The menopausal transition lasts several years, and the decline in estrogen that comes with it often negatively affects the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of women.  Around 85% of menopausal-age women report to have experienced menopause symptoms,^[2] from vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes, to joint and muscle pain. There are still limited effective ways to mitigate these – 73% of women are not currently treating their symptoms.^[3] Current options to effectively ease symptoms are limited to drug-based treatments, and there is increasing demand from women of menopausal age for alternative, natural therapies. We see this reflected through 47% of peri-menopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal women being interested in finding out more about how probiotics can address their symptoms.^[4] These factors all led to the research and development that brought about Gyntima^® Menopause, the first probiotic for menopause that has been seen to contribute to hormone balance through modulation of the estrabolome.

Probiotics for estrogen modulation

Menopause is associated with a loss of β-glucuronidase (GUS), a microbial enzyme found in the gut, responsible for deconjugating estrogen and allowing it to be re-absorbed into the bloodstream. With low levels of GUS, estrogen levels in the body deplete. As estrogen is essential for the functioning of several bodily functions in women, its depletion leads to a range of symptoms that are linked to menopause.^{[5] [6][7]}

This prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study on 100 individuals follows the discovery of a new mechanism of action of GUS enzymes, which boost the natural process of recycling estrogen in the body. The study examined the probiotic blend, made up of strains Levilactobacillus brevis KABP™ 052, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABP™ 051 and Pediococcus acidilactici KABP™ 021, to assess whether probiotic strains exhibiting a high GUS activity could modulate the estrabolome, in order to allow more estrogen into the bloodstream.

Exploring the science

The study, conducted on healthy peri- and post-menopausal women between 45 and 55, began with the in vitro screening of over 80 strains for GUS activity, and eventually moved forward with Levilactobacillus brevis KABP™ 052, the strain showing the highest capacity for deconjugating estrogen. This was then combined with two additional probiotic strains, selected due to evidence of inhibiting opportunistic pathogens that could improve gut homeostasis^{[8] [9],} to create the probiotic blend known as Gyntima^® Menopause. The blend is comprised of these three strains at a ratio of 2:1:1 colony forming units. The results showed that after 12 weeks supplementation of one capsule a day, estrogen levels (measured through estrone and estradiol) were significantly sustained in the Gyntima^® Menopause group compared to the placebo group (when adjusted for age and baseline levels). Further, estrogen levels in the placebo group significantly decreased during the study, while the Gyntima^® Menopause group did not. 

‘Menopause is an in-demand and under-researched therapeutic area of women’s health, and with women proactively searching for natural, alternative solutions to menopause symptoms, there’s a world of commercial opportunities to explore in the probiotics space. That’s why we are excited to share Gyntima^® Menopause — the first commercial probiotic to deliver the benefits of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) mechanism of action — and the study behind it, as a development within this market’, comments Jordi Riera, Chief Business Development Manager at Kaneka Probiotics. ‘This probiotic blend expands a range of extremely successful products in our portfolio, and we’re looking forward to continuing our research to further understand the mechanism of action behind the blend, as well as exploring the benefits that this can bring to women worldwide.’

To find out more about Gyntima^® Menopause, visit https://kanekaprobiotics.com/products/womens-health/