We investigated whether a blend of probiotics (KABP-021, KABP-022, and KABP-023) improved diarrhea-related problems in healthy Japanese adults who routinely lived under stressful conditions. Twenty-six females and 34 males were divided randomly into the probiotic and placebo groups in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparison study. All participants ingested 1 capsule of probiotics or placebo per day for 4 weeks. Intervention with probiotics significantly reduced diarrhea-related problems assessed by the Izumo scale compared with placebo treatment (P < 0.001). In the Short Form-8 questionnaire, probiotic intervention improved mental component scores (P = 0.002), role emotional scores (P = 0.002), and mental health scores (P < 0.001). Treatment with probiotics also reduced the effects of diarrhea on daily activities (P < 0.001) and overall working habits (P = 0.010), including missing work (absenteeism) and impaired productivity (presenteeism), as assessed by the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: General Health. Furthermore, there was a correlation between improved scores for diarrhea on the Izumo scale and increased abundance of Faecalibacterium, a butyric acid-producing bacterium, in the gut in the probiotic group (P = 0.047), whereas no such a correlation or trend was found in the placebo group. Our strategy of supplementation for 4 weeks with a specific blend of probiotics reduced diarrhea-related symptoms and may improve the mental health and daily activities of healthy individuals under stress.

Background and Purpose: Latilactobacillus sakei KABP‐065 derived from pickled vegetables of East Asia can improve skin condition in patients with atopic dermatitis through a mechanism that suppresses immune hyperactivity. Here we investigated whether KABP‐065 postbiotics can improve the facial skin condition of healthy middle‐aged women. Methods: Japanese women ( n = 60) aged ≥ 30 to < 50 years who met inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to postbiotic or placebo groups. The participants consumed capsules containing either heat‐treated KABP‐065 (1 × 10 ¹⁰ cells/day) or placebo for 8 weeks. The effect of the postbiotic on skin condition parameters was assessed on the skin of the cheeks before the intervention, and at 5 and 8 weeks after the intervention. Subjective evaluations of skin conditions and mental and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as safety evaluations, were also conducted. Results: Cheek skin moisture and transepidermal water loss improved for both groups after the intervention. The postbiotic group had significantly improved skin elasticity relative to the placebo group. A stratified analysis of participants in their 40s showed that, compared to the placebo group, the postbiotic group had a greater improvement in skin elasticity and a significantly greater improvement in cheek moisture. No exacerbation of gastrointestinal symptoms was seen with postbiotic supplementation, and the frequency of adverse events was similar between the postbiotic and placebo groups. Conclusion: KABP‐065 postbiotics could be effective for improving the skin condition of healthy women aged ≥ 30 to < 50 years, especially those in their 40s.

Previous literature has shown that combining lemon myrtle (LM) leaf extract with low-load resistance training may promote muscle hypertrophy. The current our studies aimed to verify the effects of LM intake combined with different training volumes on anterior thigh (AT) muscle thickness in older adults. Two independent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Community-based training intervention program. A total of 125 Japanese adults aged ≥65 years, with self-reported declines in muscle strength or walking ability. Study 1 (n = 47; LM group: n = 25, placebo group: n = 22) and Study 2 (n = 41; LM group: n = 22, placebo group: n = 19) were conducted independently, each with separate randomization into LM and placebo groups. Both studies involved low-load bodyweight resistance training twice weekly for 12 weeks. Study 1 compared LM + three sets of training with placebo + three sets; whereas Study 2 compared LM + one set with placebo + one set. AT muscle thickness (primary outcome) was assessed using B-mode ultrasound at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes were normal walking speed (10-m walk test, m/s), maximum walking speed (10-m walk test, m/s), and 30-second chair stand (CS-30, repetitions). In Study 1, the LM + exercise group showed a greater increase in AT muscle thickness than the placebo + exercise group (12-week difference: 1.29 mm; 95% CI: -0.17 to 2.75 mm), although the difference was not statistically significant. In Study 2, the LM + exercise group showed a significant increase in AT muscle thickness compared with the placebo + exercise group (1.59 mm; 95% CI: 0.19-2.98 mm). No significant group-by-time interaction was found for secondary outcomes in either study. LM intake may enhance muscle hypertrophy when combined with low-load resistance training in older adults with self-reported declines in muscle strength decline, particularly under low-volume training conditions. Further studies are needed to establish its clinical relevance.