{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T15:26:34Z","timestamp":1791905194057,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789603200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Nutr."],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n Overweight is linked to gut microbiota dysbiosis and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms that impair quality of life.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n This 84-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the gut-health effects of heat-killed\n Lactiplantibacillus plantarum<\/jats:italic>\n (beLP1\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n ) in otherwise healthy adults (aged 18\u201345 years) within the BMI range of 25\u201335 kg\/m\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n and a \u22653-month history of mild-to-moderate GI discomfort, confirmed by Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS). In this trail 140 adults were allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive either daily beLP1\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n (&gt;30 billion cells) (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n = 70) or placebo (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n = 70). A total of 103 participants completed the study without protocol deviations and were included in the primary per-protocol (PP) analysis (beLP1\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n :\n n<\/jats:italic>\n = 49; Placebo:\n n<\/jats:italic>\n = 54). This predefined analysis directly compares the beLP1\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n and placebo arms using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), supplemented by two independent-sample Student\u2019s\n t<\/jats:italic>\n -tests. The primary endpoint was change in gastrointestinal symptoms via the GSRS, secondary endpoints included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Digestion-associated Quality of Life Questionnaire (DQLQ), Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-\u03b1), lipid parameters, Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), and gut microbiome diversity by metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Compared to placebo, beLP1\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n significantly reduced total Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) scores at Day 42 (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.0215) and Day 84 (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.0394), with prominent improvements in abdominal pain (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.0205) and dyspeptic syndrome (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.0303) domains. Significant reductions in perceived stress (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.0004) and improvements in digestion-associated quality of life (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.0008) were concurrently achieved. Metagenomic analysis revealed a favorable modulation of the gut microbiota, characterized by an enrichment of several short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria and a significant reduction in multiple opportunistic pathogens. No significant changes occurred in serum TNF-\u03b1, lipid profiles, or DEXA body composition metrics.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n \n Overall, beLP1\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n safely and progressively alleviates GI symptoms, reduces stress, and optimizes microbiome composition in adults with excess weight.\n ClinicalTrials.gov:<\/jats:ext-link>\n NCT05820737.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Clinical trial registration<\/jats:title>\n \n https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\/study\/NCT05820737?cond=NCT05820<\/jats:ext-link>\n , identifier NCT05820737.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2026.1919277","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T04:46:48Z","timestamp":1789620408000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Gut health and microbiome modulation by the heat-killed postbiotic beLP1\u00ae in adults with excess weight: a 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