Probiotic Blend Eases Menopause Symptoms in Company Trial

An industry-funded randomised trial has found that a three-strain probiotics blend improved menopause symptoms and quality of life compared with placebo, according to results reported by Nutraingredients and Nutrition Insight on 11 August 2026. The trial, funded by manufacturer AB-Biotics and its partner Kaneka Probiotics, was a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 245 peri- and postmenopausal women aged 45 to 60 with mild to moderate symptoms, who took either 1 billion CFU a day of a blend of Lactobacillus brevis KABP052, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KABP051 and Pediococcus acidilactici KABP021, or a placebo, while keeping their usual diet. The probiotic group showed significantly greater improvements than placebo on the Menopause Rating Scale II and Utian Quality of Life score, including for hot flushes, sleep disturbance and depressive mood. María Rodríguez-Palmero, AB-Biotics' medical director, led the study, which found no significant difference between the groups on vaginal symptoms specifically.

An industry-funded result, reported with its limits

The trial was funded and run by the company that sells the blend, a fact neither trade report obscured but one that matters when weighing the results, since sponsor-funded supplement trials report positive findings more often than independently funded ones across the wider nutrition research literature. The article did not report a dropout rate, an effect size in absolute terms, or a comparator against other supplement categories, and the researchers themselves said the study did not measure oestrogen levels, gut microbiota composition or the biological pathway behind the changes reported, so how the effect happens remains unconfirmed. An earlier, separate trial from the same research group, published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, reported that a related formulation helped sustain serum oestrogen concentrations in peri- and postmenopausal women, which the company points to as a possible mechanism for the newer result.

What this means for your supplement routine

An industry-funded trial with a positive result for the sponsor's own product is not unusual in this field and is not, on its own, a reason to dismiss the finding, but it is a reason to read the size of the effect and the study's limitations rather than the headline. Menopause symptom relief is a crowded category with many branded, proprietary blends priced well above generic single-strain probiotics, and a named strain combination is not automatically worth a premium over an established one without a comparable trial behind it. Anyone weighing up whether a proprietary blend fits their own routine can check how membership pricing compares across already-stocked brands before paying more for a specific named combination.

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Perqen membership costs £4.99 a month or £29.99 a year and applies member pricing across the site's 1,393-product catalogue, whichever category a household is comparing.

This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.

Sources

• AB-Biotics' probiotic blend may improve multiple menopause symptoms
• AB-Biotics & Kaneka's probiotic blend modulates estrogen across menopause stages

Originally reported by Nutraingredients. This article has been reviewed by Dr Tosin.