How do prebiotics help manage stress and sleep?

After determining that prebiotic fibers do, in fact, "promote stress robustness and good sleep," senior author Monika Fleshner, Ph.D., said they wanted to pinpoint the exact signal that triggered these positive effects. 

To do this, they studied stool samples of both rat groups and measured their metabolites (aka the molecules produced after food is digested). 

Diets full of prebiotic fiber maintained more fatty acids, sugars, and steroids, which through the gut-brain connection, can promote healthier neural activity and functioning. Not only were they abundant in healthy metabolites, but they also lacked two sleep-disrupting molecules that were present in the non-prebiotic group.

How can I make sure I'm getting enough prebiotic fiber?

Certain foods, like leeks, cabbage, onions, and lentils are rich in prebiotic fibers. Since the rats in this study were fed extremely high doses of the nutrient, it's unclear whether diet alone can promote sleep. 

"You'd probably have to eat a whole lot of lentils and cabbage to see any effect," Thompson said, so how much is enough?

C.U. Boulder is currently performing human studies, which when complete, might be able to answer that question. 

"Armed with this information, we might be able to develop a targeted therapeutic that boosts the molecules that buffer against stress and tamps down the ones that seem to disrupt sleep," Fleshner said. "It's exciting to think about."

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