In a study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers from the University of Surrey in Guildford, England looked at a group of about 50 young women between the ages of 18 and 25 over a period of four weeks, half of whom were given daily GOS supplements. Those who had the supplements got 4.1 percent less of their energy from sugar and 4.3 percent less from carbohydrates.
By boosting the amount of Bifidobacterium in the participants’ guts, researchers surmised, the supplement may help reduce the anxiety that can lead to so-called “comfort eating” of high-sugar foods.
As a result, rather than focusing on the eating habits themselves, researchers argued, these supplements address the root cause of excessive sugar consumption.
The supplements for this study were supplied by Netherlands-based dairy company FrieslandCampina, which has provided funding to two of the study’s authors and employed a third.
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