The study of the human microbiome has rapidly advanced over the past decade, marking a shift in focus from probiotics – live microorganisms that support health – to prebiotics, substrates that nourish beneficial microbes, and now to postbiotics.
Postbiotics are preparations of non-viable microorganisms, microbial cell components, with or without microbial metabolites that confer measurable health benefits, representing an emerging area of microbiome research. These developments reflect an evolving understanding that microbial ecosystems in the gut are deeply interconnected with overall human health.
Research increasingly demonstrates that gut health influences a wide range of bodily systems. For instance, the composition of the gut microbiome has been linked to metabolic regulation, immune function and cardiovascular health.¹ Beyond these systemic effects, emerging evidence points to a strong connection between gut microbiota and mental wellbeing.²
Gut microbes communicate with the brain through neural, endocrine and immune pathways, influencing mood, stress responses and cognitive function. This relationship highlights the potential for microbiome-targeted interventions to support mental health, an area of growing global concern.
Probiotics and other microbiome-based strategies have shown promise in modulating these pathways, helping to maintain microbial balance and potentially supporting positive mood states. Postbiotic approaches offer practical advantages: they provide these benefits without the fragility of live bacteria, making them suitable for integration into a wide range of functional foods and beverages beyond dietary supplements.
By combining scientific evidence with stability and ease of use, these products represent a versatile and accessible approach to promoting gut-mediated wellbeing. Morinaga Milk Industry has developed its proprietary postbiotic, LAC-Living+ (L. helveticus MCC1848) to harness these mechanisms and help improve mood and mental wellness.
The gut-brain axis
The gut and brain are linked through neural, immune and endocrine pathways – collectively known as the gut-brain axis – that enable continuous, two-way communication influencing both digestion and emotion.
Microbes within the gut contribute to this dialogue through the production of metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids and tryptophan derivatives, which can modulate key neurotransmitters, including serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). These signalling molecules directly affect mood, stress responses and overall mental wellbeing.
When the gut microbiota becomes imbalanced, this communication can be disrupted. This may heighten inflammation and impair neurotransmitter synthesis, creating a feedback loop that amplifies anxiety and low mood.
Awareness of this delicate balance is growing, particularly in regard to consumers’ awareness of the potential to supplement diets with products that can improve gut health.³ Morinaga Milk Industry developed LAC-Living+ as a unique postbiotic strain to focus on this connection between the gut and brain, aiming to improve mood and emotional wellbeing.
Designed for positivity
LAC-Living+ is based on Lactobacillus helveticus MCC1848, a proprietary postbiotic strain developed by Morinaga Milk Industry. The strain is heat-killed, ensuring stability and shelf-life while preserving the microbial cell structures responsible for its biological activity. This makes it suitable for use in a variety of formulations without compromising efficacy.
Unlike interventions that primarily alleviate negative emotional states, LAC-Living+ has been shown to enhance positive dimensions of mood – including friendliness, relaxation and vitality – offering a distinct approach to promoting emotional wellbeing through the microbiome.
The effects LAC-Living+ have been investigated in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.⁴⁻⁵ These studies primarily focused on the impact of the postbiotic on mood states in healthy adults, evaluating whether daily intake could influence positive and negative aspects of emotional wellbeing.
In the primary study, participants consumed a daily dose of LAC-Living+ for four weeks. Mood assessments were performed using validated tools, including the Profile of Mood States 2 (POMS 2), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and visual analogue scales.
The findings consistently demonstrated enhancements in positive mood states, particularly in dimensions such as friendliness, relaxation and vitality. Notably, the intervention did not significantly affect negative mood states like anger, tension or fatigue, suggesting that the postbiotic specifically supports the promotion of positive emotional experiences rather than merely reducing negative emotions.
Safety and tolerability were also evaluated, with no adverse events reported during the trial, highlighting the stability and practical benefits of postbiotics. Because the strain is heat-treated, it retains its functional components without the fragility associated with live probiotics, making it suitable for incorporation into foods, beverages and dietary supplements.
By enhancing positive mood elements, LAC-Living+ offers a complementary approach to emotional wellbeing that aligns with emerging research on the gut-brain axis. The clinical evidence underscores that even without live bacteria, postbiotics like LAC-Living+ can influence the microbiome-brain communication pathways in ways that support daily emotional health, providing a science-backed option for individuals seeking to foster positive mood states in a practical, stable format.
The benefits of a versatile ingredient
As LAC-Living+ is non-viable, it does not require refrigeration or special handling, making it easy to incorporate into a wide range of formats such as powders, beverages, gummies and nutrition bars without compromising its functional properties.
This stability ensures that manufacturers can design products for global distribution with minimal logistical challenges while maintaining consistent efficacy. Incorporating the postbiotic is also easy due to there being no change in taste, colour and texture of the finished product.
In addition, LAC-Living+ is compatible with a broad concept range of functional health categories, including mood support, relaxation and stress management. Its versatility makes it a versatile ingredient for developers seeking to create products that promote emotional wellbeing in accessible and convenient formats.
By combining stability and broad applicability, postbiotics, such as LAC-Living+, provide practical advantages that support scalable, science-backed product development in the functional foods and dietary supplements market.
Morinaga Milk Industry has leveraged decades of expertise in probiotics and microbiome science to develop LAC-Living+. Clinical studies demonstrate its ability to enhance friendliness, relaxation and vitality, illustrating how the company translates rigorous research into practical, functional solutions.
LAC-Living+ exemplifies Morinaga’s commitment to advancing gut-mediated mental wellbeing through science-backed, versatile products, offering both manufacturers and consumers an accessible approach to emotional wellness.
References
- Witkowski, M.; et al. Gut Microbiota and Cardiovascular Disease. Circ. Res. 2020 Jul 31;127(4):553–570.
- Butler, M. I.; et al. The Gut Microbiome and Mental Health: What Should We Tell Our Patients? Can. J. Psychiatry. 2019 Nov;64(11):747–760.
- Lim, L. W. Z.; et al. Public Knowledge, Awareness and Perception of Gut Microbiome and Faecal Microbiota Transplantation in Singapore: A Survey Study. Singapore Med J. 2025 Jun 6;66(8):439–448.
- Mutoh, N.; et al. Heat-Killed Lactobacillus helveticus Improves Mood States: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Benef. Microbes. 2023;14(2):109–117.
- Mutoh, N.; et al. Heat-Killed L. helveticus Enhances Positive Mood States: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Brain Sci. 2023 Jun 20;13(6):973.
