Frontiers | Bifidobacterium Supplementation Maintains Gut Microbiota Stability and Enhances Well-Being During Short-Term Travel

Provisionally accepted1Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai, China2Laboratory of Microbiology, Immunology, and Metabolism, DiPROBIO (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China, Shanghai, China3Tsinghua University Vanke School of Public Health, Beijing, ChinaBackground: International travel exposes individuals to abrupt environmental, dietary, and circadian changes that can disturb gut microbiota and overall well-being. While probiotics are known to support gastrointestinal and systemic health, their effects during short-term travel remain incompletely characterized in randomized trials. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated whether a multi-strain Bifidobacterium probiotic could maintain gut microbiota stability and support health during a five-day trip from China to Japan. Forty healthy adults were randomly assigned to receive either probiotic (n = 22) or placebo (n = 18) daily from Day 1 to Day 4. Stool samples collected before departure (Day 0) and after return (Day 5) were analyzed by metagenomic sequencing, quantitative PCR, and fecal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) assays. Participants completed validated questionnaires on gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms, sleep quality (PSQI), anxiety (GAD-7), and well-being (WHO-5). Results: Compared with placebo, participants receiving the probiotic showed maintenance of microbial diversity (Chao1 and Fisher indices, both p = 0.044), prevented enrichment of potentially harmful taxa (Bilophila, Flavonifractor), and increased Bifidobacterium abundance. Clinically, the probiotic group reported fewer respiratory and systemic symptoms, including sore throat (p = 0.034) and fatigue (p = 0.043). Sleep quality also improved, with longer sleep duration (p = 0.023), fewer total occurrence days of PSQI > 5 (p = 0.009), lower anxiety scores (p = 0.001) and higher WHO-5 well-being scores (p = 0.041). Functional profiling showed up-regulation of vitamin biosynthesis pathways (folate, biotin, retinol) and decreased antibiotic resistance gene prevalence. Conclusion: Short-term probiotic administration demonstrated gut microbiota resilience and improved physiological and psychological stability during travel. Probiotics may serve as an accessible strategy to support well-being under transient environmental and lifestyle stress. Trial registration: The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier number NCT07163819) Ethics approval: Tsinghua University Science and Technology Ethics Committee (Approval No. THU-01-2025-1007).Keywords: antibiotic resistantgenes, Bifidobacterium, Gut Microbiota, probiotic, short term travelReceived: 15 Oct 2025; Accepted: 21 Jan 2026. Copyright: © 2026 Wang, Yu, Shen, Li, Wang, Zhai, Jiang, Zhao, Yu, Liong, Chen and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provid Read More