ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1607918
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Interaction Between Food Ingredients and Gut Microbiome on Health and DiseaseView all 27 articles
Effectiveness of personalized granola tailored to the gut microbiota for improving gut environment and mood states
Provisionally accepted
- 1Calbee, Inc., Utsunomiya, Japan
- 2Metagen, Inc, Tsuruoka, Japan
- 3Keio University, Minato, Tōkyō, Japan
- 4Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
- 5University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- 6School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan
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The gut microbiota plays a critical role in host metabolism, immunity, and mental health. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), produced through the gut microbial fermentation of dietary fibers, are essential metabolites influencing host physiology. Previous studies have suggested that dietary interventions impact SCFA production, but individual responses vary owing to gut microbiota composition. This study sought to investigate whether personalized granola, formulated based on an individual’s gut microbiota, enhances SCFA production and improves metabolic and mental health outcomes. A single-arm, single-blind, before-and-after study was conducted on 99 participants. Personalized granola (BodyGranola®, Calbee, Inc.) was tailored to the gut microbiota composition of each individual by incorporating three prebiotic ingredients selected from six options. Participants consumed 50 g of granola daily for eight weeks. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, Week 4, and Week 8 for gut microbiota and intestinal metabolite analysis via 16S rRNA gene sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Mood and defecation were assessed using the Profile of Mood States Second Edition (POMS2), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and defecation questionnaires. Personalized granola consumption tended to increase SCFAs, including acetic acid and caproic acid. The relative abundance of Bifidobacterium also increased. POMS2 assessments indicated improvements in vitality and total mood disturbance scores. Stool volume increased, but bloating and gas accumulation worsened. Microbiota-type-specific variations in metabolite production were observed. Personalized granola enhances SCFA production and improves mood, suggesting that dietary interventions tailored to gut microbiota composition may optimize health outcomes. Future studies should explore gut microbiota-based precision nutrition in larger, controlled trials.
Keywords: Precision nutrition, short-chain fatty acids, Gut Microbiota, Prebiotics, granola
Received: 08 Apr 2025; Accepted: 08 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sasaki, Masutomi, Yamauchi, Ishihara and Fukuda. 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, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shinji Fukuda, Metagen, Inc, Tsuruoka, 997-0052, Japan
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