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Key study details
Objective
To determine whether oral β-glucan supplementation reduces subjective fatigue and improves vigor and mood state in healthy populations, by synthesizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods
Databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL) were searched from inception to March 15, 2024. Eligible studies were RCTs in healthy subjects that reported validated measures of fatigue, vigor, or mood. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Effects were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis and expressed as standardized mean differences (SMDs).
Results
Sixteen RCTs (n = 1,449) met inclusion; 12 contributed data to pooled analyses. Compared with placebo, β-glucans reduced fatigue, increased vigor, and improved mood state.
Our take
Interpretation
Across RCTs in healthy individuals, β-glucan supplementation yielded small-to-moderate improvements in fatigue-related outcomes and related affective states. The authors conclude β-glucans may be effective for fatigue in healthy people, while emphasizing the current evidence base is limited and needs expansion.
Mechanisms & pathways discussed
The review did not evaluate mechanistic biomarkers; it focused on clinical questionnaires (fatigue, vigor, mood). Any immunometabolic or gut–brain mechanisms remain hypothesis-level and were not tested within this meta-analysis.
Dosages & adverse reactions
Doses, formulations, and adverse-event profiles varied by trial. No pooled dose ranges or adverse event summaries; details are in individual RCTs and not synthesized here.
Quality of study
Strengths: pre-registered systematic approach, multi-database search, Cochrane RoB assessment, and random-effects pooling.
Limitations: only 16 RCTs (12 meta-analyzed), heterogeneity and publication-bias details not provided; the population is healthy subjects, limiting generalizability to clinical cohorts with comorbid fatigue; outcome measures are self-reported; mechanistic data are not evaluated; durability and dose–response remain uncertain.
Implications
For healthy adults experiencing fatigue, β-glucans show promising symptomatic benefits, but translation to patients with illness-related fatigue or to clinical endpoints awaits larger, well-controlled RCTs with predefined dosing, safety reporting, and mechanistic endpoints.
This summary is based on peer-reviewed scientific research. We use AI tools to help condense complex studies, but all content is reviewed and approved by qualified experts before publication.
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