Two Studies Published in Beneficial Microbes Confirm Keystone Postbiotic® Selectively Strengthens the Gut Microbiome

Human trial reveals 33 beneficial gut species significantly up; 38 potentially harmful species reduced; 68% of participants improved emotional wellness.

BOULDER, CO, UNITED STATES, July 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Verb Biotics, a B2B biotechnology company delivering clinically validated microbiome ingredients, today announced the publication of two peer-reviewed studies in Beneficial Microbes detailing the underlying mechanism of action and demonstrated clinical trial results of Keystone Postbiotic^®, its oat-based, stable postbiotic for targeted microbiome support.

In a 4-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 76 healthy adults, daily Keystone supplementation selectively enriched 33 beneficial “keystone” gut species — including Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and Anaerostipes — while reducing 38 taxa linked to gastrointestinal distress, with associated improvements in stress, emotional wellbeing, and inflammatory biomarkers and no adverse events reported.

“These two publications land as scientific and consumer attention on the gut microbiome's influence over whole-body health continues to accelerate. The microbiome is increasingly recognized as an important regulator of metabolic, immune, and stress-related physiology, and not merely a digestive system,” stated Noah Zimmerman, Ph.D., CSO of Verb Biotics.

Keystone Postbiotic was built to address the need for a low-dose, stable, and easy-to-formulate biotic that not only supports gut health but also emotional wellness and whole-body resilience. It works alongside the microbes already present to release metabolites in the gut that act as ‘gut fertilizers,’ delivering a prebiotic/postbiotic effect that strengthens the native ecosystem from within.

“These findings validate what makes Keystone fundamentally different,” said Todd Beckman, CEO of Verb Biotics. “Instead of introducing new organisms into the gut, Keystone interacts with the microbes already there, enhancing functionally beneficial keystone species and strengthening the gut microbiome ecosystem from within. That is precision microbiome modulation, and it's incredibly exciting to see a postbiotic this targeted validated in a clinical setting.”

Key Clinical Findings:

* 33 beneficial keystone species enriched — including Akkermansia (up to 243-fold) and Bifidobacterium (9.6-fold) — with 38 taxa linked to GI distress reduced, such as Haemophilus and Prevotella
* 68% of participants reported improved emotional well-being
* A healthier relationship between starting and follow-up morning cortisol (P=0.03), with the greatest correction in participants with elevated baseline cortisol
* Significant improvement in IL-8, a key inflammatory chemokine (P=0.04), reflecting a more balanced immune profile
* Favorable shift in albumin/globulin ratio (P=0.03) and a trend toward increased serum butyrate (P=0.053)
* No adverse events reported — safe and well tolerated

The companion mechanistic study, also published in Beneficial Microbes, details how Keystone achieves these effects. Two function-specific probiotic strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, ferment oats to release bioactive metabolites at a low daily dose of just 300 mg. Preclinical models show Keystone protects intestinal barrier integrity, drives an increase in native Bifidobacterium, accelerated wound healing, and supported resistance to oxidative stress.

Together, the two publications position Keystone as a leading postbiotic with demonstrated real-world efficacy, working through three synergistic mechanisms: improved gut barrier function, immune modulation, and support of keystone bacteria.

“What excites me most is bringing Verb's science and efficacy where probiotics and prebiotics can't go, into formats that can't take gram-level doses, or the water activity and processing conditions live probiotics require," said Camille Delebecque, Ph.D., Head of Biotechnology at Verb Biotics and lead author of the clinical study. "Keystone is a new solution to precisely enrich endogenous taxa like Akkermansia and Anaerostipes that are difficult to deliver as probiotics. Through fingerprinting technology, which lets us track Keystone in finished products, we've proven it is stable and withstands processing. It's a big unlock.”

For Verb Biotics, the dual publication underscores a broader philosophy: foundational gut health is about strengthening the ecosystem that's already in the gut for improved health.

About Verb Biotics: Verb Biotics is a B2B biotechnology health company that delivers clinically validated microbiome ingredients for health and wellness brands. Through advanced biology and machine learning, Verb Biotics develops targeted biotics designed to deliver measurable outcomes in areas such as immune support, stress and sleep, and metabolic health.

Study citations: Beneficial Microbes (2026), DOI 10.1163/18762891-bja00129 & bja00125.

Celestia Howe
Verb Biotics
celestiah@verbbiotics.com
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