Preliminary Evaluation of Dietary Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum on Work Motivation and Quality of Life of Office Workers: An Open-Label, Single-Arm Study

Office workers often experience gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, which can reduce labor productivity and quality of life. This study investigated the effects of continuous partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) intake on the gut microbiome, health status, and labor productivity of Japanese office workers. In this open-label, single-arm trial, 136 employees of Yoshinoya Holdings Co., Ltd. consumed 6 g of PHGG daily for two months. Outcome measures included gut microbiome composition (16S rRNA sequencing), body composition (InBody 380N), gastrointestinal symptoms (Izumo scale), sleep quality (OSA-MA), and labor productivity (WHO-HPQ). PHGG intervention was accompanied by specific genus-level alterations in the gut microbiome characterized by the enrichment of beneficial taxa including Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, and Prevotella, despite no significant overall shift in beta-diversity. Notably, exploratory subgroup analysis indicated shifts in enterotypes from profiles previously associated with disease risks toward those more prevalent in healthy populations. Physiologically, whole-body phase angle, an indirect parameter associated with cellular status and fluid distribution, slightly increased during the study period. Furthermore, favorable changes were observed in absolute presenteeism, gastrointestinal symptoms and subjective sleep quality. Although verification with a more robust study design is necessary, these findings suggest that PHGG may be associated with positive shifts in the well-being and labor productivity of office workers.