Work

Effect of brewers’ yeast or beta-glucan derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on breast milk supply following preterm birth: the BLOOM randomised controlled trial

Year: 2026

Type: article

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: ABSTRACT Objective Breast milk is the optimal source of nutrition for preterm infants, however, low breast milk production is common following a preterm birth. This study aimed to determine if taking brewers’ yeast or beta-glucan improves daily expressed breast milk volume. Design Randomised, blinded, parallel, placebo-controlled trial. Setting Three Australian tertiary level neonatal units. Patients Mothers with a singleton or twin pregnancy who gave birth at less than 34 weeks’ gestation. Interventions Mothers were randomised within 72 hours of birth into three parallel groups in 1:1:1 ratio to receive either brewers’ yeast, beta-glucan or placebo capsules for seven days. Main outcome measure Total expressed breast milk volume over a 24-hour period on day seven of intervention. Results A total of 105 mothers underwent randomisation between August 2022 and April 2024 (36 brewers’ yeast, 35 beta-glucan, and 34 placebo). The adjusted mean difference in daily expressed breast milk volume was 94 mL/day (95% CI -51 to 239 mL/day) between the brewers’ yeast and placebo groups, and -25 mL/day (95% CI -173 to 123 mL/day) between the beta-glucan and placebo groups. Maternal side effects were similar across groups. Conclusion We found no clear effect of short-term administration of brewers’ yeast or beta-glucan on breast-milk production following preterm birth; both interventions were well tolerated. Given the small sample size, these findings do not rule out the possibility of a clinically meaningful benefit of brewers’ yeast and suggest further research with a larger sample size may be warranted to clarify the potential clinical impact. Trial registration number ACTRN12622000968774. Key messages What is already known on this topic Foods rich in beta-glucan, which includes brewers’ yeast derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and used in beer-making, are widely promoted based on anecdotal reports to increase breast milk production No randomised controlled trials have evaluated the efficacy or safety of brewers’ yeast or beta-glucan supplements for increasing breast milk production following preterm birth. What this study adds This randomised trial provides the first controlled data on brewers’ yeast and beta-glucan derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in comparison to placebo. Evidence supporting the efficacy of routine brewers’ yeast administration on improving breast milk production following preterm birth remains inconclusive, with a clinically meaningful impact unable to be ruled out. In contrast, the findings suggest beta-glucan alone appears to be unlikely to produce a meaningful difference in breast milk production. How this study might affect research, practice or policy Findings support the need for larger trials, with a potentially longer intervention period, to provide definitive evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of using brewers’ yeast as a galactagogue and reinforce the importance of rigorous evaluation before advocating clinical use.

Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood Fetal & Neonatal

DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2025-330214