Asafoetida for indigestion, gut bacteria and sleep in 62 people
What it found
In a 14-day trial in people with indigestion symptoms, asafoetida oleo-gum resin reduced bloating, early fullness and heartburn, and changed gut bacteria, attention and sleep scores.
The authors say it may work through the gut-brain axis.
What they found
Studies in people
Indigestion symptoms
Early satiety, bloating and heartburn improved more with asafoetida than placebo over the 14 days. By day 14, more than 70% of the asafoetida group reported a significant reduction in dyspepsia symptoms compared with their starting scores.
Gut bacteria
Asafoetida lowered the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes by 71.9% and increased bacterial diversity. It also increased Bacteroides and Prevotella and reduced Escherichia and Clostridia.
Stool and constipation
In the asafoetida group, type 1 stools fell from 65% to 18% and type 2 from 35% to 7% by day 14, while types 3 and 4 increased. The placebo group showed a positive trend but the changes were not significant.
Attention and focus
Reaction time in a computer test fell by 44% from the start of the study in the asafoetida group, and by 45% compared with placebo on day 14. No improvement was seen with placebo.
Sleep quality
Sleep scores on the Bergen Insomnia Scale improved by 10.89 points in the asafoetida group by day 14. The placebo group showed no significant change.
Safety checks
Liver, kidney and blood safety measures showed no safety issues. Seven volunteers reported the taste or smell of asafoetida in the mouth, mostly in the first days.
What the authors conclude
“ASF demonstrated significant modulation of the microbiome-gut-brain axis, resulting in reduced dyspepsia symptom severity, enhanced cognitive performance, improved sleep quality, and better digestive outcomes.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say asafoetida significantly modulated the microbiome-gut-brain axis, reducing dyspepsia symptom severity and improving cognitive performance, sleep quality and digestive outcomes.
- They write that these findings support the potential of asafoetida as a safe and effective dietary supplement for gut and cognitive health in people with functional dyspepsia.
- They call for future studies on H pylori infection, comparisons with standard drugs, longer periods and different doses.
How it was done
The authors say current treatments for functional dyspepsia offer limited benefit and often have unwanted side effects, and that asafoetida has long been used for digestive complaints.
They gave 62 adults with mild to moderate functional dyspepsia symptoms either 250 mg a day of a food-grade asafoetida oleo-gum resin formulation or a placebo for 14 days, in a randomised, double-blind trial. Symptoms, stool type, gut bacteria, reaction time and sleep were measured.
What it can’t tell you
- The trial lasted only 14 days and used a single fixed dose, so it cannot show long-term effects or how different doses compare.
- The authors note that self-reported symptom questionnaires often show a strong placebo effect, which can make the true size of the benefit hard to pin down.
- The study did not measure short-chain fatty acids or neurotransmitters, so it cannot confirm exactly how asafoetida might act on the gut-brain axis.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Akay Natural Ingredients Pvt Ltd (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The formulations employed in this study, namely Asafin is an exclusive formulation developed by Akay Natural Ingredients, Cochin, India. JNM, SDS, and KIM are associated with Akay Natural Ingredients, Cochin, India. Furthermore, VRM is a member of BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences in Bangalore, India. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
- Authors work at
- R&D Centre, India; BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences, India; Cochin University of Science and Technology, India
The paper
- Title
- Ferula asafoetida oleo-gum resin alleviates dyspepsia symptoms through modulation of microbiome-gut-brain axis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Das S S, Rm V, Aneesa PA, et al (2025). Ferula asafoetida oleo-gum resin alleviates dyspepsia symptoms through modulation of microbiome-gut-brain axis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000044590Free full textPubMed 41054174DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error