Soothe Anxiety with Probiotics

[*GG*]

You already know that chocolate can do wonders for a dark mood -- but... yogurt? If you buy the kind that contains active probiotics, it may indeed brighten your spirits. A new study from Canada demonstrated that probiotics can help modulate anxiety.

The study involved 35 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) who experienced a host of gastrointestinal problems, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation. Participants were divided randomly into two groups, one taking a probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LaS), and the other taking a placebo that was identical in taste and appearance but had no probiotics.

Results: After two months, the probiotic group had a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms, while the placebo group did not. The probiotic group also showed a significant increase in Bifidobacteria, which are beneficial for gastrointestinal health, compared with the placebo group.

Intestinal Flora and Your Brain

A. Venketeshwer Rao, MSc, PhD, the study author and professor emeritus of nutritional science at University of Toronto, says that there has been skepticism in the medical world about the role intestinal flora plays in the system of gut-brain communication (the enteric nervous system, often called "the second brain"). He said that this study provides evidence that through their metabolism in the gut, probiotic bacteria can boost levels of the mood-elevating chemicals tryptophan (an amino acid) and serotonin (a neurotransmitter). He added that the regions of the brain affected by CFS also house anxiety and depression. "These parts of the brain seem to respond to changes in the microflora, and most of our behavior patterns are controlled by these areas," he says.

Dr. Rao says there still is much to learn about the role of gut flora. But many, if not most people, could improve their health by taking probiotics. The study used a probiotic drink, but Dr. Rao says that probiotic supplements may be even more effective, depending on what types and how many of the live microbes they contain. He advises looking for a product that contains Lactobacillus Shirota and Bifidobacteria, with 100 to 120 billion live probiotic bacteria.

Source(s):

A. Venketeshwer Rao, MSc, PhD, professor emeritus of nutritional science, University of Toronto.

 

[*GG*]

You already know that chocolate can do wonders for a dark mood -- but... yogurt? If you buy the kind that contains active probiotics, it may indeed brighten your spirits. A new study from Canada demonstrated that probiotics can help modulate anxiety.

The study involved 35 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) who experienced a host of gastrointestinal problems, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation. Participants were divided randomly into two groups, one taking a probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LaS), and the other taking a placebo that was identical in taste and appearance but had no probiotics.

Results: After two months, the probiotic group had a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms, while the placebo group did not. The probiotic group also showed a significant increase in Bifidobacteria, which are beneficial for gastrointestinal health, compared with the placebo group.

Intestinal Flora and Your Brain

A. Venketeshwer Rao, MSc, PhD, the study author and professor emeritus of nutritional science at University of Toronto, says that there has been skepticism in the medical world about the role intestinal flora plays in the system of gut-brain communication (the enteric nervous system, often called "the second brain"). He said that this study provides evidence that through their metabolism in the gut, probiotic bacteria can boost levels of the mood-elevating chemicals tryptophan (an amino acid) and serotonin (a neurotransmitter). He added that the regions of the brain affected by CFS also house anxiety and depression. "These parts of the brain seem to respond to changes in the microflora, and most of our behavior patterns are controlled by these areas," he says.

Dr. Rao says there still is much to learn about the role of gut flora. But many, if not most people, could improve their health by taking probiotics. The study used a probiotic drink, but Dr. Rao says that probiotic supplements may be even more effective, depending on what types and how many of the live microbes they contain. He advises looking for a product that contains Lactobacillus Shirota and Bifidobacteria, with 100 to 120 billion live probiotic bacteria.

Source(s):

A. Venketeshwer Rao, MSc, PhD, professor emeritus of nutritional science, University of Toronto.

 

[_Kim_]

Hi ggingues,

I merged your 2 threads together. You can delete the 2nd one if it is identical to the first.

 

[muffin]

I too have read about the gut-brain communication (gut as second brain, hence "gut reaction" ) and believe it to be quite true. I and my family now take Culturelle (Lactobaccilius GG) (capsule form) and it knocks out imbalance issues and really does restore normal functioning in a day or two. And yes, oddly it does seem to calm things down generally - not just the GI tract.

 

[Sunday]

I think it's hard for scientists and doctors to get over old models; think it was Candice Pert who first found that you have, essentially, brain/nerve cells in the gut. That was over two decades ago, but it's still controversial.

I was especially interested to see this study as I have just started using kefir. I'll see if I get more cheerful in a couple of months!

Fascinating info about the parts of brain affected in CFS.