Probiotics for stress, depression and anxiety

Depression has been characterized as a "chemical imbalance" in the brain, but recently, it has been discovered that things are much more serious than that. The former defines depression, but does not refer to the causes of depression, and scientists argue that it could be diverse, including chronic stress and inflammation. Another recent study has also found that, intestinal problems could result in mood disorders and for that, it has been suggested that probiotics for stress, depression and anxiety, could be a good solution.

Role of the intestine in relation to the bacteria of the body

The belly contains 400 species of bacteria at the same time, and many others also live on the skin. These bacteria contain genes that outnumber those of all the cells in the body.

That is, the genomes of bacteria and human gut viruses are only thought to encode 3.3 million genes. The intestine actually protects the entry of harmful pathogens into the bloodstream, which have managed to enter the digestive tract.

Intestinal bacteria are crucial and are found even in breast milk, and babies who are bottle-fed, lack these vital bacteria and are more likely to suffer from immune problems and allergies.

Bacteria are important to potentiate the effects of enzymes such as maltase, lactase, alkaline phosphatase, sucrase, and alpha-glucosidase, and to metabolize cholesterol and triglycerides to maintain stable blood pressure.

This is the reason why, there are modern fecal medical transplants to reverse chronic problems, IBS, and inflammatory bowel disease. Intestinal bacteria stimulate the immune system, affect the brain and regulate the balance between health and disease.

Probiotics for stress, depression and anxiety

Experts from the University of Griffith in Queensland, Australia, analyzed the results of 7 studies conducted in more than 300 volunteers in order to estimate the beneficial effects of probiotics in the treatment of the perception of stress, depression and anxiety.

In his words:

"The interest in the intestinal axis and the evidence that the intestinal microbiota can influence the function of the central nervous system, has led to the hypothesis that probiotic supplementation can have a positive effect on mood and psychological symptoms as stress, depression and anxiety. "

His conclusion was that "the meta-analysis showed that, supplementation with probiotics, resulted in a statistically significant improvement in psychological symptoms compared to placebo".

Although his research revealed the potential benefits of probiotic treatments, there is, however, a need for more scientific research.

Some procedures of the National Academy of Sciences, published a research that indicated that Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a bacterium found in yogurt, gave positive effects in the case of anxiety and depression in studies, and researchers contribute to its action on gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA).

Role of prebiotics in intestinal health

Now, some are probiotics, others are prebiotics. Oxford neurobiologists, discovered that prebiotics have powerful effects against anxiety, because they change the way we process emotional information. The Oxford neurobiologist Dr. Philip Burnet, lead author of the study, for an interview, said:

"Prebiotics are dietary fibers (not bacteria - short chains of sugar molecules) that good bacteria break down, and they are used to multiply. Prebiotics are "foods" for the good bacteria that are already present in the intestine.

Taking or eating prebiotics, therefore, increases the number of all species of good bacteria in the intestine, which theoretically will have greater beneficial effects than (the introduction) of a single species. "

This study involved 45 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 45 years, who received a prebiotic or a placebo in a period of three weeks, and their mental state was analyzed through computer tests that processed emotional information.

It was found that participants who received a prebiotic group were much less sensitive to negative information and experienced less anxiety than others.

In addition, saliva tests showed that they had reduced cortisol (a stress hormone related to anxiety and depression).

Bowel-brain connection

According to Dr. Kirsten Tillisch, lead author of the study: "Over and over again we hear from patients that, they never felt depressed or anxious until they started to ex Perinate problems with your bowel. Our study shows that the bowel-brain connection is a two-way street. "

Psychology Today published the explanation of Ted Dinan, professor of psychiatry at University College Cork:

"There are three basic mechanisms underlying the amazing connection between these microorganisms and our own personalities that influence stress, depression and anxiety:

1) Bacteria that live in the intestine (or travel through it on board some yogurts) are necessary building blocks in the production of neurochemicals there, such as serotonin and dopamine.

(2) That impact on neurochemicals, in turn, has an effect on the secretion of stress hormones such as cortisol. Intestinal bacteria also play a vital role in regulating the immune system and the inflammatory response it can throw when things go wrong. Inflammation is now widely considered to be one of the underlying causes of depression. "

The health of the intestine supports the health of the mind

Our mental health, which today is affected mostly by stress, depression and anxiety, is complex. As our diet is the basis of health, healthy dietary changes could be of great help in reducing the effects of these factors.

Therefore, to heal the bowel, you should avoid sugar, alcohol and processed foods, and increase the intake of nuts, fresh foods, vegetables, legumes and some grains.

Eat probiotics, spices and anti-inflammatory foods, and stay hydrated. Also, make sure you exercise regularly, control stress, sleep well, and after using antibiotics, replenish intestinal bacteria.

The following list contains foods and beverages that are rich sources of probiotics and prebiotics; include them to reduce stress, depression and anxiety, if you have them:

Kefir

Miso

Sourdough bread

Yoghurt

Sour cream

Kombucha

Sauerkraut

Cottage cheese

kimchi

Tempeh

Natto

Lassi

Therefore, stress, depression and anxiety can be controlled, prevented and treated with a small effort. Give the best of you!