Against depression and stress, probiotic bacteria

Against depression and stress, probiotic bacteria

An adequate intestinal bacterial population, with the help of probiotics, can become a potent treatment for disorders linked to stress and depression.

Clarin.com

It is known that probiotic bacteria are essential for regulating gastric and intestinal processes, but what is perhaps not known is that they can also offer great potential for the treatment of depression and other disorders linked to stress.

While there is extensive literature on the effects of probiotics on the digestive and intestinal systems - such as the positive effect of counteracting the damage caused by antibiotics - more than one will be surprised to hear the term "psychobiotic", a new concept born. just to explore the possible impact of probiotics on behavior.

Psychobiotics, defined by Dr. Timothy Dinan and colleagues at University College Cork, Ireland, is "a living organism that, ingested in adequate amounts, produces a health benefit in patients affected by psychiatric illness."

The study, whose results were published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, was conducted in animal models to evaluate the effects of the probiotic B. infatis in a group of rats that exhibited symptoms of depression due to maternal separation.

The administration of this probiotic in adequate doses produced a positive effect on the behavior of the rats, which showed normalization both at the psychiatric level and at a physiological level in the immunological response.

As a commentary on the results, the scientists conclude that the study -as in the case of other previous studies- significantly supports the hypothesis that probiotics have the capacity to produce immunological and behavioral effects.