Probiotics May Help Reduce Your Stress

Probiotics May Help Reduce Your Stress

Probiotics May Help Reduce Your Stress

According to a recent study, researchers found that those who supplemented with probiotics showed reduction in anxiety levels. People were randomly assigned either a probiotic supplement or a placebo and then tested on several stress scales. Long-story-short: the people who had supplement with the probiotic had much lower scores on psychological distress than their non-supplementing counterparts.

One reason for this possible effect of probiotics is the potent gut-brain connection. Specifically, the gut and the brain are connected and communicate via the Central Nervous System (CNS). If you have inflammation in your body, it interferes with the neural transmission, possibly making you more stressed-out and more anxious. Probiotics have been shown to decrease systemic inflammation. Inflammation in your body affects your stress and anxiety levels because it can clog your neural pathways and can change the levels or functions of those mood-altering chemicals in your brain aka neurotransmitters.

For the human study, volunteers were randomly assigned to receive the probiotic supplements (1.5 gram of Probio'Stick) or placebo (xylitol, maltodextrin, plum flavour, malic acid) for 30 days, and then tested using a battery of stress and anxiety scales.

Results showed that levels of psychological distress, including measures of depression, anger-hostility, anxiety, and problem solving, were significantly improved in the probiotic group, compared with placebo.

"Other probiotics provide favourable results on behaviour. L. helveticus was demonstrated to favour sleep in elderly subjects. The Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain improved mood scores in normal subjects and decreased anxiety in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome," wrote the researchers.

"The beneficial effects of probiotics on anxiety and depression may be explained by competitive exclusion of deleterious gut pathogens, decreases in pro-inflammatory cytokines and communication with the central nervous system via vagal sensory fibres, leading to changes in neurotransmitter levels or function," they added.

"Though these data are preliminary, preclinical and clinical investigations should be extended to examine specific gut microbes and physiological markers associated with psychological distress," concluded the researchers.

Thus, if you take probiotics and have a good-gut-barrier, you may experience reduced anxiety and stress.

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