Probiotics found to reduce symptoms of depression
03/26/2020 / By Noah Harper / Comments
Probiotics found to reduce symptoms of depression

A study conducted by a team of researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark has shown that taking probiotics is capable of improving not just your intestinal health but also your mental health. This study, which examined the effects of lactic acid bacteria, found that certain strains of beneficial gut bacteria are capable of reducing depressive tendencies.

This study, published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity comes as more research surfaces concerning the positive relationship between probiotic bacteria and the brain.

The Aarhus research was conducted on lab rats. In the study, they divided their rats into four groups and gave them different diets. Two groups were given a fiberless and fatty diet, with one of those groups also being given water and probiotics. The two other groups were control groups that were given a high fiber and low fat diet, with another one of the two groups being fed water and probiotics.

The researchers found that the two groups of rats that were given probiotics experienced “neutral behavior” after a swimming test, despite the unhealthy diets they were being fed. In comparison, the rats that did not consume probiotics showed signs of depression following the test. The researchers also observed a large increase in white blood cells in the brain tissues of the rats that did not consume probiotic-enhanced water, which the researchers believe may indicate the onset of chronic inflammation.

“Specifically in this study, the rats offset the consequences of the fatty diet with the help of probiotics, so that they were on a par with their peers in the control group,” said Anders Abildgaard, lead researcher and professor at Aarhus, in an interview. “This is a fascinating discovery which supports the conclusion that probiotics, which normally do good in the intestines, also affect the brain. That makes the result interesting for the treatment of depression.”

According to Abildgaard, there’s mounting evidence that links an unhealthy diet to the onset of depression and patients suffering from depression also generally have a more unhealthy lifestyle than average as they probably fall short on the necessary resources that promote a healthy one.

 

Probiotics may alleviate depression minus the unwanted side effects

Another animal study revealed that stressful events lead to a significant loss of probiotics in the intestinal tract. Researchers observed that inadequate levels of probiotics resulted in the manifestation of depressive symptoms. However, feeding mice with food containing the probiotic strain Lactobacillus reuteri helped the animals return to almost normal.

The scientists explained that probiotics might influence the levels of kynurenine, a blood metabolite known to trigger the onset of depression. According to them, a decrease in probiotics resulted in a simultaneous increase in kynurenine levels. This in turn lead to the onset of depressive symptoms in the animals. The research team cautioned that maintaining high levels of kynurenine might otherwise diminish the beneficial effects of probiotics.

“The big hope for this kind of research is that we won’t need to bother with complex drugs and side-effects when we can just play with the microbiome. It would be magical just to change your diet, to change the bacteria you take, and fix your health – and your mood,” said lead researcher Alban Gaultier of the University of Virginia Department of Neuroscience in a university press release.

 

Hopefully, these studies will spur more people to do away with taking harmful antidepressants that are riddled with unwanted side effects and opt for more natural means of treating depression, such as improving the diet by consuming probiotics.

If you want to learn more about the foods that can address health conditions, check out FoodCures.news.

Sources included: 

NutraIngredients.com

News.Virginia.edu

100% Fresh Food News, Right at Your Fingertips!
Find out everything you need to know about clean and healthy eating when you sign up for our FREE email newsletter. Receive the latest news on all the top superfoods, recipes, natural remedies, diets, food tips, and more!
Your privacy is protected. Subscription confirmation required.

Related Articles
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

100% Fresh Food News, Right at Your Fingertips!
Find out everything you need to know about clean and healthy eating when you sign up for our FREE email newsletter. Receive the latest news on all the top superfoods, recipes, natural remedies, diets, food tips, and more!
Your privacy is protected. Subscription confirmation required.

Popular articles