Why Should I Be Conscious of this Beneficial Bacteria Intake?

Your gut and brain have a very special relationship. When you have a healthy gut, the conversation it’s having with your brain (gut-brain axis) is clear, concise, and connected. Ever notice when you have a stomach ache your mental well-being takes a dive? I know I have and with a healthy gut, you're more likely to experience more clarity and less of that brain fog.

When consuming enough of these microorganisms they will provide specific health benefits to the gut which may help eliminate some of these issues below:

•  Diarrhea 

•  Irritable Bowel Syndrome

•  Ulcerative colitis

•  Crohn's disease

•  H. pylori (the cause of ulcers)

•  Urinary tract infections

•  Recurrence of bladder cancer

•  Infection of the digestive tract caused by Clostridium difficile

•  Pouchitis (a possible side effect of surgery that removes the colon)

•  Eczema in children

Other health benefits probiotics promote:

• Weight loss

• Improved digestion

• Enhanced immune function

• Healthier skin

• Reduced risk of some diseases

• Reduced bloating

Probiotics and How They Affect Our Mental Health (Psychobiotics)

For decades, mental health was studied only in relation to the brain, not the rest of the body. Recently, scientists and doctors have discovered that mental health is tied to the health of our entire body, more specifically, our digestive health. Here are just a few of the findings:

• They’re particularly helpful in improving mood in depression.

• Probiotics can reduce stress and anxiety.

• Probiotics support the creation of neurotransmitters and decrease neuroinflammation (brain inflammation).   

• Be mindful of the fact that probiotics are a great addition to mental health treatment plans, but they are not a stand-alone replacement for a treatment plan.

A healthy gut-brain connection and the benefits of probiotics have also been shown to improve the mood of some people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions. This is due in part to the fact that they help support a healthy balance of bacteria and microbes that live in your gut. In other words, a healthy microbiome.

In fact, one study involving students facing exam stress found that those who took a multi-strain probiotic had lower scores on the perceived-stress scale, depression/anxiety stress scale, and state-trait anxiety inventory, as well as lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels than those in the placebo group. 

It is also hypothesized that probiotics in the GI tract improve central nervous system symptoms associated with Major Depression Disease (MDD) by increasing the production of free tryptophan, and in turn, increasing serotonin availability.

This could shed some light on known connections between GI conditions and mental illness. For example, a higher-than-average number of people with irritable bowel syndrome also develop depression and anxiety. If we have a healthy gut microbiome, the symptoms of IBS may decrease and so may depression and anxiety. 

Though probiotics and mental health are not inextricably linked, there are promising reasons to believe that a healthy gut can be the building block for a healthier mind. 

If you're thinking about adding probiotics to your diet to improve your   mental health, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Start with the basics. These are the fermented foods listed in the body of this post. 

2. Use probiotics with an anti-inflammatory diet to help improve the gut microbiome.

3. Do not change your current treatment plan without consulting your doctor.  Probiotics are not a replacement for any other forms of treatment.