Come On, Get Happy! Probiotics Shown To Reverse Depression Symptoms In Mice
May 18, 2018
Depression, stress, and anxiety are huge problems these days. It can be overwhelming. It is estimated that around 7% of the American population experiences at least one episode of depression in their lifetime. Moreover, if that depression does not subside and lingers, things can get worse very quickly.
While medications may help with the symptoms, they are not without their side effects. As discussed in other articles, these prescription drugs can have many unintended consequences and can wreak havoc on the gut. They can alter gut diversity and change the gut microbiota. Ironically, the side effects can cause discomfort, digestive problems and issues with overall health and immunity, which can lead to more unhappiness. However, what if you could find a much more positive and healthy solution?
Hope May Be A Probiotic Away
Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have reversed the symptoms of depression in mice by feeding them a Lactobacillus-based probiotic. They are strongly optimistic that this will also work in humans and are planning more studies to confirm their findings. Lead researcher, Dr. Alban Gaultier of the UVA Department of Neuroscience and its Center For Brain Immunology And Glia, has high hopes that “…we will not need to bother with complex drugs and side-effects when we can just play with the microbiome. He continues to say: “It would be magical just to change your diet, to change the bacteria you take, and fix your health – and your mood.”
There has been a lot written about how the gut is our second brain, so it makes sense that keeping the gut healthy might eliminate other “mental” issues, as well. Probiotics are good for the gut, but now they may also reverse symptoms of depression and anxiety. The researchers at UVA were able to identify the biological process that is responsible for the effect on mood, and thus found a direct link between the health of the gut microbiota and mental health.
Let’s Get Happy
Let’s get technical for a moment before we get happy. Dr. Alban Gaultier found that the amount of Lactobacillus bacteria in the gut affects the level of a metabolite in the blood. It is called kynurenine and has been shown to drive depression. When there were lower levels of this important bacteria, Lactobacillus, in the gut the levels of kynurenine went up, and thus so did the symptoms of depression.
Probiotic supplements promote digestive health and improve the immune system. They increase the number of good bacteria in your gut. Now we are learning that it is also possible that the right probiotic supplements containing Lactobacillus may reverse depression and its symptoms. Good bacteria just got “gooder” and hopefully you just got happier.
Natren has two Lactobacillus strains, one is in Megadophilus (Lactobacillus acidophilus NAS strain), and the other is in Digesta-Lac (Lactobacillus bulgaricus LB-51 strain). Both of these strains can be found in our flagship product Healthy Trinity and in the Healthy Start System, as well in our convenient chewable probiotic wafers: Gastro-pH and Healthy Tummy. So come on, get happy!
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