Many of you already know the gut plays host to scores of bacteria. Did you know, however, that there’s about 1,000 different species living there inside your intestinal tract? It’s all these bacteria that help make up what’s called the microbiome. While it’s fairly well documented that maintaining your gut’s flora can go a long way in improving your overall physical health, more and more research suggests there might even be a link to our mental health.
1. Gut Bacteria May Regulate Anxiety and Depression
In one study, researchers fed probiotics—strains of good bacteria—to mice and suggested the resulting changes in the gut’s microbe colonies could ease feelings of anxiety. [1] A more recent study looked at prebiotics—carbohydrates that serve as “food” for that good bacteria—noting after three weeks, those who took a daily prebiotic supplement had an easier time sorting through anxious and depressed feelings. [2] And still, other reports suggested those out-of-whack bacteria levels could also be a cause of autism, suggesting probiotics as a therapeutic approach for autistic children. [3] [4] Read more
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