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The bacteria living in your guts play a role in your mood and mental health, particularly depression. One new study shows that a certain type of gut bacteria known as probiotics can help alleviate symptoms of depression.
Wait… gut bacteria and mental health; where's the relationship? How has the digestive tract got to do with the brain? It may sound pretty far-fetched, but it's anything but.
The gut and brain share a link known as the gut-brain axis. The bacteria (microbiota) in the gut facilitate communication between the emotional and cognitive parts of the brain and the intestine. In summary, a gut filled with "bad" unhealthy bacteria can impair mental health, and one packed with "good" bacteria can promote it.
These good bacteria are known as probiotics and are often added as an ingredient in yogurt. When consumed, probiotics promote gut health.
Interestingly, new research by the University of Basel has shown that probiotics can help alleviate depression.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was once visited by "the black dog," a state he described as having no energy, no interests, and no appetite. "The black dog" is now a common metaphor for depression, originated by the prime minister.
Many mental health experts use medication and therapy to help people battling the black dog. However, they realized the same methods weren’t effective for every patient. So what could be the problem?
Some past studies have shown that gut health problems are prevalent among patients with depression. When their gut bacteria (microbiome) is taken and put inside healthy mice, the mice start to display symptoms of the black dog. They become less energetic and uninterested in their environment. Apparently, there was something wrong with the gut bacteria.
If bad gut bacteria could cause a healthy animal to become depressed, perhaps replacing that with good bacteria may be all the patient needs to tackle the depressive symptoms.
Researchers from the University of Basel and the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK) proceeded to verify this hypothesis by investigating the effects of good gut bacteria (probiotics) on patients with depression. The results were as hypothesized: depression and gut health really do share a link.
The researchers administered probiotics to 21 participants and gave a placebo to another 26 participants for 31 days. They were all given antidepressants during this period. Save for the researchers, neither the study staff nor the participants knew what they were consuming.
At the end of the period, there was improvement across all participants due to the antidepressants, but it was more significant among those who took probiotics. The probiotics had either boosted the effects of the antidepressants or directly alleviated their depressive symptoms.
That's not all, though. The researchers also discovered that the composition of the probiotics subjects' intestinal flora changed during the study period. There was an increase in lactic acid bacteria, which was followed by a reduction in depression.
However, the results weren't eternal. The condition of the intestinal floral waned over the next four weeks.
More on the research here.
In another study comprising 1064 subjects, two particular types of gut bacteria were absent in people with depression. The same two bacteria were absent in seven other subjects with severe clinical depression.
Perhaps, a 31-day probiotic treatment may not be enough to tackle depression permanently. But without a doubt, we have seen how beneficial these good gut bacteria can be to our mental health. Maintaining a healthy gut may be crucial to preventing and fighting off depression.
While researchers develop ways to integrate probiotics into traditional depression interventions, patients could at least consider consuming foods containing these living microorganisms, such as yogurt, traditional buttermilk, and kefir.
While your diet may contribute to your mood, there may be several other factors causing your depressive symptoms.
If you're at a loss what to do and life feels worthless, come, let's talk. I can help you find ways to combat depression through medication and other healthy treatment methods so you can live a happier, more fulfilled life.
Get it touch now and begin your journey to better mental health and well-being.
