There is growing interest in the possibility that probiotics improve not only gut health but also mental health.Probiotics are "good" bacteria in the form of drinks or tablets that you can buy in the supermarket and are also found in foods like yogurts, fermented cheese and sauerkraut. There is growing interest in the possibility that probiotics improve not only gut health but also mental health. "The gut–brain connection provides various routes through which bacteria in the gut can influence how we feel and behave, including via the vagus nerve, immune system and hormones", says Johnson.Daily mood reportsWhile animal studies have previously found promising effects of probiotics on the brain and behaviour, human studies have yielded inconsistent results. Johnson and Steenbergen therefore used a combination of methods to capture how probiotics might influence the ability to regulate our emotions and affect our moods. These included psychological questionnaires, daily mood reports and computer tasks testing how people process emotions. The study was conducted in young, healthy adults who took a probiotic (containing bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) daily for a month.This is the first study to use daily mood reports to assess the effects of probiotics. It clearly shows that probiotics can reduce negative feelings...
