Yogurt and Mental Health: New Study Shows Link Between Probiotics and Prevention of Mental Disorders

There is a very popular food, available in different sizes and flavors. Appreciated for breakfast or as a snack, it dominates the supermarket shelves, being recommended for its beneficial effects on the intestine and bacterial flora. But, appropriate a study, can also play a role in preventing mental disorders. Who is it about?

The answer is yogurt: its introduction into the diet could also have a positive effect on the mind, according to researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. In fact, it seems that a common bacteria found in fermented foods and yogurt, called Lactobacillusplays a crucial role in managing stress, potentially helping to prevent disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Researchers isolated Lactobacillus from the vast array of microorganisms found in our bodies, known as the microbiota. Scientists have long been trying to focus on them to fight disease and improve health. In fact, the gut is home to countless bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and these organisms and their infinite interactions are fundamental to the health of the immune system, mental health, and overall well-being of the body.

It is known that changes in the microbiota, due to pathologies, incorrect nutrition, but also environmental stress, can interfere with the state of health and even favor the growth of tumors. For this reason, in recent years, researchers have been enthusiastic about the possibility of fighting diseases by acting on the microbiota.

Starting point for successful anti-anxiety therapies

With approximately 39 trillion microorganisms present in each individual, understanding their specific roles remains a daunting challenge for researchers. But the fact that lactobacillus has already been isolated is a big step forward for researchers, because it allows us to understand how the role of individual microbes could facilitate the development of new innovative treatments for many different diseases, both mental and physical.

“Our discovery highlights how Lactobacillus, present in the gut, influences mood disorders by rebalancing the immune system,” explains Alban Gaultier, from UVA’s Department of Neuroscience, the Brain and Glia Immunology Center (BIG Center) and the Initiative Transuniversity Microbiome. “And this could pave the way for the discovery of innovative therapies for anxiety and depression.”

The team led by Dr. Gaultier used an innovative approach to focus on lactobacilli. In fact, previous research has highlighted its potential to contain depression in laboratory mice, thus encouraging further investigation; such as the collection of bacteria, called Altered Schaedler Flora, which contains strains of Lactobacillus.

The researchers, by using the modified Schaedler flora, gained new knowledge and emphasized the importance of Lactobacillus in combating environmental stress and mood disorders.

“We knew from our previous research that Lactobacillus was beneficial in improving mood disorders and was lost following psychological stress, but the underlying reasons remained unclear, mainly due to the technical challenges associated with studying the microbiome,” says Dr. Gaultier. .

The researchers’ next step will therefore be to discover whether there are new ways to prevent and treat depression and other mental disorders in which Lactobacillus plays an important role. For example, patients with depression (or at risk of depression) can take probiotic supplements specially made to optimize lactobacilli levels for a day.

“With these results in hand we have new tools to optimize probiotic development, which should accelerate the discovery of new therapies,” comments Dr. Andrea R. Merchak. In short, our physical and mental health also depends on Lactobacillus!

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2023-12-29 12:57:00
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