Species of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus (lactic acid bacteria), and Lactococcus are found in the colon where they exert a positive influence on whole body health, including anxiety and stress.
Try a multi-strain Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium blend, as those have been found to have the most positive effects on anxiety and stress. For the best health benefits, also support gut healing and beneficial bacteria with an anti-inflammatory diet.
Preliminary evidence shows that imbalances in gut microbiota can exert a powerful influence on the brain via the gut-brain axis in ways that affect anxiety. What's more, disturbances in neurotransmitters — brain chemicals that send signals throughout the body — may play a role in psychological conditions like anxiety.
The intestinal bacterial strains Eggerthella, Subdoligranulum, Coprococcus and Ruminococcaceae have been reported to be associated with major depression in earlier studies.
A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected.
Taking a probiotic could reduce anxiety if it contains a specific type of bacteria. A new study published in PLoS One has found that, among the many strains of probiotics, Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus has the most evidence showing that it could significantly reduce anxiety.
Emerging Data Hints That a Healthy Gut May Ease Anxiety
According to the aforementioned General Psychiatry review, which included 21 studies with more than 1,500 participants, gut-friendly dietary changes and other simple steps may help reduce anxiety.
Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Lactococcus species are all examples of probiotics because they support your whole-body and improve mental health too.
Techniques include progressive muscle relaxation, visualization and restful music. Research suggests that these therapies are most effective when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Objective: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) syndrome is associated with depression and anxiety.
Frequent discomfort, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn could be signs that your gut is having a hard time processing food and eliminating waste. You feel tired more often than not. People with chronic fatigue may have imbalances in the gut.
Depending on how sensitive you are, many people feel a difference after a few days. More fundamental effects of the probiotics such as improvements to mood, weight loss or a reduction in inflammation of your gut barrier might set in after 4-8 weeks.
A "leaky gut" occurs when your intestinal lining becomes porous, allowing undigested foods and bacteria into the bloodstream. If left untreated, this condition can lead to chronic brain inflammation, which in turn can lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.
Lactobacillus helveticus is a probiotic strain that has been shown to reduce cortisol and have anti-anxiety effects in humans (37, 39, 44). One study found that it can even reduce paranoid and obsessive-compulsive thoughts (38).
More than 90% of the body's serotonin is synthesized in the gut18,19. Various bacteria such as Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Escherichia spp., Lactobacillus plantarum, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Morganella morganii have the ability to produce serotonin20,21,22,23.
In fact, 90% of the body's serotonin is made right in the gut. Another kind of bacteria commonly found in the human gut, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, actually contains a neurotransmitter that can help calm anxiety.
The FDA has approved a phase 2b study of an optimized form of LSD for the treatment of anxiety. The drug, called MM-120, is being developed by MindMed and is intended to treat generalized anxiety disorders and other mental conditions. MindMed is expected to begin clinical trials in 2022.
A blend of probiotics branded as Cerebiome by Lallemand Health Solutions may improve gut health parameters associated with anxiety, according to a study which used a dynamic in vitro microbiome model.
The prevention of constipation and/or diarrhea. The improvement of some mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. More than 15 studies have been made on humans which showed that the supplementation of probiotics helped in improving anxiety, depression, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and memory.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1) increases the CNS levels of GABA in mice, modulating GABAA and GABAB receptor expression by activating GABA signaling pathways via vagal afferents [31,32].
Foods naturally rich in magnesium may, therefore, help a person to feel calmer. Examples include leafy greens, such as spinach and Swiss chard. Other sources include legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Foods rich in zinc such as oysters, cashews, liver, beef, and egg yolks have been linked to lowered anxiety.