New research comes out every day showing the benefits of probiotics and beneficial microbes. I make it a point to keep up with this news, so I can better serve my clients and sharpen my expertise. I also INTEND to share these amazing research findings on this blog, but the research is coming out faster than I can post!
Two new studies that confirm what we already knew: that your gut microbes affect your emotional state.
One study (triple-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial) gave subjects probiotics (with multiple strands of bacteria) or placebo for 4 weeks. The subjects in the probiotic group experienced a significantly reduced overall cognitive reactivity to sad mood compared to the placebo group. The reduced overall cognitive reactivity was accompanied by less rumination and fewer aggressive thoughts.
Another study had three groups of participants. One received yogurt with active microbes and a placebo capsule, one received probiotics and yogurt without active bacteria and one received yogurt without active bacteria and a placebo cap. The two groups who actually got probiotics and bacteria experienced significant improvement in the general health questionnaire and depression anxiety and stress scale score.