(Newswire.net — November 20, 2013) Miami, Florida — Many studies over the past years have focused on exploring the possible impact of probiotics on human behavior. Timothy Dinan and his colleagues from University College Cork in Ireland have written a new review article in Biological Psychiatry, which supports the hypothesis that probiotics have strong potential for depression treatment.
Probiotics are live bacteria that help promote a healthy digestive system. There has been a growing demand for products containing these live bacteria because of the notion that ingestion of ‘natural foods’ might promote health.
Dinan and his colleagues studied and reviewed the evidence that such bacteria, when taken in adequate amounts, have strong potential for the treatment of depression and other stress-related disorders.
They assessed a study on the potential benefits of a specific probiotic, B. infantis, in rats demonstrating depressive behavior. The probiotic treatment was found to normalize both their behavior. This preclinical experiment and others like it strongly support the theory that probiotics provide behavioral and immunological effects.
Although studies may still be largely lacking, some have shown promising results. For instance, in a separate study, it is reported that volunteers who consumed yogurt with probiotics had improved mood.
“What is clear at this point is that, of the large number of putative probiotics, only a small percentage have an impact on behavior and may qualify as psychobiotics,” Dinan said.
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Depression is a worldwide problem. In fact, two separate studies on clinical depression and anxiety disorders reveal that depression and anxiety are serious health problems all around the world. The studies were based on more than 480,000 people across 91 countries.
For more information on how to fight depression, its types and causes, signs and symptoms, you can check out the Depression Eliminating System.
Author: Abigail Orencia
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