Could yogurt really be the answer to your anxiety problems?
A new study out this week showed that this is true for mice and could be true for humans in the future.
Mice fed a probiotic broth were, in fact, calmer than mice not given the probiotic broth.
The probiotic fed mice not only appeared calmer but their levels of stress hormone was also measurably lower.
This is important because it’s a well-known fact that there is a connection between your gut and brain that can affect your overall health.
In this regard, if you have problems with anxiety and depression then chances are that you might also have issues with diarrhea, ulcers, heartburn, or some other stomach ailment.
Researchers from Ireland’s University College Cork published a study that links a specific kind of bacteria, called Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1, to lower levels of stress and anxiety in mice.
Researcher John Cryan said that “Without overstating things, this does open up the concept that we could develop therapies that can treat psychiatric disorders by targeting the gut,” Cryan added. “You could take a yogurt with a probiotic in it instead of an antidepressant” (Choi, 2011).
Good news right? Well, not so fast. This research is in its early stages and still has to translate into similar results in humans, which at this point is not guaranteed to happen.
All that notwithstanding, this is still exciting. The bottom-line is that there maybe yet another natural way to overcome anxiety and I’m all for that.
What do you think? Too good to be true? Comment below.
NPR Interviews John Cryan Below
Choi, C. (2011). Probiotic Bacteria May Help Treat Depression. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/15822-embargoed-probiotic-bacteria-treat-depression.html