Are Psychobiotics The Next Big Breakthrough In Mental Health? Scientists Say This Could Change Everything
Are psychobiotics the future of mental health treatment? Here's how gut bacteria may influence anxiety, depression, and stress through the powerful gut-brain connection.
Mental health care is changing fast it might not be in the brain, but the gut. The scientists are studying new probiotics in the form of psychobiotics, which can potentially have a positive effect on mood, anxiety and stress levels and even depression. As more researchers investigate the connection between the gut brain and the brain, scientists feel that psychobiotics may turn out to be the future of mental health care.
What Are Psychobiotics?
Psychobiotics are special strains of good bacteria that, when taken in sufficient doses, can have a mental health effect. The psychobiotics, as opposed to normal probiotics, which primarily helps in digestion, also communicate with the gut brain axis, which is the communication system between the gastrointestinal system and the brain.
This is not a theoretical relationship. Almost 90 percent of the body's serotonin that is commonly referred to as the happy hormone, is produced by the gut. Scientists who have studied the gut microbiome have discovered that some of these bacteria strains can help in the regulation of stress hormones, alleviating inflammation, and enhancing emotional stability.
Source:NIH
How Do Psychobiotics Work?
The psychological effects of psychobiotics occur in a number of biological mechanisms:
Production Of Neurotransmitters
The production of serotonin, dopamine, and GABA that control mood and anxiety is facilitated by some of the strains.
Reduction Of Inflammation
Depression has been attributed to chronic inflammation. Probiotics can be used to decrease the inflammatory response.
Stress Response Regulation
Research demonstrates that some types of probiotics would decrease cortisol, the key stress hormone in the body.
Better Gut Barrier
A healthy microbiome shuns unhealthy toxins that cause mood inflammatory reactions.
This is a new science which shows that mental health cannot be a purely brain problem but can be a gut health problem.
What Does Research Say?
There are a number of clinical trials that have yielded good outcomes. Those who took particular strains of probiotics complained of lowered mild moderate anxiety and depression. There were also some trials that had better sleep qualities and stress resilience.
Researchers however warn that psychobiotics should not be used in place of therapy or medication particularly in severe mental health disorders. Rather, they can serve as an adjunctive service to conventional modalities such as psychotherapy, lifestyle modification and prescribed drugs.
Source: NIH
Is Replacement Of Antidepressants With Psychobiotics Possible?
Although the concept is very attractive, researchers stress that the field of psychobiotics is still at its infancy. Antidepressants have a direct action on brain chemistry, and psychobiotics act indirectly on the brain via the gut routes.
but it can be argued that future treatment plans can involve a mix of:
- Individual level probiotic treatment.
- Plans based on nutrition as mental health.
- Conventional psychiatric treatment.
- Techniques of stress management.
- Holistic mental health care is already becoming the new trend, and psychobiotics may well be a major component of that move.
Future Of Mental Health Care
As more people become aware of the gut microbiome, individualised microbiome medicine might be a possibility in the next decade. Scientists are looking into the possibility of using the specific gut bacteria profiles to preempt mental health risks and prescribe specific treatments.
Overall, although further large scale research is certainly required, the initial results are positive. Psychobiotics are not a magic bullet, per se, but perhaps a new potent instrument of the mental health tool set. With the ongoing discovery of the strong bond between the gut and the brain, things are becoming clearer, and the future of treating mental health may start in one of the unthinkable places, in the gut.
Disclaimer: Dear readers, this article provides general information and advice only. It is not at all professional medical advice. Therefore, always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for more information. TheHealthSite.com does not claim responsibility for this information.
