How good are probiotics for the brain?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Vo Thi Thuy Trang - Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
The human body is home to billions of different species of microorganisms. These bacteria mainly inhabit the intestinal tract and play many important roles in various areas of health. Many recent studies have shown that taking probiotics supplements can have certain benefits for your mental health as well as your brain.

1. What are probiotics?

Probiotics include live microorganisms, mainly bacteria. When you consume enough probiotics, they offer an impressive array of health benefits.
Many studies show that probiotics can be beneficial for people with certain medical conditions, including: Eczema, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dermatitis, disease liver and high cholesterol levels.
Most probiotics belong to 1 of 2 types of bacteria – Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. In particular, these groups contain many different types and strains of bacteria, each of which will have distinct effects on the body.

2. How are the gut and brain connected?

The gut and brain are physically and chemically connected. Overall, changes in the gut can affect the brain.
The vagus nerve - a large nerve in the central nervous system, responsible for sending signals between the intestines and the brain. In addition, your brain and gut also communicate with each other through gut bacteria because they produce molecules that transmit information to the brain.
Scientists estimate that there are about 40 trillion bacteria in the human body and only about 30 trillion human cells. This statistic shows that our body has more bacterial cells than human cells. Most of the bacteria will reside in the intestinal tract. They will come into direct contact with the cells lining your intestines and anything that enters your body, including drugs, foods, and microorganisms.
There are different types of bacteria that coexist with gut bacteria, including fungi and yeasts. These bacteria are collectively known as the gut microbiome. Each type of bacteria has the ability to produce different substances that can affect the brain. These include neurotransmitters, short-chain fatty acids, and amino acids. In fact, gut bacteria can also affect the brain and central nervous system by producing hormones and controlling inflammation.

3. Imbalance of gut microbiota and disease

An imbalance of gut microbiota often occurs in the presence of a large number of pathogenic bacteria, leading to chronic inflammation.
Researchers have identified an imbalance in the gut microbiome that occurs mostly in people with heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other medical conditions. Some evidence suggests that the use of probiotics can help restore the gut microbiome back to a healthy state, while also helping to reduce symptoms of other health conditions.
Because the gut and brain are connected, while gut bacteria produce substances that can affect the brain, probiotics can provide certain benefits for the brain as well as mental health. your god.

4. Probiotics Help Relieve IBS Symptoms

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a direct correlation to colon function, yet many researchers consider it a psychological disorder.
Excessive anxiety and depression are common in people with IBS. On the other hand, IBS patients also tend to have altered gut microbiota. Several recent studies have shown that certain probiotics may help relieve symptoms of IBS, including bloating and abdominal pain.

5. Probiotics Improve Mental Health

Depression is becoming a notable mental health problem worldwide. Certain disorders, especially stress and anxiety, can cause elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood.
Now, researchers have figured out how probiotics affect people clinically diagnosed with depression. When depressed patients were given a mixture of 3 strains of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus for 8 weeks, their symptoms were significantly reduced. On the other hand, thanks to taking this probiotic, their inflammation also improved markedly.
And yet, other studies have looked at how probiotics affect people with depressive symptoms but have not been diagnosed, including:
Symptoms of anxiety; Psychological suffering; Academic stress.

6. Probiotics help improve mood

The use of certain probiotics can help improve mood in both people with and without mental health problems. Specifically, in one study, participants were given a probiotic blend containing eight different strains of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus every day for a period of four weeks. The results found that taking probiotics contributed to a reduction in negative thoughts that lead to sadness in the participants. Another trial also showed that drinking milk containing the beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus casei for 3 weeks could improve mood in people with the worst mood before treatment.

7. Probiotics help improve health after traumatic brain injury

People with traumatic brain injury are often in intensive care and are very susceptible to infections, which increases the risk of serious health complications.
Experts say that adding probiotics to the food of traumatic brain injury patients can help reduce the risk of infection as well as shorten the recovery time.

8. Some other benefits of probiotics for the brain

Recent studies have found that a mixture of Streptococcus, Bifidobacteria, Lactococcus and Lactobacillus has certain effects on the areas of the brain that control your feelings and emotions. In addition, the use of probiotics also contributes to the reduction of some symptoms of schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis.

9. Can probiotics be used to treat brain related disorders?

Currently, there is not enough evidence that probiotics definitely benefit the brain. Therefore, doctors do not consider probiotics as a treatment for any brain-related disorder.
In fact, probiotics can benefit other areas of health, including heart disease, dermatitis, eczema, and digestive disorders. You can completely build a healthy gut microbiome by following a nutritious lifestyle and diet. Here are some foods with many beneficial bacteria, including:
Kefir; Kimchi; Sauerkraut; Probiotic yogurt. In short, in case of necessity, supplementing with probiotics contributes to helping you increase the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut, while providing certain benefits for mental health as well as the brain. Again, very safe to use.

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Reference source: healthline.com