What are Psychobiotics and the best ones for Anxiety?

Psychobiotics are probiotics & prebiotics that can improve your mental health by changing the mixture of bacteria in your gut.

It is estimated that 100 trillion bacteria, and 500 to 1,000 species of bacteria, live in the human gut. These gut bacteria, collectively known as the gut microbiome, help with digestion & we now know the health of your gut plays a significant role on your brain function due to the gut/brain axis.

Research shows that people who have digestive disorders are more likely to have anxiety, & those with anxiety have higher rates of gastrointestinal disease.

Studies show Psychobiotics can decrease anxiety by:

🔸Stimulating the vagus nerve
🔸Producing neurotransmitters, such as GABA & serotonin
🔸Reducing stress hormone levels
🔸Reducing inflammation, one of the major underlying causes of mental illness
🔸Increasing BDNF levels
🔸Crowding out pathogenic bacteria
🔸Increasing nutrient production & absorption

Which are the best ones?
🔸Lactobacillus rhamnosus
🔸Bifidobacterium longum
🔸Lactobacillus planetarium
🔸Lactobacillus helveticus
🔸Lactobacillus Reuteri
🔸Lactobacillus casei
🔸Lactobacillus fermentum
🔸Bifidobacterium breve
🔸Galacto-oligosaccharides

So before reaching for those meds with toxic side effects, first work to remove processed foods, additives, preservatives like dyes or MSG which we know cause neurological damage. Next try adding in some of these probiotics, as long as you are not dealing with SIBO which can make the overgrowth worse in the initial stages.