A recent study published in npj Mental Health Research suggests that probiotics may offer subtle improvements in mood and emotional regulation among healthy adults, highlighting the potential mental health benefits of gut health. The research reveals new insights into how probiotics might serve as a beneficial tool for mental well-being, with implications for preventing more severe psychological conditions.
The connection between gut health and mental well-being has garnered increasing attention in recent years. Unhealthy gut microbiomes have been linked to several mental health disorders, such as PTSD, ADHD, and schizophrenia, while a healthy gut can play a role in managing these conditions. Probiotics, which support gut health, are now being explored as a promising early intervention to help maintain emotional balance and well-being.
Katerina Johnson, PhD, a research associate at Oxford University’s Experimental Psychology Department and co-author of the study, emphasizes the gut-brain connection. “The gut–brain connection provides various routes through which bacteria in the gut can influence how we feel and behave, including via the vagus nerve, immune system, and hormones,” she explained.
The study focused on 88 healthy young adults, using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design to assess the effects of a multispecies probiotic on mood and emotional processing. The participants underwent a series of tests, including psychological questionnaires, emotional processing tasks, and daily mood ratings over the course of four weeks.
The results of standard psychological questionnaires showed minimal changes in participants’ emotional states following probiotic use. However, daily mood tracking revealed a more striking trend: individuals taking probiotics consistently reported a reduction in negative mood, a pattern that began emerging midway through the study. Laura Steenbergen, PhD, assistant professor at Leiden University and co-author, commented, “It is striking that by simply asking participants how they were feeling each day, we could detect the beneficial effects of probiotics on mood. In contrast, the standard psychological questionnaires were not sensitive enough to capture these subtle changes.”
This finding underscores the significance of using more detailed and continuous assessment methods to gauge emotional well-being. While traditional symptom questionnaires remain valid tools, they may overlook nuanced shifts in emotional experience. The use of daily mood ratings provided a clearer, high-resolution view of participants’ emotional fluctuations.
The broader implications of this research are notable, especially given the growing public interest in gut health and the rising global prevalence of mood disorders. The study suggests that probiotics could become a valuable part of mental health strategies, particularly as an early intervention for individuals who may be at risk of developing more serious conditions like depression. Notably, participants who exhibited higher levels of risk aversion—a trait linked to increased vulnerability to depression—were found to benefit the most from probiotics, further suggesting their potential as an early preventive measure.
Although probiotics did not significantly impact cognitive performance in the study, there were indications that they might enhance emotional awareness. Participants in the probiotic group showed slight improvements in accurately recognizing facial expressions, suggesting a potential boost in emotional processing.
The timeline of these effects parallels that of traditional antidepressants, which typically require about two weeks to produce noticeable changes in mood. While probiotics and antidepressants work through different mechanisms, both may influence mood by reducing inflammation and interacting with neural pathways.
The study’s authors conclude that probiotics could offer a subtle yet meaningful benefit to the general population’s mental health. They suggest that in the future, probiotics could be used as a targeted strategy to support emotional well-being, possibly helping to prevent the progression of negative feelings into more severe mental health conditions.
“Perhaps in the future, probiotics could be used in a targeted way as an early intervention to reduce the chances of negative feelings progressing to mental health conditions such as depression, though more research would be needed to confirm that,” said Steenbergen.
As further studies are conducted, probiotics may emerge as an accessible and non-invasive option for enhancing emotional health and preventing the onset of mood disorders.
Related topics:
4 French Wellness Trends to Embrace for a Healthier Lifestyle
The Healthy Skin Barrier Trend: What It Is and How to Achieve It
How to Protect Your Brain: Simple Habits to Prevent Dementia
