{"id":72905,"date":"2025-07-18T14:52:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/72905\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T14:52:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:52:12","slug":"can-probiotics-help-with-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/72905\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Probiotics Help With Mental Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThere are some <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35381125\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">animal studies<\/a> on this,\u201d says Stengel, \u201cand increasing evidence-based indications that certain probiotic bacterial strains called psychobiotics can have a positive influence on mood, stress and anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Certain strains of lactobacilli and bifidobacterium stand out. Studies have shown that they reduce anxiety-like behavior in animals, reduce stress in healthy test subjects, and lead to better sleep. \u201cIn irritable bowel syndrome patients, probiotics with bifidobacteria were even able to alleviate anxiety symptoms,\u201d says Stengel.<\/p>\n<p>These findings show that probiotics, when used in a targeted manner, also influence emotional balance. However, it\u2019s important to note that the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. According to Stengel, it is assumed that the effect is achieved via modulation of inflammatory processes, nerve activity, and the regulation of stress hormones such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vogue.com\/article\/lower-cortisol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cortisol<\/a> and neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine\u2014all of which happens along the gut-brain axis. Of course, these findings are primarily based on studies within specific groups and therefore cannot be generalized without further study.<\/p>\n<p>A diet for better mood<\/p>\n<p>Everyday life also plays an important role in the health of the microbiome\u2014and our mental state. \u201cA healthy diet is of course good for a healthy body,\u201d says Stengel.<\/p>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean every \u201cwellness\u201d trend will work for everyone. Intermittent fasting, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vogue.com\/article\/intermittent-fasting-drawback-study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">may be unsuitable<\/a> for people with pre-existing conditions or irritable bowel syndrome.<\/p>\n<p>To that end, it\u2019s important to take a balanced, individualized, and holistic approach. Prioritize the wellness basics of adequate sleep, hydration, nutrition, and movement: \u201cIt is important for everyone to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vogue.com\/article\/how-much-water-should-you-drink-a-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">drink enough fluids<\/a> every day and to mindfully eat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vogue.com\/article\/eat-rainbow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">colorful, fresh, fiber-rich meals<\/a> in a calm and relaxed atmosphere,\u201d Stengel says. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vogue.com\/article\/fermented-foods-benefits\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fermented foods<\/a>, sufficient exercise, and daily relaxation also play a vital part.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, probiotics can be part of a comprehensive program\u2014but it\u2019s important to also factor in all aspects of health. \u201cYes, I do indeed see it that way,\u201d says Stengel. \u201cThe only question is whether we really need to buy probiotics from the pharmacy or whether our microbiome can also be cultivated healthily through an appropriate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vogue.com\/article\/probiotic-foods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pre- and probiotic diet<\/a>,\u201d she says. \u201cEither way, the gut microbiome can influence our body both negatively and positively.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cThere are some animal studies on this,\u201d says Stengel, \u201cand increasing evidence-based indications that certain probiotic bacterial strains&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":72906,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[210,517,1182,67,132,68,3149],"class_list":{"0":"post-72905","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-mental-health","10":"tag-nutrition","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us","14":"tag-wellness"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114874806851616908","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72905\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}