Do Pro-Biotics Relieve Stress?

Your body is made up of over 10 trillion cells, but there are around 100 trillion bacterial cells within it. How strongly does your internal environment affect your overall health?

Even though some germs can cause illness, we need bacteria in order to maintain our health and happiness. Nowhere is this more obvious than with the so-called “good” bacteria lining our stomach and intestines.

We’ve all heard that consuming probiotics can help us achieve a healthier gut. But there’s a growing wave of scientific evidence suggesting additional benefits reaching all the way to the brain.

“There is growing evidence that the trillions of beasties in our guts could communicate with our brains, and that some psychopathology could result from disturbances in the gut microbiome.”

Full article: Psychology Today

One study used mice to show changes in behaviour from being fed a probiotic-laced broth. Brain function related to lower stress, anxiety and depression was displayed, and the mice responded more calmly to a stressful test.

Full study: US National Center for Biotechnology Information

Importantly, the researchers also isolated the vagus nerve as the likely transmission mechanism between gut and brain. It’s worth noting this mechanism has so far been demonstrated in mice rather than confirmed in humans — the vagus-nerve pathway is a promising lead, not an established treatment effect, and human research on gut bacteria and stress is still developing.

You can take action by adjusting your diet to consume more probiotics. Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, miso, yogurt, and kefir are all excellent sources.

This is just one topic which can be presented in our Workplace Nutrition Programs. Call us today to get started on bringing physical health, mental clarity and lower stress to your workplace.

• healthy eating
• mental health
• workplace wellbeing