How Can Probiotics Help With Mood?
I remember clearly:
One of the only things worse than dealing with daily mood struggles, was the idea of feeling that way forever...
I remember that.
I remember that awful notion...
What if it never lifts?
I'm here to say:
IT CAN LIFT.
We are NOT broken.
And it IS within our power to feel better.
Let’s chat for a moment about the POWER of the GUT…
The power of the gut
Do you remember a time when you had to make a decision and you felt like your gut was telling you something? Or a time when you were dealing with stomach issues AND it just so happened that your stress was at an all-time high?
Is it really possible that the brain and the gut are so highly connected?
It really is.
The gut-brain axis
The brain and the gut have a unique connection; one that not many people are aware of.
It’s called the gut-brain axis, which entails bi-directional communication between the “gut” and the “brain.”
That’s right… The brain and gut microbiota are in constant communication with each other, and this communication affects both your digestion AND your mood.
The bi-directional communication is what is happening between the Central Nervous System (the brain) and the Enteric Nervous System (within the gut).
The enteric nervous system
The gut is often referred to as the second brain, and scientists identify this brain in your gut as the Enteric Nervous System or ENS, for short.
The ENS is composed of two thin layers with over 100 million nerve cells that line the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract).
While the brain that controls the central nervous system is a special one, the ENS also has a distinct quality: to regulate your digestion.
This process involves releasing enzymes that break down the food you eat, helping the blood absorb the nutrients from the food, and then assisting with bowel movements.
But the microbiome is also home to where 80-90% of serotonin and other feel-good chemical are made. If your microbiome is out of balance, then, likely, so is your mood. Oftentimes, the mood issues so many of us are dealing with… aren’t all in our head. But…. they could be in our gut.
This is precisely why we created mood-targeted probiotics, with specific strains and species designed to support mood, naturally.
Gut issues?
Through all these actions, the gut will let the brain know what’s keeping it busy. Especially when there is a problem in the ENS like irritation in the lining of the GI tract.
This issue is not to be taken lightly. It can be debilitating for many people, and the problems (constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, fatigue, sleeping problems, food intolerance, etc.) have a direct effect on their moods and emotions.
Before, medical practitioners and researchers thought that mental health could be contributing to stomach issues. Since learning more about the gut-brain axis, researchers have discovered that it might just be the opposite; that issues of the stomach are causing the gut to send signals to the brain, thus triggering mood changes.
What’s the role of probiotics?
Probiotics play an essential role in gut health. Probiotics are live bacteria that work hard to keep your digestive system functioning properly. Having proper amounts of the right good bacteria has been shown to have a connection to mood issues.
You can find the good bacteria your body craves through foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, sourdough bread, soft cheese, acidophilus milk, among others.
But if you’re not eating enough probiotic-rich foods on a regular basis, you can also take a high-quality probiotic supplement to boost the good bacteria in your body.
One of the reasons people’s microbiomes are out of balance are due to ‘losing good bacteria’ in your body. Our modern world wipes out good bacteria in numerous and various ways.
The other way probiotics boost gut health is through maintaining a stable and balanced gut flora. When there’s a good balance of bacteria in the gut, the body functions more smoothly.
Nonetheless, if you’re someone who struggles with mood issues, it can be extremely helpful to consume targeted bacterial probiotic species for mood support. This will ensure that the probiotics are working to support the brain-gut connection.
The best species of probiotics for mood
- Lactobacillus plantarum – may reduce stress behavior
- Lactobacillus acidophilus – supports the body’s immune system
- Lactobacillus helveticus – may tame mood-related symptoms
- Lactobacillus brevis – helps in the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus – encourages product of short-chain fatty acids to protect the GI tract lining
- Bifidobacterium animalis – may modulate brain activity
- Bifidobacterium longum – helps relieve gut symptoms, may reduce mood issues
- Bifidobacterium bifidum – helps in generating vitamin B-12 and K which influences the mood
- Bifidobacterium infantis – helps with gut issues and promotes relaxation
How to feel better, naturally?
It can be a challenge to get all these probiotics species in yogurt or fermented foods on the regular, which is why we at Lifted Naturals have developed a variety of MOOD FORMULATED Probiotics with the best probiotic species.
None of our products have any added fillers and they are also shelf stables, which means they DO NOT require refrigeration.
What we need are hard-working probiotics to improve our mood and gut health so we can relax knowing that brain and your gut are positively communicating every day. That’s the #gutbrainaxis at work!
xo,
Sylvia, Cofounder of Lifted Naturals