Probiotics may help improve depression symptoms

The microbiome-gut-brain axis (MGBA) describes the complex system of microbes that exist in the gut of humans and is associated with both physiological and psychiatric illness. MGBA dysregulation has been found in patients with serious mental illness, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder, though the influences of the MGBA on mental health is believed to be much more widespread. Probiotics can improve symptoms of gut-related physical illnesses by modifying the gut microbiome composition. Thus, probiotics have been proposed as a mechanism of treating psychiatric illnesses by regulating the MGBA and providing an alternative to traditional psychiatric pharmacology (Johnson et al., 2021).

Johnson et al. (2021) conducted a literature review regarding the efficacy of probiotic treatment in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Treatment with individual or combined strains of probiotics have been found to be beneficial as both standalone and adjunctive therapies to antidepressants. Furthermore, individual probiotic strains have been associated with specific symptom relief, offering potential as a mechanism of combatting symptoms that persist despite antidepressant treatment. Though probiotic research as a widespread treatment for MDD is still in its infancy, there is strong evidence to support future probiotic use in mental health settings.

Citation:

Johnson, D., Thurairajasingam, S., Letchumanan, V., Chan, K. G., & Lee, L. H. (2021). Exploring the role and potential of probiotics in the field of mental health: Major depressive disorder. Nutrients, 13(5), 1728. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051728

Open access article: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/5/1728