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New Study Shows Taking Probiotics Daily Can Help Boost Your Mood
It's well established that our mental health affects our physical health. For example, feeling bad hurts our sleep and weakens our immune system. But it's becoming increasingly recognized that our physical health greatly influences our mood and mental well-being—especially the health of our gut microbiome.
The gut speaks directly to the brain via the vagus nerve1 and produces key feel-good hormones like serotonin that influence our mood. One way to improve your gut microbiome is with probiotics (beneficial bacteria).
The majority of research on probiotics for mood so far has focused on those who have a chronically low mood. But can taking probiotics every day boost the mood in generally healthy folks? That's exactly what researchers set out to test in this new study2.
About the study
For this randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study, 88 healthy adults took either a multi-strain probiotic supplement or a placebo for a month.
Researchers measured emotional health by using validated questionnaires and emotional processing tests, both at the start and end of the month.
In addition, participants also answered mood ratings each day of the study to detect if there were more nuanced patterns to mood changes.
Probiotics help improve mood
Sure enough, researchers found that taking the probiotic consistently reduced negative mood after just two weeks.
What's most interesting was that it was the daily mood tracking that showed clear and significant drops in feelings like sadness or irritability. People who were more prone to worry saw the biggest benefit. Plus, this improvement didn't come with a decrease in positive mood.
This suggests probiotics may help reduce bad feelings without numbing good ones (unlike some other treatment options for those with mental struggles)*.
However, it's important to note that the questionnaire did show the same positive findings. So, why is that? Researchers believe this suggests that how we measure emotional change matters. Simple daily mood ratings might be more accurate than formal questionnaires for detecting subtle shifts in healthy people.
Finding the right probiotic
There are so many probiotic products on the market that it's challenging to decipher which ones are legit (and which ones hold empty promises). For more comprehensive benefits, look for a multi-strain probiotic with at least three clinically studied specifics.
Probiotics should support overall gut health, comfort, and regularity. Just remember: You have to take it daily to see the most benefit.
We recommended this probiotic for daily support, and here's our full list of expert-vetted probiotic recommendations.
Also, consider adding more fermented foods to your diet (like yogurt, kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut) for more probiotic support.
The takeaway
Don't underestimate the impact your physical health has on your mental health. Taking care of your gut has resounding effects throughout the body and mind. Simply taking a high-quality probiotic daily is an easy (and effective) place to start.*
