Probiotic supplementation can positively affect anxiety and depressive symptoms: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Pirbaglou, Meysam; Katz, Joel; Souza, Russell J. de; Stearns, Jennifer C.; Motamed, Mehras; Ritvo, Paul

doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2016.06.009

Cited by 222 publications

(156 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Gut bacteria are also known to have a direct role in the production of serotonin (a neurotransmitter heavily implicated in depression and anxiety), with research demonstrating changes in central nervous system serotonin concentration in germ-free mice [44]. A recent review of probiotic supplementation has suggested a beneficial role for gut bacteria manipulations for alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety [45]. The findings of our current research suggest that dietary manipulations designed to influence gut bacteria may have an important therapeutic role to play in boosting mood in healthy adults and also, potentially, for treating conditions such as anxiety and depression.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiome restoration diet improves digestion, cognition and physical and emotional wellbeing

Lawrence

Hyde²

2017

PLoS ONE

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Manipulating gut bacteria in the microbiome, through the use of probiotics and prebiotics, has been found to have an influence on both physical and emotional wellbeing. This study uses a dietary manipulation ‘The Gut Makeover’ designed to elicit positive changes to the gut bacteria within the microbiome. 21 healthy participants undertook ‘The Gut Makeover’ for a four week period. Weight and various aspects of health were assessed pre and post intervention using the Functional Medicine Medical Symptoms Questionnaire (MSQ). Paired sample t-tests revealed a significant reduction in self-reported weight at the end of the intervention. Adverse medical symptoms related to digestion, cognition and physical and emotional wellbeing, were also significantly reduced during the course of the dietary intervention. The intervention, designed to manipulate gut bacteria, had a significant impact on digestion, reducing IBS type symptoms in this non-clinical population. There was also a striking reduction in negative symptoms related to cognition, memory and emotional wellbeing, including symptoms of anxiety and depression. Dietary gut microbiome manipulations may have the power to exert positive physical and psychological health benefits, of a similar nature to those reported in studies using pre and probiotics. The small sample size and lack of control over confounding variables means that it will be important to replicate these findings in larger-scale controlled, prospective, clinical trials. This dietary microbiome intervention has the potential to improve physical and emotional wellbeing in the general population but also to be investigated as a treatment option for individuals with conditions as diverse as IBS, anxiety, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiome restoration diet improves digestion, cognition and physical and emotional wellbeing

Lawrence

Hyde²

2017

PLoS ONE

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“…[90,96] Finally, different probiotic strains have been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression across several studies in clinical and healthy populations. [97,98] While there have also [5,9,10,88,90] Anxiolytic effects, sometimes sex-specific, in mice (light-dark box, elevated-plus maze) [72,113] Anxiolytic effects in mice (open field, defensive marble burying, elevated-plus maze, light-dark box) [91,93] Strain-specific anxiolytic effects in humans (e.g., Beck Anxiety Index, Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale) and rodents (defensive marble burying, elevated-plus maze, open field) [11,62,133,134] Transplant from humans with depression or comorbid IBS and anxiety increases anxietylike behavior in mice (open field, step-down test, light-dark box) [96,125] Heightened anxiety in rats (open field) [89] Depression Increased depressive-like behavior in mice (forced swim) [90] Increased depressive-like behavior in rats (forced swim) [94] Antidepressant effects in mice and rats (forced swim, tail suspension, learned helplessness after inescapable shock) [91,92] Strain-specific antidepressant effects in humans (e.g. Beck Depression Inventory, Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale) and rodents (tail suspension test, forced swim, sucrose preference) [11,97,98,133,134] Transplant from depressed human donors induces depressive-like behavior in mice (sucrose preference, forced swim [varied results], tail suspension test) [90,96] Learned fear Impaired fear recall in adult mice [101] Acute administration enhances fear extinction in rodents and exposure therapy in humans, [103,104] reduces fear recall in huma...…”

Section: Anxiety-and Depression-like Behavior Are Regulated By Gut MImentioning

confidence: 99%

Gutsy Moves: The Amygdala as a Critical Node in Microbiota to Brain Signaling

et al. 2017

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The amygdala is a key brain area regulating responses to stress and emotional stimuli, so improving our understanding of how it is regulated could offer novel strategies for treating disturbances in emotion regulation. As we review here, a growing body of evidence indicates that the gut microbiota may contribute to a range of amygdala-dependent brain functions from pain sensitivity to social behavior, emotion regulation, and therefore, psychiatric health. In addition, it appears that the microbiota is necessary for normal development of the amygdala at both the structural and functional levels. While further investigations are needed to elucidate the exact mechanisms of microbiota-to-amygdala communication, ultimately, this work raises the intriguing possibility that the gut microbiota may become a viable treatment target in disorders associated with amygdala dysregulation, including visceral pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and beyond. Also see the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/O5gvxVJjX18

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“…Following this notion, the positive effects of prebiotic supplementation on the gut microbial profile and quality of life in tube-fed patients [107] may implicate similar enteral feeding modifications in refeeding regimens for patients with eating disorders. Recent data on the psychological benefits of optimizing gut microbiota using probiotics, notably in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms [108,109], further suggest another key aspect of eating disorders in which microbiome-based treatments may confer benefits.…”

Section: Therapeutic Potential Of Microbiome-based Treatments For mentioning

confidence: 99%

Are the Gut Bacteria Telling Us to Eat or Not to Eat? Reviewing the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Etiology, Disease Progression and Treatment of Eating Disorders

et al. 2017

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Traditionally recognized as mental illnesses, eating disorders are increasingly appreciated to be biologically-driven. There is a growing body of literature that implicates a role of the gut microbiota in the etiology and progression of these conditions. Gut bacteria may act on the gut–brain axis to alter appetite control and brain function as part of the genesis of eating disorders. As the illnesses progress, extreme feeding patterns and psychological stress potentially feed back to the gut ecosystem that can further compromise physiological, cognitive, and social functioning. Given the established causality between dysbiosis and metabolic diseases, an altered gut microbial profile is likely to play a role in the co-morbidities of eating disorders with altered immune function, short-chain fatty acid production, and the gut barrier being the key mechanistic links. Understanding the role of the gut ecosystem in the pathophysiology of eating disorders will provide critical insights into improving current treatments and developing novel microbiome-based interventions that will benefit patients with eating disorders.

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Probiotic supplementation can positively affect anxiety and depressive symptoms: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Cited by 222 publications

References 69 publications

Microbiome restoration diet improves digestion, cognition and physical and emotional wellbeing

Microbiome restoration diet improves digestion, cognition and physical and emotional wellbeing

Gutsy Moves: The Amygdala as a Critical Node in Microbiota to Brain Signaling

Are the Gut Bacteria Telling Us to Eat or Not to Eat? Reviewing the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Etiology, Disease Progression and Treatment of Eating Disorders

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