New findings pave the way for probiotic therapies to support mental health and reduce anxiety symptoms.
Kimchi is one of the foods containing probiotics - Photo: FREEPIK
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are beneficial to health. Recent research shows that consuming foods rich in probiotics not only restores the natural balance of gut microbiota but also reduces anxiety levels.
Foods containing probiotics include sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, kefir (a fermented milk drink similar to thin yogurt)...
The link between probiotics and anxiety
According to Sci Tech Daily , scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and the National Neurological Institute of Singapore have identified a significant link between gut bacteria and anxiety-related behaviors.
Specifically, they found that indole, a metabolite produced by bacteria, has a direct impact on brain activity related to anxiety. This finding opens up the possibility of developing probiotic therapies to support mental health.
To reach this conclusion, the team set out to investigate the role of bacteria in anxiety behavior. In preclinical studies, they observed that people living in sterile environments—without exposure to live bacteria—had significantly higher levels of anxiety behavior than those living in normal bacteria.
Further research has shown that increased anxiety levels are linked to overactivity in the area of the brain responsible for processing emotions like fear and anxiety. Exposing the body and brain to metabolites from live bacteria helps prevent nerve cells from becoming overactive and firing signals too frequently.
The influence of intestinal bacteria
To better understand the role of bacteria, the researchers re-implanted live bacteria into germ-free mice. The results showed that excessive neural activity was significantly reduced. As a result, the mice exhibited less anxious behavior and more stable emotional responses.
The team also tested the use of indole. When germ-free mice were supplemented with indole, their anxiety levels also dropped significantly. This demonstrates that the bacteria that live in the body are capable of producing metabolites that play an important role in maintaining mental balance.
The discovery has huge potential for people with stress-related disorders, such as sleep disorders, or those who cannot tolerate conventional psychiatric medications, according to Professor Patrick Tan, deputy dean of research at Duke-NUS Medical School.
The team is now planning clinical trials to determine whether probiotics or supplements containing indole can be used effectively to treat anxiety in humans.
The new study was published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/an-dua-chua-uong-sua-len-men-giup-giam-lo-au-20250220145011963.htm
Comment (0)