Why Psychobiotics Are Healthy For Your Mind

The notion that bacteria can have all sorts of beneficial effects on your state of health is common knowledge. This is no surprise. It is estimated that more than 48 billion of these microorganisms live in our body. They play a fundamental role in all forms of physical processing, such as digestion. But did you know that the bacteria known as psychobiotics can  also cause significant changes in your mood?

Recent research seems to indicate that our gut flora affects how our brain works. For this reason, there has recently been more talk about psychobiotics, substances that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in our minds. This article will tell you about all the latest discoveries.

The discovery of psychobiotics

The empirical support surrounding the notion that certain bacteria in our body can positively affect our brain is quite new. In 2013, Ted Dinan , a professor of psychiatry at the University of Cork in Ireland, used the term for the first time. Several experiments performed by this researcher showed that fermented milk products can change the behavior of animals. 

The result indicated that the intake of yogurt was able to alter the functions of certain parts of the brain, which are connected to emotional control. These studies have opened up new studies on the relationship between the intestines and the mind.

One of these discoveries was associated with certain types of intestinal bacteria, such as Lactobacillus. These are present in dairy products and are able to modulate the production of certain neurotransmitters. Some of them, such as serotonin or GABA are directly linked to our mood. Furthermore, they also have an influence on how mental disorders develop, such as depression and anxiety.

Based on all this data, research has begun into which types of bacteria have the greatest positive impact on our brain. In addition, they also try to find out which probiotics we take the most of. All in order to give us the best benefits for our minds.

What are the most effective psychobiotics?

There are hundreds of different substances that we can ingest to improve our intestinal flora. However, research has shown that not everyone is as effective as a psychobiotic. Some have been shown to be much more effective in improving our brain function and also our mood.

Here are some of the psychobiotics that help our minds the most:

• Kefir
• Bananas and apples
• Fermented foods

Let’s look at each and every one of them.

1 – Kefir

Despite being a relatively unknown food, this psychobiotic has gained popularity in recent years. It is a form of yoghurt, which originates in Bulgaria, and which is produced by the means of a number of yeasts and bacteria, which have many benefits for our state of health.

The main difference between this dairy product and other conventional yogurts is that in its components there is a bacterium known as  Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens . Among its most positive effects is the increase in serotonin and tryptophan levels, two neurotransmitters that have the greatest impact on our emotional health. 

2 – Bananas and apples

We all know about the beneficial effects of fruits and vegetables on our physical health. But recently, a team of microbiologists from Yale University in the United States discovered another benefit of these types of foods. They discovered that certain types of vegetables can improve the health of certain bacteria, and are essential to our emotional well-being. 

Two of the most beneficial fruits in this regard are bananas and apples. It has been discovered that by consuming these, one can improve the level of lactic acid bacteria, which until now were thought to exist only in milk. So these microorganisms play a fundamental role in the release of certain neurotransmitters that fight anxiety and depression.

3 – Fermented foods

Finally, one of the classic remedies for digestive problems is the consumption of fermented foods. Although in our part of the world it is not very popular yet, in other countries it is normal to eat sauerkraut, drink kombucha or vinegar to improve the health of the intestinal flora.

But it has also been recently discovered that these foods play a very important role when it comes to our mood. With several features such as the regulation of nutrient uptake and the secretion of serotonin, these probiotics can be some of our biggest allies fighting to improve your well-being.

Although we usually see the mind and body as two separate constituents, they are in fact closely connected. Eating foods with probiotics can be one of the best ways to achieve a more positive mood, and make the brain function faster.