# Prebiotics to Reduce Anxiety



## David Baxter PhD (Jan 14, 2015)

*Prebiotics to Reduce Anxiety*
by Jerry Kennard, HealthCentral                                 
January 09, 2015            

You?ve no doubt seen those probiotic yogurts and health drinks and  maybe you?ve tried a few? The notion that probiotics are good for us is  extensively promoted but how many of us are familiar with the idea of  prebiotics? Before I get to the link between our gut and our emotions  I?m going to outline a few of the key differences between pre and  probiotics.

 Probiotics are most familiar to us, no doubt because they have been  extensively promoted as aids or supplements to good bacteria that  resides within the human gut. Probiotics are however fairly delicate and  quite vulnerable to stomach acid and heat. The evidence for the  effectiveness of probiotics remains a little sketchy but there are  indications that they help some people with irritable bowel syndrome and  other irritations of the gut. Probiotics may give some protection from  harmful bacteria and help with digestion. Prebiotics are only found in  plants and vegetables and unlike probiotics they move through the  digestive system unchanged but help to enrich the good bacteria that  already exists within the gut.

 Recently, scientists at Oxford University in the UK, revealed the  effect of prebiotics on human behavior. People with stress disorders or  depression often have symptoms relating to digestion and so the Oxford  team set out to investigate whether prebiotics have any positive effects  on emotions. Over a three-week period volunteers were given either a  placebo, a prebiotic called B-GOS or the prebiotic FOS. When emotional  processing was tested it was discovered that those who consumed B-GOS  paid less attention to negative words and much more to positive words.  These same volunteers had reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol  compared with the start of the experiment. B-GOS is just one type of  prebiotic but it is said to stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the  gut more strongly.

 The research team was also interested in the dampening effect of  prebiotics on cortisol levels. They argue that prebiotics should be  considered as adjunct therapies for anxiety and depression. Not all  prebiotics are the same however. The volunteers who consumed the  prebiotic FOS revealed no differences in emotional processing and  neither were cortisol levels affected. It?s an intriguing outcome and  one that looks likely to be pursued over the coming years. Pre and  probiotics can also be purchased as dietary supplements.


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## PrincessX (Jan 14, 2015)

I read somewhere pre-and probiotics must be consumed in the form of real yogurt, Lactobacilus Bulgaricus is the most potent in yogurt. This is due to the fact that they could not preserve them well or easily in supplements, which renders supplements less potent.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 14, 2015)

I believe they used supplements in this study though. How else would they be able to have a placebo group?

I can't eat yoghurt. Tastes like bad milk to me. 


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## Retired (Jan 14, 2015)

> I can't eat yoghurt



Big differences among brands..many are pretty bad.  We either make our own or, in Canada, always buy Astro Balkan Style (plain)...the best I have ever tasted.


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## PrincessX (Jan 14, 2015)

Yes, they did use supplements, because they used specific types of prebiotics, they are mixed in the yogurt, so they wouldn't be able to isolate them for the purposes of a study. You are right. I read some critic of the OTC supplements last year, but it also said that some brands probiotics were better than others. I love yogurt myself [emoji13]


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## PrincessX (Jan 14, 2015)

Astro is the best yogurt in Canada. 10 yrs ago we had to order the bacteria online and make our own yogurt. Now the Canadian yogurt is so improved that it makes no sense to make home made yogurt. Also, there is a lot of flavours, if one dislikes plain yogurt.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 14, 2015)

I would prefer just the flavours without the yoghurt. [emoji51]


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## PrincessX (Jan 14, 2015)

Sounds familiar." Mom, let's get frozen yogurt instead of thawed. Wow, look, the tripple chocolate Ice Cream is on sale. We don't need that Frozen Yogurt anymore".


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## forgetmenot (Jan 14, 2015)

Activia yogurt i find the best for taste and texture  and it has probiotics in it   which i do find to help with IBS   and activia comes in many flavors but i like vanilla the best


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 14, 2015)

Cheeky Monkey Frozen Yoghurt I like.  


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## Retired (Jan 14, 2015)

David Baxter said:


> Cheeky Monkey Frozen Yoghurt I like.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 14, 2015)

Close.


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## PrincessX (Jan 15, 2015)

That's too funny


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## Daniel (May 25, 2018)

Probiotics Lower Rehospitalization Rates in Bipolar Disorder

May 1, 2018

Probiotics lowered the rate of rehospitalization after a manic episode, according to a small controlled trial released this month. This marks the first clinical trial of probiotics in bipolar disorder, and it builds on previous research that has found promise for these “healthy bacteria” in depression, anxiety, cognition, and autism...


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