Lactic ferments to restore order in the belly and relax the mind. This is the objective of the so-called psychobiotics, live bacteria which, in addition to carrying out their task in the intestine, also bring benefits to the brain, reducing stress levels. A study conducted with excellent results tested the effects of administering a mixture of these bacteria in animal models to counteract states of anxiety and intestinal disorder. from the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology of the National Research Council (Cnr-Ibbc), in which the University of Milan also collaborated. The work was published in the scientific journal Microbiome.
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A cocktail of probiotics
“We used a mix of eight probiotics already available on the market (sachets of lactic ferments to be dissolved in water, ndr) for the contrast of intestinal inflammatory processes – he explains Stefano Farioli Vecchioli, of the Cnr-Ibbc and among the authors of the research -. The experiment involved different groups of animals: some underwent a stressful stimulus and the administration of probiotics; others, still “stressed”, did not take the mixture of lactic ferments; still others, without symptoms of anxiety and stress, received probiotics.”
Two interesting data emerged from the study: “The first is that the treatment for two weeks with the mix of lactic ferments was able to attenuate the intestinal dysbiosis of the mice (i.e. the alteration of the bacterial flora) and to provide a powerful anxiolytic and antidepressant action – continues Farioli -. The second is that the positive effect of lactic ferments was seen exclusively in stressed animals and with intestinal problems, while those who were well did not enjoy any positive action”.
This observation supports the advice of many experts who often underline the uselessness of do-it-yourself treatments based on lactic ferments without a real and certified need. “The experiment also demonstrated that the mix of probiotics causes a decrease in chronic neuro-inflammatory processes and an improvement in neuroplasticity mechanisms, in the form of an increase in the production of new neurons in the brain” specifies the expert.
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Communication between bacterial flora and the nervous system
All this happens thanks to the communication between bacterial flora and the nervous system, the famous gut-brain axis. “It is a bidirectional communication route: the brain sends messages to the intestine through the nervous system, in particular the vagus nerve, which starts from the brain and branches into the skull, neck, thorax and abdomen; while the intestine does this through metabolites, i.e. molecules produced by bacteria after they have eaten – underlines Farioli – They are the product of their metabolism, chemical signals, which go back to the brain through the blood and significantly influence its functioning. They can be harmful, in case of intestinal dysbiosis, or beneficial for the brain and the whole organism when the microbiota is in balance.”
The most common example of this communication is when a person experiences a state of anxiety and often also has intestinal problems, such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating. “Similarly – specifies the expert – an intestinal irritation causes an alteration of the bacterial flora which, in turn, implies a release of inflammatory factors which, reaching the brain, can increase the level of cortisol, the stress hormone”.
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The new psychobiotic is born
The study therefore identifies a new hypothetical psychobiotic that could be used by people in the future. “Clinical studies on patients with mood disorders will have to confirm in humans the anxiolytic and antidepressant efficacy of this mix of probiotics observed in the murine model – adds Farioli -. However, we believe that our research strongly supports the hypothesis that, in general, psychobiotics can represent an innovative therapeutic strategy, capable of assisting and/or modulating conventional pharmacological treatments”.
There is a broad discussion in the scientific field regarding the introduction of alternative or supportive therapies to psychotropic drugs usually used to combat psychological pathologies. These medicines, in fact, are characterized by various side effects, in addition to the fact that their prolonged intake can give rise to addiction and reduce their effectiveness. “Some psychobiotics already exist, and are prescribed only if an intestinal problem that can be linked, as a cause or cofactor, to a mood disorder is diagnosed – specifies the author of the study -. In these cases it is possible to insert a psychobiotic as an adjuvant of therapy with psychotropic drugs”.
Do all bacteria have anxiolytic power? “No, and this will be the objective of our next studies, that is to understand which of the eight bacteria was most effective in this sense – concludes Farioli -. From other research, however, we know that some lactobacilli and bifidobacteria (for example the Lactobacillus acidophilus, the Lactobacillus ramnosus and the Bifidobacterium lactiswhich are found in yogurt) have a specific role in combating anxiety or stress syndromes.”