What if consuming yogurt was beneficial for our… mental health?

We know: we are what we eat. But to what extent can some foods we consume impact our anxiety or even our mental health? Scientists have looked into the question and are about to see their study published in the journal Brain, behavior and immunity in January 2024. According to them, the good bacteria present in our intestines reduce mood disorders.

Lack of good bacteria can make anxiety and depression worse

To arrive at this deduction, scientists studied the behavior of mice with or without this type of bacteria. The latter come from“a collection of bacteria, known as the altered Schaedler flora, which includes two strains of Lactobacillus and six other bacterial strains.” And what they discovered was incredible. According to them, when the body suffers from a deficiency of Lactobacilli, mood disorders such as anxiety and depression would be exacerbated.

The authors of the study explain :

“Mice raised with a known consortium of gut bacteria containing L. intestinalis and L. murinus are more resistant to both acute and mild and chronic stressors than mice without Lactobacillus.”

But why ? According to them, these bacteria allow the “maintains levels of an immune mediator called gamma interferon which regulates the body’s response to stress and helps prevent depression”

But how do you repopulate your intestines with good bacteria?

If these different microorganisms play such an important role in our body, what do we do when we miss them? The answer is simple: it would be enough to consume yogurt (containing Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus), or even fermented foods such as kefir or kombucha be able to reverse the balance. But when ? Morning is a fantastic time. Ideally, you should wait 30 minutes between the time you consume your probiotic source and your first tea or coffee.

This way you can fully benefit from all the best that probiotics have to offer. Both on your mental health, but also on your digestive balance.