How Probiotics can Support Your Emotional Health

Probiotics aren’t just for gut health. If you think of the foods you eat, each of them have different properties. One food may be rich in iron, and another may be exalted for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Similarly, probiotics vary in the health benefits they deliver. That’s why we’ve included 8 specific strains in our unique ecoProbiotic formula. They work synergistically, each bringing their own benefits.

While many people associate probiotics with the gut or the immune system, probiotics can also benefit your mood, stress response and overall neurological health in a variety of ways:

• Support a healthy mood
• Help manage stress
• Bolster memory
• Support cognitive functioning
• Support deeper, more restful sleep
• Support healthy behaviors
• Influence what you want to eat

The bottom line? Your nervous system is both directly and indirectly impacted in a variety of ways from the absence or presence of specific gut microbes.

According to a 2016 paper, “Research over the past few years reveals that the gut microbiome plays a role in basic neurogenerative processes such as the formation of the blood-brain barrier, myelination, neurogenesis, and microglia maturation, and also modulates many aspects of animal behavior.”¹

As you improve your gut microbiota, these beneficial bacteria produce more health-promoting metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and tryptophan that offer numerous benefits, including direct support for your Central Nervous System.²

Probiotics also can have direct influence through the gut-brain axis. This is a link between your enteric (digestive) nervous system, and your central nervous system (CNS). 

Probiotics can directly alter your CNS biochemistry, affecting neurotransmitters like GABA, 5 hydroxytryptamine (5-HTP), and dopamine.² 

All of this translates into benefits for your mood, and even your subconscious behavior. 

A stressful event, or even a thought, triggers the sympathetic nervous system to go into “fight or flight” mode. That launches a cascade of cellular signals that are designed to prepare you to fight or flee, such as your heart racing (more alert) and eyes dilating (focusing on your environment).

In 2011, researchers were able to influence this domino effect when they modified the gut microflora in mice. They showed that when given the probiotic strain, L. rhamnosus, the mice exhibited less stress and anxiety in response to stressful triggers.³

What is L. rhamnosus? Otherwise known as Lactobacillus rhamnosus, it is one of the probiotic strains you can find in ecoProbiotic.

1. Lactobacillus rhamnosus  has a wide variety of benefits, including the support of digestive health, respiratory health, immunity, and other areas.

Research is showing that L. rhamnosus is also beneficial in helping people with symptoms of anxiety and mood imbalances.

But it isn’t the only all-star in brain health in ecoProbiotic.

2. Lactobacillus casei has also been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety, notably chronic fatigue patients who are having difficulty navigating their emotional symptoms. ⁴

We now know that some bacteria can spur symptoms of anxiety, and dysbiosis can also be a contributing factor to developing anxiety.

In our ecoProbiotic formulation, we use L. casei to support your GI lining integrity, and promote colon cellular health, metabolic balance, and other areas.

Other than stress and anxiety, are there other probiotics that benefit your nervous system?

3. Bifidobacterium longum has been shown to reduce cortisol levels and improve cognitive function. Benefits may be due to its effects on nerve cell membranes that are important in brain health. ⁵

We have included B. longum in ecoProbiotic due to its incredible ability to convert carbohydrates into lactic acid, and prebiotic oligosaccharides into energy. It also supports healthy immune function, mood, and other areas.

Published research, together with the clinical benefits we see from ecoProbiotic, tells us that this advanced probiotic formula is a smart choice for supporting numerous areas of health, including neurological health and wellness.

ecoProbiotic delivers 8 clinically-studied strains of live lactic acid bacteria and puts them in a liquid, highly active and bioavailable form. Each of these 8 strains offer something a little different that your body craves and needs—including microbiome diversity. The stronger your microbiome, the healthier you can be overall—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Sources:

₁ Sharon, Gil & Sampson, Timothy & Geschwind, Daniel H & Mazmanian, Sarkis K. (2016). The Central Nervous System and the Gut Microbiome. Cell. 167. 915-932. 10.1016/j.cell.2016.10.027.

₂ Wang, Huiying & Lee, In-Seon & Braun, Christoph & Enck, Paul. (2016). Effect of Probiotics on Central Nervous System Functions in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review. Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. 22. 10.5056/jnm16018.

₃ Bravo JA, Forsythe P, Chew MV, Escaravage E, Savignac HM, Dinan TG, Bienenstock J, Cryan JF. Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Sep 20;108(38):16050-5

₄ Rao AV, Bested AC, Beaulne TM, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a probiotic in emotional symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Gut Pathog. 2009;1(1):6. Published 2009 Mar 19. doi:10.1186/1757-4749-1-6

₅ Mawatari S, Sasuga Y, Morisaki T, Okubo M, Emura T, Fujino T. Identification of plasmalogens in Bifidobacterium longum, but not in Bifidobacterium animalis. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):427. Published 2020 Jan 16. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-57309-7