DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS REVERSED IN MICE USING PROBIOTICS: UVA STUDY by Josh Barney

A study from UVA in mice finds that #Probiotics reverse #depression. The researchers found that the amount of #Lactobacillus in the #gut affects the level of a metabolite in the blood called #kynurenine, which has been shown to drive depression. When Lactobacillus was diminished in the gut, the levels of kynurenine went up – and depression symptoms set in. (From left: Ioana Marin, Jennifer Goertz and Alban Gaultier (Contributed photo)

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have reversed depression symptoms in mice by feeding them Lactobacillus, a probiotic bacteria found in live-cultures yogurt. Further, they have discovered a specific mechanism for how the bacteria affect mood, providing a direct link between the health of the gut microbiome and mental health.

Based on their findings, the researchers are optimistic that their discovery will hold true in people and are planning to confirm their findings in patients with depression.“The big hope for this kind of research is that we won’t need to bother with complex drugs and side-effects when we can just play with the microbiome,” lead researcher Alban Gaultier said. “It would be magical just to change your diet, to change the bacteria you take, and fix your health – and your mood.”More at https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-reverses-depression-symptoms-mice-using-probioticsLink to the study: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep43859

Article written by jdb9a@virginia.edu