Why not try these?
Why not try these?
Probiotics (microorganisms that have beneficial effects on humans) may be useful in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD).
Previous studies have indicated that the intestinal microbiota may play an important role in our mental health (mental health). And now it has been revealed that probiotics (microorganisms that have beneficial effects on humans) may be useful in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The research paper is published in the medical journal Translational Psychiatry on June 3, 2022.
Changes in the composition of the intestinal microflora were observed.
A research team from the University of Basel, Switzerland, and the psychiatric clinic UPK Basel studied the effect of probiotics on depressed patients in 47 inpatients at UPK Basel who were diagnosed as mild on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and who were receiving regular treatment for depression.
In addition to antidepressants, 21 of the subjects took probiotic supplements and the remaining 26 took sham medication for 31 days. The results showed that while the usual treatment with antidepressants improved the depressive symptoms of all subjects, the group that took probiotics showed greater improvement than the group that took the sham medication.
There were also changes in the composition of the intestinal microflora. The probiotic-treated group had an increase in lactobacilli at the end of the intake period, which was associated with an improvement in depressive symptoms. Four weeks later, the level of lactobacilli dropped again. Dr. Anna-Chiara Schaub of the University of Basel and the lead author of the study, considers that “four weeks is not long enough, and it may take more time for the new composition of the intestinal microbiota to stabilize.
Changes in brain activity as well.
Probiotics also produced changes in brain activity. Certain brain regions responsible for emotional processing behave differently in depressed patients, as measured by their responses to facial expressions.
The team used fMRI (magnetic resonance functional imaging) to image brain activity and examined the subjects’ responses to fearful and blank facial expressions. The results showed that brain activity normalized in the probiotic-treated group, while it did not in the sham-treated group.
Although the mechanism of the gut microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGB axis) has not yet been elucidated, the results of this study indicate that probiotics may be able to support treatment with antidepressant drugs.
Development of New Treatment Methods for Depression is an Urgent Need
At present, treatments for major depressive disorder are still unsatisfactory, and two-thirds of depressed patients do not respond adequately to the first dose of antidepressants. There is an urgent need to develop new treatments. Dr. Schaub hopes that “if we can identify bacteria with specific actions, we may be able to optimally select and combine them to support the treatment of depression.
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