Probiotics and Mental Health

Your second brain plays a major role in mood and mental function

If you're thinking of supplementing with probiotics, make sure you find something in a refrigerator or it might not be of much use. Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock

You may wonder how beneficial bacteria could possibly have a positive impact on mental health. If you have heard of the brain-gut axis—the pathway that exists between the brain and the gut—then you might guess there is a definite link between these two areas of the body.

This relationship is important to understand so you can take advantage of using probiotics to assist with mental health issues. Let’s begin with a few basics.

How Can Probiotics Affect the Brain?

Probiotics, also known as beneficial or good bacteria, consist primarily of species in both the Lactobacillus (L.) and Bifidobacterium (B.) genera. These bacteria live in the intestinal tract and are charged with supporting nutrient absorption and keeping the body in balance. Probiotics are part of the body’s microbiome, which also consists of viruses, protozoa, and fungi (including yeasts).