The best Pre and Pro-biotics you can take to promote micro-biome health: Including clinical study results.

If you’ve researched health/wellness recently, you’ve probably come across pre-biotics and pro-biotics. You may think of this as something your Doctor tells you to take (or eat yogurt in lieu) when you are taking an antibiotic.

Pre/pro-biotics have become increasingly popular over the past few years since clinical research has shown what all gut health and the Gut-Brain axis controls. Pro-biotics are living strains of bacteria that add good bacteria to the gut. Pre-biotics are food for the pro-biotics living in your gut (think of a fertilizer for the good bacteria).

According to Appleton (2018), the Gut-Brain axis is a two way communicative process that links the enteric and central nervous systems. The Gut-Brain axis also effects endocrine, humoral, metabolic and immunes systems. This means the brain via the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and nerves located within the GI tract work together allowing the brain to influence intestinal activities including immunity, mood, cognition and mental health (2018).

Research has shown that several mood disorders including anxiety, depression, and austism spectrum disorders have been linked to functional gastrointestinal disruptions.

Gastrointestinal diseases such as IBS and IBD usually involve psychological co-morbidities associated with the altered gut microbiome.

Research studies completed in 1998 revealed specific bacterias causing increased anxiety-like behavior in mice when introduced to them. This particular bacteria was Campylobacter Jejuni. This bacteria can be transmitted via unclean water or from animal intestines such as cattle, poultry, swine, birds and even household pets including dogs and cats.

Our autonomic system (involuntary body processes including your heart beating, breathing and digestion) influences the immune system activation within the gut microbiome.

Gut Microbiome affects what nutrients we absorb (or don’t absorb - if gut microbiome is poor). This nutrient absorption in turn influences the release of peptides necessary for normal body functions including sleep/wake cycle regulation, feeding, mood, blood pressure regulation, parental behavior, and neurotrophic functions (how nerves effect digestion)(2018).

I found a research study that tested various pre and pro-biotic strains effect on mood including depression and anxiety:

In 2002, a study involving 34 adults suffering from stress and exhaustion revealed that a combination of L acidophilus, B bifidum and B longum improved their general condition by 40% after six months. This was a very small study and it would be hard to know if their was a placebo affect, however for an almost 50% improvement in mood…. I might try it!

In 2004 a randomized, controlled, parallel study involving 136 healthy students being given L casei supplemenation to see if there was any benefit with anxiety levels, revealed no changes in anxiety. However, the students were noted to have beneficial alternations of lymphocyte and CD56 cell counts (immune response).

In 2007 a randomized, double-blind study involving 124 individuals investigated the result of consuming probiotic-containing yogurt. This had revealed improved mood in individuals who reported poor mood initially.

In 2009, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study involving 35 individuals who complained of chronic fatigue syndrome revealed an improvement in anxiety screening scores after supplementation with L casei for two months , although there was no change noted in depression scores.

In 2011, probiotics given to people with reduced cortisol levels (possibly individuals with Addisons’ disease- a disease that can cause depression), revealed a reduction in anxiety and depression scores after taking probiotics.

Another study completed in 2011 was a double-blind, randomized, controlled, parallel study involving 55 individuals revealed the consumption of L helveticus and B longum reduced somatization (physical symptoms of any stress on the body including, headaches, nausea and fatigue), depression and anger-hostility as well as self-blame scoring and increased focus on problem solving.

In 2014, a randomized double-blind study involving 36 individuals revealed administration of L helveticus supplementation for 3 months revealed imoprovements with memory recall of words, stories, sustained attention and working memory.

There are additional studies listed in the article. However, as we can see administration probiotics have been proven to reduce anxiety, stress, depression and anger symptoms as well as improve memory, mood, attention, immune response. Probiotics also have a positive effect on our sleep-wake cycle, feeding, mood, blood pressure, parental behavior, and nerve functions involving the gut.

Post-biotics are literally what they sound like, they are the by-product of pre and pro-biotics. Many pre and pro-biotic supplements include post-biotics now. These supplements are known as Synbiotics.

How can you change your gut microbiome? By taking Synbiotics.

If you are not already taking a Synbiotic, I have included some recommendations of a few.

The products below are amazon affiliate links. If you click on the pictures, you can purchase any of these. I may receive a small commission. 

This is the green blend I am currently using, it includes a blend of probiotics.

References

Appleton, Jeremy (2018). The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of Microbiota on Mood and Mental Health. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6469458/#:~:text=communication%20as%20well.-,The%20autonomic%20nervous%20system%2C%20hypothalamic%2Dpituitary%2Dadrenal%20(HPA,influence%20mood%2C%20cognition%2C%20and%20mental