Can Ingesting Probiotics and/or Probiotics Foods Reduce Your Anxiety?

From Dr. Mercola

Good Bacteria Helps Relieve Anxiety

The probiotic known as Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 has been shown to normalize anxiety-like behavior in mice with infectious colitis.

The Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility reported the novel finding that this bacteria's effect on anxiety involves modulating the vagal pathways within the gut-brain:

"As B. longum decreases excitability of enteric neurons, it may signal to the central nervous system by activating vagal pathways at the level of the enteric nervous system."

You may not be aware that you actually have two nervous systems:

Central nervous system, composed of your brain and spinal cord
Enteric nervous system, which is the intrinsic nervous system of your gastrointestinal tract
Both are actually created out of the same type of tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system.

These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. It is now well established that the vagus nerve is indeed the primary route your gut bacteria use to transmit information to your brain.

This one was released by my former university not so long ago -

Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve
Javier A. Bravoa,1, Paul Forsytheb,c,1, Marianne V. Chewb, Emily Escaravageb, Hélène M. Savignaca,d, Timothy G. Dinana,e, John Bienenstockb,f,2, and John F. Cryana,d,g,2
+ Author Affiliations

aLaboratory of NeuroGastroenterology, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre,
dSchool of Pharmacy, and Departments of
ePsychiatry and
gAnatomy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland;
bThe McMaster Brain–Body Institute, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 4A6; and Departments of
cMedicine and
fPathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4L8
Edited by Todd R. Klaenhammer, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, and approved July 27, 2011 (received for review February 27, 2011)

Abstract

There is increasing, but largely indirect, evidence pointing to an effect of commensal gut microbiota on the central nervous system (CNS). However, it is unknown whether lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus could have a direct effect on neurotransmitter receptors in the CNS in normal, healthy animals. GABA is the main CNS inhibitory neurotransmitter and is significantly involved in regulating many physiological and psychological processes. Alterations in central GABA receptor expression are implicated in the pathogenesis of anxiety and depression, which are highly comorbid with functional bowel disorders. In this work, we show that chronic treatment with L. rhamnosus (JB-1) induced region-dependent alterations in GABAB1b mRNA in the brain with increases in cortical regions (cingulate and prelimbic) and concomitant reductions in expression in the hippocampus, amygdala, and locus coeruleus, in comparison with control-fed mice. In addition, L. rhamnosus (JB-1) reduced GABAAα2 mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, but increased GABAAα2 in the hippocampus. Importantly, L. rhamnosus (JB-1) reduced stress-induced corticosterone and anxiety- and depression-related behavior. Moreover, the neurochemical and behavioral effects were not found in vagotomized mice, identifying the vagus as a major modulatory constitutive communication pathway between the bacteria exposed to the gut and the brain. Together, these findings highlight the important role of bacteria in the bidirectional communication of the gut–brain axis and suggest that certain organisms may prove to be useful therapeutic adjuncts in stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression.