Psychobiotics: Your microbiome has the potential to improve your mental health, not just your gut health

Psychobiotics is an upcoming class of medicines geared towards promoting psychological health through the alteration of your microbiota (Gut Bacteria).

Doctors have known since long that certain mental health problems do have their origin in the gut, like inflammation, but a detailed study on mice is now being done, with large-scale studies on humans in the offing.

The link between the brain the gut works in three ways:

1. Bacteria produce certain chemicals that travel via the vagus nerve to the brain.
2. An amino acid called tryptophan, which is a building block for serotonin is produced by gut bacteria.
3. Bacteria influence the gene expression of the brain, changing our mood.

New kinds of treatments related to our microbiome are now possible in areas where medicine has been unpleasant or has some unwanted side effects.

For example: Children having gastrointestinal problems, show improvements in mental performance after being treated by a transplant of microbes.

A good, varied diet is essential for good gut health. Health Experts recommend the Mediterranean diet, which has:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Beans and lentils.
• Nuts and whole grain.
• Usage of olive oil.
• Fish, chicken and eggs.

It is also crucial to avoid sugar, cakes, and red meat.