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Mind-altering microbes: Probiotic bacteria may lessen anxiety and depression
Professor John Cryan, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork (Credit: Image courtesy of University College Cork) ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2011) — Probiotic bacteria have the potential to alter brain neurochemistry and treat anxiety and depression-related disorders according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research, carried out by Dr Javier Bravo, and Professor John Cryan at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in University College Cork, along with collaborators from the Brain-Body Institute at McMaster University in Canada, demonstrated that mice fed with Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 showed significantly fewer stress, anxiety and depression-related behaviours than those fed with just broth. Moreover, ingestion of the bacteria resulted in significantly lower levels of the stress-induced hormone, corticosterone. "This study identifies potential brain targets and a pathway through which certain gut organisms can alte
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