Schizophrenia.com

Probiotics may hold key to improving mental health

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#1

Published Thursday, January 29, 2015 10:10PM EST
Last Updated Thursday, January 29, 2015 10:39PM EST

In the first study of its kind, Canadian researchers are investigating whether probiotics, the good stomach bacteria that aid digestion, regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation, may in fact be a treatment for those with bipolar disorder.

Human guts contain 400 different kinds of probiotics, and health food store shelves are filled with different brands to help keep them at optimal levels.

Researchers at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto are studying probiotics versus a placebo in 50 patients with bipolar disorder. The patients stay on their medication over the eight-week trial, and researchers are studying whether the probiotics help further stabilize their illness.

Probiotics are “a novel area for exploration” for treating mental illness, researcher Dr. Valerie Taylor, a psychiatrist at Women’s College, told CTV News.

The key to improving treatments, and the lives of those suffering from mental illness, may lie in “looking outside the box and other body systems,” Taylor said.

“There may be something (with probiotics) that is worth exploring and we’ll never know unless we try,” she said.

#2

I eat a lot of Greek yogurt

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#3

Never tried Greek yoghurt is it similar to ordinary yoghurt?

#4

It is similar but contains more pro biotic cultures. Tastes good

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#5

Yeah I like greek yogurt with granola

Its a great dessert

#6

I love Greek yogurt. I could eat a pound of it a day. I also take probiotic supplement which has millions of beneficial bacteria.

#7

Something like 90-95% of our bodies serotonin is produced in the gut. If you buy a probiotic there are many to choose from. Some have just one culture and others have a ton (and are expensive and have to be refrigerated).This piece was just on NPR last week about gut bacteria, if you want to listen.

#8

There’s a lot of studies lately that relate to weight gain and the health of gut bacteria.

There’s even a few that point to affects on the gut bacteria by atypical APs like Zyprexa.

#9

I love Greek Yogurt, but I really think that I am sensitive to the “good” bacteria - live cultures in the yogurt.
Every time I eat the stuff, my intestines pay the price.
I get bloated and will have stomach issues for weeks.
It’s a real shame, because I love the taste of it