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The Gut-Brain Connection: How Probiotics Support Mental and Cognitive Health

How Probiotics Support Mental and Cognitive Health

When most people hear “probiotics,” they think about digestive health. But did you know your gut does much more than help you digest pizza or salad? Scientists now know that your gut and brain are in constant communication, and the right probiotics can make a big difference for your mood and ability to think clearly—no matter your age.

The Gut-Brain Axis: Your Body’s Secret Communication Superhighway

Your gut and brain are connected by a network called the gut-brain axis. Think of it like a super-fast messaging app between your stomach and mind. The “texts” they send travel through:

Nerves: The vagus nerve runs from your gut up to your brain, passing along important signals from your gut/digestive symptoms to your brain.
Chemicals: Your gut also uses neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, the brain’s happy messengers, to talk directly to your brain.
Immune Signals: Gut bacteria help control inflammation, which can protect your brain by ensuring the pathways described above maintain their peak performance.

When your gut bacteria, also called your “microbiome,” are healthy, it boosts both your brain and mood. When your microbiome is out of balance, it affects how well you process stress, remember things, or handle anxiety. Clearly, if you’re under stress or suffering from anxiety, it’s important to keep your gut-brain axis as healthy as possible.

How Probiotics Influence Your Mind and Mood

Probiotics are the “good microbes” that live in your gut and come from either probiotic supplements or gut-friendly foods like yogurt and fermented foods like kombucha. Research shows that probiotic bacteria help your mental health by:

Calming Stress: Probiotics can lower stress hormone levels (like cortisol) and send relaxing signals to your brain.
Boosting Mood: By helping your gut make more serotonin, probiotics are shown to help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Improve Focus and Memory: Recent clinical studies, especially those using multi-strain probiotics, found improved reaction time, sharper thinking, and better executive function by enhancing your brain’s command center for decision-making.

Neuroimaging research (think: brain scans) has shown that taking probiotic supplements doesn’t just help your gut; they actually change how your brain works!

In fact, studies show that people who take probiotics regularly have:

Stronger Connections In Regions of the Brain Linked to Maintaining Focus
Reduced Activity In Areas That Lead to Negative Thoughts Or Feeling Distracted
A Boost In Regions of The Brain That Handle Emotion And Stress

What Does the Latest Science Say?

Recent experiments and meta-analyzes have found that regular probiotic use can:

Decrease Anxiety And Depression Scores on Mental Health Tests
Reduced Physical Stress Responses – Like a Racing Heart When Nervous
Help With Emotional Balance and Sharper Thinking, Even Under Pressure

One review from 2024 used brain scans to show that probiotics increase brain connectivity in networks that help you stay calm and collected, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed. This means probiotics really help your brain handle stress better.

Myth Busting

There is a lot of misinformation out there about gut health, gut diseases, and probiotics. Especially probiotic supplements. Don’t fall for these common misconceptions:

“Probiotics are Only for Digestion.” This is False! Probiotics Have Direct Impacts on Your Mood And Cognitive Function via the Gut-Brain Axis.
“All Probiotics Are The Same.” Not True. Multi-Strain Probiotics (Using Different Bacteria) Offer The Biggest Mental Benefits According to Recent Peer-Reviewed Studies.
“You’ll Feel Changes Overnight.” This is Another Misconception. Perceptual Mind and Mood Benefits Typically Emerge/Appear After A Few Weeks Of Regular Use.

The Key is regular use. If you take intermittent doses of probiotics, either through eating a healthy diet without processed food or through probiotic supplementation, your results will be reduced.

Simple Definitions

Gut Microbiome: The Collection of Good and Bad Bacteria Living Inside Your Digestive System.
Probiotics: Good Bacteria, Often Found In Healthy Foods, or in Probiotic Supplements, That Help Your Gut and Brain Function Better.
Neurotransmitters: Chemicals Like Serotonin and Dopamine That Pass Signals Between Your Gut and Brain.
Executive Function: Your Brain’s Ability to Plan, Focus, Remember, and Make Decisions.
Serotonin: A Chemical In Your Body Associated With Calmness, Focus, and Well-Being. It Also Plays a Significant Role in Digestive Functions, Appetite, and Sleep.
Dopamine: A Chemical In Your Body Linked to the Brain’s Reward System, Motivation, Pleasure, and Motor Control.

Everyday Tips for a Healthier Gut-Brain Connection

Here’s how to boost your gut-brain health today:

Eat More Fiber-Rich Foods – Veggies, Fruits, and Whole Grains are Your Gut’s Favorite Food and Diets Rich with Fiber Reduce the Need For Probiotic Supplements.
Try a Quality Multi-Strain Probiotic. Products like EndoMune Advanced Probiotics are Formulated Specifically to Support Both Gut and Mental Wellness.
Limit Sugary Drinks and Processed Snacks, Which Feed Bad Bacteria and Hurt Gut Health.
Manage Stress Through Activities You Enjoy – Music, Sports, or Quality Time with Friends Help Your Mind Reduce Stress and Anxiety.
Get Plenty of Sleep. Your Gut And Brain Both Need Rest to Perform at Peak Efficiency.

Key Takeaway: Take Charge of Your Brain—From the Inside Out

With new scientific research showing how important the gut-brain axis is to your mental health and mood, repairing or enhancing your gut health could be the key to thinking faster, feeling better, and staying resilient in tough times – without drugs or other medication. A simple daily addition like a multi-strain probiotic could help unlock both a healthier gut and a happier mind.

References

“What Is the Gut-Brain Connection?”, Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/the-gut-brain-connection clevelandclinic
“The gut-brain connection: What the science says”, Stanford Medicine: https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/03/gut-brain-connection-long-covid-anxiety-parkinsons.html
“4 Fast Facts about the Gut-Brain Connection”, NCCIH: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/news/events/4-fast-facts-about-the-gutbrain-connection
“Probiotics as modulators of gut-brain axis for cognitive development”, Frontiers in Pharmacology: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1348297/full
“From gut to brain: unveiling probiotic effects through a neuroimaging perspective”, Frontiers in Nutrition: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1446854/full
“Probiotics reduce negative mood over time: the value of daily self-assessment”, Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-025-00123-z
“Gut–sleep–brain axis: Probiotics may improve sleep & mood”, NutraIngredients: https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2025/07/23/gutsleepbrain-axis-probiotics-may-improve-sleep-mood

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gut-brain axis and the connection to mental wellbeing

The Gut-Brain Axis: How Probiotics Support Mental Health Through Digestive Wellness

Digestive Health, Mental Health, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Have you ever experienced “butterflies” in your stomach before a big event? Or made an important decision based on a “gut feeling?” These familiar feelings hint at something scientists recently confirmed: your gut and brain are deeply interconnected through what we call the gut-brain axis.

The Gut-Brain Axis isn’t just responsible for digestive issues during times of stress – it may also play a crucial role in your mental well-being. Recent scientific research reveals that our gut biomes influence our mood, anxiety, and cognitive function. That makes sense. No one is happy or at their emotional and cognitive best when their gut is upset.

What Exactly Is the Gut-Brain Axis?

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional network linking your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) with your enteric nervous system (the intricate network of neurons lining your gastrointestinal tract).

This network has multiple pathways, including the vagus nerve, hormonal signals, immune system activity, and other neurotransmitters.

One of the most important discoveries about this connection is that approximately 90 percent of your body’s serotonin—a neurotransmitter that regulates mood—is produced in the gut, with specific bacteria playing important roles in its production.

This finding revolutionizes how we understand the relationship between digestive and mental health.

How Your Gut Microbiome Affects Your Brain

The balance of your gut biome appears to impact your brain function through several mechanisms:

Neurotransmitter Production: Gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine that regulate mood, anxiety, and cognitive function.
Inflammation Control: Healthy guts reduce oxidative stress by producing antioxidant enzymes and inhibiting inflammatory responses, which improves neurological function.
Stress Regulation: A healthy microbiome helps regulate the body’s stress response by influencing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls cortisol (the body’s primary stress hormone) release.
Immune System Modulation: The gut microbiome plays a vital role in regulating your immune system, which affects inflammation levels throughout the body, including the brain.

When Your Gut Microbiome Is Out of Balance

An imbalance in gut bacteria (dysbiosis) can inhibit this vital gut-brain communication. Recent research has linked dysbiosis to various mental health challenges, including:

Anxiety Disorders
Depression
Stress Sensitivity
Cognitive Impairment
Sleep Disturbances

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School recently discovered that specific microbial metabolites—particularly indoles—directly regulate brain activity linked to anxiety, opening exciting possibilities for probiotic-based therapies to improve mental health.

The Probiotic Solution: Restoring Balance for Better Mental Health

Probiotics—beneficial gut microorganisms—offer a promising approach to supporting both gut and mental health. These “good bacteria” can help restore balance to your gut microbiome and strengthen the gut-brain axis.

According to a review published in February 2025, probiotics can regulate gut microbiota, which is vital not only for digestion and metabolism but also for immune function and mental health.

Multiple clinical studies show probiotics’ potential mental health benefits:

Reduced Anxiety and Depression Symptoms: A 2025 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that a multi-species probiotic reduced negative mood in healthy volunteers, with effects beginning after just two weeks of daily use.
Improved Stress Resilience: One study found that workers taking a probiotic containing Lactobacillus plantarum experienced significant reductions in self-perceived stress, depression, and overall negative emotions, along with decreased cortisol levels.
Enhanced Cognitive Function: Research has shown that specific probiotics like Lactobacillus rhamnosus are associated with improved cognitive performance, including better mental alertness and focus.
Reduced Rumination: Patients given a multi-strain probiotic experienced significantly fewer ruminative thoughts (repetitive negative thinking) compared to those taking a placebo.

EndoMune Probiotics: Supporting Your Gut-Brain Connection

EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, developed by a board-certified gastroenterologist, promotes digestive health and supports overall wellness, including the vital gut-brain connection.

What makes EndoMune particularly effective for supporting the gut-brain axis?

Multi-Strain Formulation: EndoMune Advanced Probiotic contains 10 strains of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, including Lactobacillus rhamnosus referenced above.
Prebiotic Support: EndoMune includes fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), a natural prebiotic made from plant sugars that feeds beneficial bacteria and enhances their effectiveness. Prebiotics like FOS may help mitigate depressive symptoms and support brain health alongside probiotics.
Scientifically Formulated: The specific bacterial strains in EndoMune were selected based on scientific research into their benefits for both digestive and mental well-being.
Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium Focus: These generally have shown significant potential in modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

How EndoMune Supports Serotonin Production

Serotonin is often referred to as a “happy hormone” due to its influence on mood and emotional regulation. Scientists estimate that 80-90 percent of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut. Research published in the medical journal Cell linked the production of serotonin in the gut by enterochromaffin (EC) cells to specific bacteria.

In an experiment with mice, researchers found that EC cells from germ-free animals produced about 60 percent less serotonin compared to normal mice. When gut bacteria from normal mice were transplanted into germ-free mice, their serotonin levels rebounded.

EndoMune’s multi-strain formula helps support the diverse bacterial community necessary for optimal serotonin production, potentially supporting more stable mood regulation naturally.

Beyond Serotonin: Multiple Pathways to Mental Wellbeing

The benefits of probiotics for mental health extend beyond serotonin production. As noted by researchers at University College Cork in Ireland, probiotics (sometimes called “psychobiotics” when referring to their mental health benefits) can produce and deliver neuroactive substances such as gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) and serotonin, which act on the brain-gut axis.

EndoMune’s comprehensive formula supports multiple pathways that influence mental well-being:

Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Reducing inflammation that can contribute to mood disorders.
Improved Intestinal Barrier Function: Preventing leaky gut that can trigger systemic inflammation.
Enhanced Nutrient Absorption: Supporting optimal brain function through improved nutrition.
Balanced Immune Response: Preventing overactive immune reactions that affect the brain.

How to Incorporate EndoMune into Your Mental Wellness Routine

For optimal gut-brain axis support:

Consistent Daily Use: Take EndoMune Advanced Probiotic daily as directed to maintain a steady presence of beneficial bacteria.
Pair With Prebiotic Foods: Enhance the effectiveness of your probiotic by consuming prebiotic-rich foods like bananas, onions, garlic, asparagus, and whole grains.
Reduce Stress: Even the best probiotics work better when complemented by stress-management practices like meditation, adequate sleep, and regular exercise.
Limit Gut Disruptors: Minimize eating processed foods, excessive alcohol, and unnecessary antibiotics that can disrupt your gut microbiome.
Be Patient: While some people notice improvements in digestion quickly, the mental health benefits of probiotics often develop gradually over several weeks of consistent use.

The Future of Gut-Brain Health Research

The field of gut-brain axis research is expanding rapidly. Scientists are investigating how specific probiotic strains might address various psychological conditions by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, directly influencing the immune system, and through the production of neurotransmitters and neurohormones.

Research consistently shows that incorporating prebiotics, probiotics, and symbiotics (combinations of pre- and probiotics) into a healthy diet can lead to improvements in cognitive functions and mood, potentially offering fresh approaches for maintaining brain health as we age.

Key Takeaways: A Holistic Approach to Mental Wellness

The emerging science of the gut-brain axis offers an exciting perspective on mental health, one that acknowledges the profound connection between our digestive system and our emotional well-being. By supporting your gut microbiome with a high-quality, multi-strain probiotic like EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, you’re not just investing in better digestion, you’re potentially supporting your mental health from the inside out.

Remember that probiotics work best as part of a comprehensive approach to wellness that includes a nutritious diet, regular physical activity, stress management, and good sleep hygiene. By addressing both your gut and brain health simultaneously, you may discover a more balanced, resilient state of well-being – naturally without medication.

For more on this important topic see this post.

References

“Gut over Mind: Exploring the Powerful Gut–Brain Axis” – Published in February 2025 in the journal Nutrients (MDPI). This recent narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the gut-brain connection and how probiotics regulate gut microbiota of both digestive and mental health benefits.

URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/5/842

“Scientists reveal gut microbes’ hidden role in anxiety” – published in February 2025 by Duke-NUS Medical School in Science Daily. This study discovered the connection between gut microbial metabolites (specifically indoles) and anxiety-related behavior, suggesting potential for probiotic-based therapies.

URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250205165613.htm

“Probiotics reduce negative mood over time: the value of daily self-reports in detecting effects” – Published in NPJ Mental Health Research. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that a multispecies probiotic reduced negative mood in healthy volunteers after two weeks of use.

URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-025-00123-z

“Probiotics as modulators of gut-brain axis for cognitive development” – Published in Frontiers in Pharmacology (February 2024). This research explains the mechanisms by which probiotics influence neurotransmitter production and cognitive function, including the role of different bacterial strains in producing serotonin and GABA.

URL: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1348297/full

The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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Women: Are You Protecting Your Gut-Brain Axis?

Digestive Health, Mental Health, Women’s Health / By Staff Writer

Women: Are You Protecting Your Gut-Brain Axis?

A healthy and balanced gut microbiome keeps a woman’s gut-brain axis working smoothly and makes a world of difference to her emotional health. Women: are you protecting your gut-brain axis?

Not so long ago, science debated the existence of the gut-brain axis, the connection that links your gut, emotions and brain.

That changed once modern medicine proved that as much as 90 percent of the serotonin (a chemical that governs your emotions) your body produces comes from your gut and specific bacteria play key roles in making it.

Your ability to generate the amount of serotonin your body that keeps your gut-brain axis working as it should and your emotions on an even keel depends on the healthy diversity of bacteria in your gut.

This balance or imbalance of gut bacteria concerning emotional health was the chief finding in a recent study appearing in Psychological Medicine.

The Study

In the first phase of research, scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard surveyed more than 200 middle-aged women about their feeling over the past 30 days, asking them to report positive and negative emotions along with how well they handled them.

Three months later, women provided stool samples that were analyzed in ways that enabled researchers to find patterns in human health and how their emotions influenced them.

No surprise, women who suppressed their emotions had less diverse gut microbiomes and higher levels of bad bacteria while those who reported happier feelings had lower levels of those specific species.

“This was what you would expect, but it was kind of amazing that we saw it,” says Dr. Laura Kubzansky, a professor in the Chan School’s department of behavioral science at Harvard.

The Solution

There’s a lot a woman can do to give her gut-brain axis a gentle reset in a good direction, starting with making lifestyle changes. For example, eating healthier meals including foods rich in dietary fiber is a great start.

When life gets in the way and you’re on the go, here’s an additional step you should consider: Take a probiotic formulated with multiple strains of lab-tested beneficial bacteria and a prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your gut.

If you’re looking for a probiotic that will protect the healthy balance of bacteria in your gut and strengthens the connections in your gut-brain axis, consider the proprietary blend of 10 strains from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families plus a proven probiotic (FOS) in each daily dose of EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.

References

Psychological Medicine

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

The Harvard Gazette

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Probiotics + An Antidepressant = Gut-Brain Axis Relief

Mental Health / By Staff Writer

Probiotics + An Antidepressant = Gut-Brain Axis Relief

Are you taking an antidepressant to help you better manage your emotions, but finding that drug you’ve been prescribed isn’t working as well as it should?

That’s not unusual at all given that some 60 percent of patients with a major depressive disorder (MDD) experience some issues with first-line medicines, and about a third of patients continue to have problems after more treatments.

This may be a sign that your gut brain axis — the proven connection that links your brain, intestines and emotions — may need some extra help, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with an MDD.

Scientists at King’s College London came to a similar gut-based conclusion after conducting a pilot study that monitored the mental and physical health of MDD patients appearing in JAMA Psychiatry.

Multi-Strain Probiotics To The Rescue

A small group of 46 adult patients (primarily women ages 18-55) completed a trial that compared taking an antidepressant (mainly an SSRI drug) with a multi-strain probiotic or a placebo every day for eight weeks.

Interestingly, both probiotic and placebo groups experienced improvements in their symptoms, but the probiotic enjoyed even better results from week four to the end of the trial.

“The gut-brain axis is a truly fascinating and rapidly evolving area of microbiome research,” says study author Dr. Viktoiya Nikolova. “The findings of this pilot study are an important step forward in our understanding of the role of probiotics in mood and mental health.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve shared how effective multi-strain probiotics can be in relieving symptoms of depression, but it’s among the first to use them alongside antidepressants.

Interestingly, all but one of the strains of beneficial bacteria contained in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic were ingredients contained in the probiotic used in this study.

So, if you’re struggling with a MMD and are concerned it’s not working as it should, consider giving your gut-brain axis a gentle boost with the help of EndoMune.

Resources

JAMA Psychiatry

King’s College London

Neuroscience News

Nutraingredients Europe

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IBS and Your Gut-Brain Axis in Conflict

Mental Health / By Staff Writer

IBS and Your Gut-Brain Axis in Conflict

A good argument can be made for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) being not only the most common condition gastroenterologists diagnose — it affects an estimated 15 percent of all Americans — but one of the most challenging ones too.

But familiarity doesn’t guarantee clarity, considering IBS comes in three different subtypes: IBS-D (diarrhea), IBS-C (constipation) and IBS-A (a mix of diarrhea and constipation).

An aspect of IBS that’s rarely explored: its potential impact on your gut-brain axis, the connection that links your brain, intestines and emotions.

So, it should come as no surprise that mental health issues are much more prevalent among IBS patients than those who aren’t, based on an analysis of data conducted by researchers from the University of Missouri.

Mental Health Challenges and IBS

Scientists collected mental health data on more than 1.2 million IBS patients hospitalized in 4,000 U.S. hospitals over a three-year period from a national database, according to the study appearing in the Irish Journal of Medical Science.

More than 800,000 IBS patients in a hospital setting experienced symptoms of anxiety (38 percent overall) or depression (27 percent overall) at rates more than double the norm compared to people without IBS.

Overall, the prevalence of those problems plus bipolar disorder, suicidal attempts/ideation and eating disorders was significantly higher than the general adult population.

This is where the gut-brain axis comes into play, says Dr. Zahid Ijaz Tarar, lead researcher and assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Missouri. “Medical professionals need to treat both ends of the axis.”

“I frequently tell my patients who have IBS that, if they have any type of psychologic stress, it will get expressed in some form or another,” says Yezaz Ghouri, senior author and assistant professor of clinical medicine and gastroenterology at the University of Missouri.

Given that at least 90 percent serotonin your body produces is generated in the gut and specific bacteria play key roles in producing it, disruptions from IBS or other gut health issues do matter.

Solutions For Treating IBS and Gut-Brain Axis

If you suffer from IBS and have emotional challenges because your gut-brain axis is out of balance, plenty of good options are available that help out on both fronts.

For example, cleaning up your diet, devoting some time each week to exercise and paying attention to your sleep can do a lot of good.

If managing your stress becomes a challenge, your physician may want to prescribe an antidepressant drug like a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) like fluvoxamine or an older tricyclic drug like amitriptyline.

You’ll also want to consider taking a probiotic, a proven and effective non-drug solution that helps your gut and brain at the same time. But not just any probiotic will do…

A probiotic formulated with proven strains from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families, like those contained in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, can go a long way toward relieving your IBS and rebalancing your gut-brain axis safely and effectively.

Resources

Irish Journal of Medical Science

University of Missouri School of Medicine

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The Probiotic Benefit For Gastric Bypass Patients

Diet, Disease / By Staff Writer

The Probiotic Benefit For Gastric Bypass Patients

With greater numbers of people struggling with a myriad of health issues surrounding obesity, the popularity of gastric bypass procedures that help patients shed extra pounds has grown exponentially over the past three decades.

Although gastric bypass isn’t for everyone who suffers from severe weight-related health problems, this procedure can be an important catalyst toward better health outcomes.

Losing the weight with the help of gastric bypass is merely the first step. It takes a great deal of work and mental determination to follow a healthier diet plan rather than a nutrient-poor Western diet which is often the reason many patients consider gastric bypass in the first place.

However, taking a probiotic formulated with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains may be a very safe, gut-friendly solution that eases some of the issues gastric bypass patients face, according to a recent study.

The Gut-Brain Connection At Work

A team of Brazilian researchers conducted a clinical trial with 101 gastric bypass patients to assess the gut-brain benefits of prescribing a probiotic containing Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus acidophilus, targeting symptoms of binge eating and food addictions.

(These strains of beneficial bacteria are among the 10 formulated in every bottle of EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.)

Patients received a multi-strain probiotic or placebo for three months, starting seven days after their gastric bypass surgeries, then were evaluated at the 90-day and 1-year marks to assess outcomes.

Both patient groups experienced decreases in symptoms at three months. But, the real benefit of taking a multi-strain probiotic showed up a year later as patients still experienced significant gut-brain relief from binging and food addictions.

What If Gastric Bypass Isn’t An Option?

For many people, gastric bypass may not be the best option to lose weight. You may not be keen on weight-loss surgery, especially if the amount of weight you need to lose is a much more manageable number that can be aided by eating nutrient-dense foods and increasing your exercise.

If you want to lose weight safely and more slowly but need some extra help, you may want to consider EndoMune Metabolic Rescue, a probiotic that can help you maintain the healthy balance of bacteria in your gut and jumpstart your weight loss plan.

EndoMune Metabolic Rescue contains a proven blend of Bifidobacterium lactis and the prebiotic XOS (Xylooligosaccharides) that stimulates the release of hormones in your gut that reduce your appetite naturally by promoting a greater sense of fullness.

If gastric bypass isn’t in your future, it’s good to know you have gut-healthy options in the EndoMune family of probiotics that can make your weight-loss journey a good experience.

References

ABCD (Arquivos Brasileiros de Cirurgia Digestiva)

Nutra Ingredients

Mayo Clinic

Porto Biomedical Journal

Medline Plus

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Man laying in bed with arms behind his head

Support Mental Health With Multi-Strain Probiotics

Mental Health, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Enhance Mental Health With Multi-Strain Probiotics, Antidepressants

Modern medicine has really warmed up over the years to acknowledging the existence of the gut-brain axis, the vital connection that links your brain, emotions and intestines.

This relationship has become so familiar and accepted, modern medicine has begun to explore how probiotics may become an important tool in support of standard treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), better known as depression.

That’s important, considering two-thirds of all patients don’t respond well initially to antidepressants, and nearly 30 percent of treatment-resistant patients experience additional symptoms when receiving specialized treatments.

Scientists at the University of Basel cited those downbeat numbers when sharing the very positive results of their study appearing in Translational Psychiatry that showed how multi-strain probiotics can make a real impact of the mental health of patients grappling with depression.

The Gut-Brain Axis Difference

Forty-seven patients completed the trial that compared mental health scores based on taking a multi-strain probiotic or a placebo in addition to their usual treatments for 31 days.

(Four of the eight strains of bacteria in the multi-strain probiotic used in this study are contained in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, including ones from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families.)

Although symptoms of depression decreased among all patients, researchers observed a greater 55 percent improvement among those taking a multi-strain probiotic, not only in mental health scores but maintaining an abundance of good gut bacteria.

What’s more, the beneficial effect of taking a probiotic was observed in a reduction of neural activity in the portion of the brain that influences some motor behaviors and modes of learning known as the putamen.

One caveat to these good positive findings that most would expect: Levels of those health-promoting bacteria dropped four weeks after the end of the study, making scientists wonder if roughly a month was time enough to stabilize a patient’s gut and their gut-brain axis.

Taking a probiotic is a great non-drug solution for treating persistent health problems ranging from depression to irritable bowel syndrome.

The way to get the most out of any probiotic, like EndoMune, is to take it every day, and if you need some tips on taking one, check out our recently updated how-to basics for all age groups and the four good reasons why probiotics make such an important impact on your health.

Resources

Translational Psychiatry

University of Basel

Nutra Ingredients.com

Mayo Clinic

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Gut-Brain Axis In Babies

Children’s Health, Digestive Health, Mental Health / By Staff Writer

Your Baby’s Developing Gut-Brain Axis

As adults, we know our gut-brain axis — the connection that links our brain, intestines and emotions — is working and when it isn’t.

When those signals between the brain and gut get scrambled, something as simple as eating a highly processed, fast-food diet creates disruptions in the delicate balance of bacteria in our guts that can soon lead to obesity and lots more stress in our lives.

You may be surprised to learn that the gut-brain axis is at work even at the beginning of our lives as infants, and it’s noticeable when it isn’t.

If you’re a new mom who wonders why her newborn may be more fearful and fussier than you expected, it may be linked to the diversity of your baby’s gut and how it may shape their developing gut-brain axis.

The Fear Factor

Looking for new ways to support healthy neurological development, researchers at Michigan State University and the University of North Carolina teamed up for a study to compare fearful reactions experienced by infants to the balance of bacteria in their developing microbiomes.

Reacting to fearful things is a normal part of infant development. But, when those responses continue even in safe situations, that could signal an elevated risk of your baby developing anxiety and depression later on in life, says Dr. Rebecca Knickmeyer of Michigan State, leader of the study published in Nature Communications.

To learn how infant gut microbiomes were connected to the fear response, investigators conducted a year-long study with 30 infants who were breastfeeding and hadn’t been prescribed antibiotics.

Scientists evaluated the mix of gut bacteria based on stool samples taken from infants at 1 month and 12 months and assessed their fear responses with a simple test: Watching how each baby reacted when a stranger entered a room wearing a Halloween mask.

Parents were with their babies the whole time and they could jump in whenever they wanted, Knickmeyer says. “These are really the kinds of experiences infants would have in their everyday lives.”

No surprise, newborns who were more fearful at age 1 had very noticeable imbalances in gut bacteria at 1 month compared to those whose microbiomes remained stable. But that’s not all.

Using MRI imaging of those children’s brains, researchers discovered the diversity or lack of it in their developing guts was linked to the size of their amygdala, the sector of the brain responsible for making quick decisions about potential threats.

The Future Of Your Baby’s Gut

The results of this report highlight how important it is to protect the balance of bacteria in your baby’s gut, even when they breastfeed, and avoid antibiotics, for the sake of their developing gut-brain axis.

This may be a good time to talk to your pediatrician about giving your baby’s gut some extra help in the form of a probiotic

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use probiotic with the right mix of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families plus a prebiotic that feeds the good guys in their gut, we hope you’ll consider EndoMune Jr. Powder.

Just a half-teaspoon of EndoMune Jr. sprinkled in your baby’s formula or added to soft foods (when your baby is ready) once a day can make a healthy difference.

Resources

Nature Communications

Michigan State University

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Illustrated graphic of a head next to a brain, digestive system, and supplements. Text reads "Mild Cognitive Impairment: Your Gut, Your Brain and Probiotics"

The Microbiome’s Effect On Mild Cognitive Impairment

Disease, Mental Health, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

Mild Cognitive Impairment: Your Gut, Your Brain and Probiotics

Given our existing knowledge of the gut-brain axis — the connection that links your intestines, emotions, and brain — it was only time before modern science would examine how the microbiome and human mind work together in other ways.

Lately, a growing number of researchers are studying the effect of the microbiome on mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a stage between the typical cognitive decline due to normal aging and dementia.

Nearly a fifth of people age 60 or older live with MCI, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Generally, the cognitive shifts associated with MCI are noticeable, but don’t limit a patient’s ability to do daily tasks.

Fortunately, MCI doesn’t always lead to Alzheimer’s and cognitive changes may improve in time and, occasionally, it can be misdiagnosed due to a drug side effect.

Based on what we’ve learned from a pair of recent studies, the health of the human gut may provide some clues about MCI and a possible treatment with the help of probiotics.

The Bad News: Gut Bacteria Imbalances

One of the first signs of trouble with gut health are imbalances in the microbiome. Based on a comparative analysis of fecal samples, a group of Chinese researchers spotted noticeable differences in gut bacteria between healthy patients and those with MCI in a study appearing in the Journal of Immunology Research.

On the plus side, MCI patients had significantly more of some strains from the Staphylococcus genus than the healthy controls. That may be problematic, given that another Staphylococcus strain has been linked to neurodegeneration, a deterioration of neuronal structures leading to cognitive problems and dementia.

On the minus side, those with MCI had reduced levels of Bacteroides strains, in line with previous research connecting them to Alzheimer’s. In fact, Chinese scientists recommended that these Bacteroides strains could be used as potential microbiome markers for MCI or Alzheimer’s.

The Good News: Probiotics

Fortunately, there may be a silver lining to all of this bad gut bacteria news with the help of a probiotic.

Japanese researchers compared the effect of a probiotic formulated with a proprietary strain of Bifidobacterium breve to a placebo on 80 healthy older MCI patients in a Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease report.

(Bifidobacterium breve is one of the 10 strains of beneficial bacteria contained in EndoMune Advanced Probiotic.)

After both MCI groups took a probiotic or placebo for 16 weeks, researchers measured cognitive functions with a battery of standard tests.

No surprise, patients who took a probiotic achieved significantly higher scores in relation to immediate memory, visuospatial functioning (tasks like buttoning a shirt, assembling furniture or making a bed), and delayed memory.

These studies are merely the beginning of many as science looks to stem the tide of memory issues that surface with MCI and measure how well non-drug therapies like probiotics will perform in the real world.

One thing is certain: Taking a daily probiotic, especially a multi-species product like EndoMune supports your gut-brain axis, improves your mood, alleviates stress and helps you get the restful sleep your body needs naturally, safely, and without a drug.

References

Alzheimer’s Association

Journal of Immunology Research

NutraIngredients USA

Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

Medical News Today

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Illustration of the human digestive tract. Text: Origins of IBS 101

IBS 101: The Origins

Diet, Digestive Health, Probiotics / By Staff Writer

IBS 101: The Origins

Some of the most popular articles on our website feature irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common condition gastroenterologists diagnose.

As many as 15 percent of all Americans may experience IBS symptoms during their lifetime, yet only a small portion of people are diagnosed and treated for it.

That’s really not surprising given the three IBS subtypes, depending on whether the main symptoms are constipation (IBS-C), diarrhea (IBS-D) or a mix of both (IBS-A), that can create a lot of confusion.

A recent European study conducted by the Dutch university, KU Leuven, has shed some new light on the real mystery: What triggers IBS.

Food Allergy Or No Food Allergy?

This team of Dutch researchers had already demonstrated how blocking histamine (a chemical released when the immune system is fighting a potential allergen) improved the health of IBS patients.

The real question: If the immune systems of healthy patients don’t react to foods, what would change to trigger IBS? This same European research team conducted tests on mice and IBS patients to find out.

Knowing that patients experience IBS symptoms after a GI problem like food poisoning, scientists infected mice with a stomach bug while feeding them a protein found in egg whites that’s commonly used as a food antigen (any molecule that provokes an immune response).

After the infections cleared up, mice that were fed the same food antigen a second time became sensitive to it, evidenced by the release of more histamine in their bodies and signs of abdominal pain.

What’s more, this immune response was localized in the part of the intestine infected by the gut bug but didn’t produce more generalized symptoms of a food allergy.

When researchers conducted a similar test on 12 IBS patients (injecting their intestines with a mix of cow’s milk, wheat, soy and gluten), the results mirrored the same ones seen in mice to at least one food antigen.

More Work To Be Done

Although scientists have identified one trigger for IBS, there’s still a lot of research ahead before a reliable solution ever comes. But you don’t have to wait to treat IBS dependably and safely.

We already know that following a more balanced diet with more fiber and fewer carbohydrates eases symptoms. A registered dietician may also recommend a FODMAP diet, a restrictive but temporary eating plan to help you target problem foods that could trigger IBS symptoms.

Your doctor may also recommend medications, but changes in a patient’s IBS subtype can make that a tricky proposition. Also, if stress is a factor in your IBS challenges, your physician may prescribe an antidepressant drug too.

However, if you’re wary about taking a drug, there are good non-drug options for easing symptoms, like probiotics that handle the key symptoms of each IBS subtype.

Probiotics do a great job of treating diarrhea and shortening its duration. Maintaining the motility in your intestines with help from probiotics eases constipation. And, when stress becomes a factor, probiotics work well to keep your gut-brain axis in balance.

The reputation of probiotics has become so rock-solid that professional organizations like the British Society of Gastroenterology recommend them as a frontline treatment for IBS.

When you’re looking for a good probiotic, be sure it’s formulated with multiple strains of beneficial bacteria that support the healthy microbial diversity of your gut.

Any probiotic you consider should also include a prebiotic, the unsung heroes of gut health that feed the bacteria living in your gut.

You can enjoy the best of both worlds with EndoMune Advanced Probiotic, formulated with 10 strains of beneficial bacteria from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families plus the proven prebiotic FOS.

Resources

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News

IBS 101: The Origins Read More »