# Do probiotic supplements reduce depression and anxiety? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 21, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816 "2013-10-21T13:47:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/1 "2013-10-21T13:47:43Z")
I had always lumped probiotic therapy in with other nutritional woo, but recently I heard about a study that suggests that p[robiotic supplements reduce depression and anxiety.](http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201206/do-probiotics-help-anxiety) In a nutshell, “good” bacteria in the gut stimulate the production of mellow brain chemistry, and “bad” bacteria stimulate the production of brain chemicals that induce depression and anxiety. Has anybody here tried probiotic supplements for depression or anxiety? Any anecdotal evidence that it helps? Experience with probiotic supplements as well as probiotic diets is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/2 "2013-10-21T14:34:48Z")
Here is [another article](http://abcnews.go.com/Health/anxiety-head-gut/story?id=20229136)that suggests a connection between bad gut bacteria to anxiety: > [@](#): > > [Dr. James Greenblatt, a Boston-area psychiatrist] said he had treated hundreds of patients for dysbiosis, a condition of microbial imbalances on or inside the body. “It’s a more common scenario than we know,” he said. > > Scientists are so far unable to identify every strain of bacteria, but they can test for the chemical byproducts that they produce, according to Greenblatt. > > He said he checks every patient for HPHPA with a simple organic acid urine test before moving ahead with medications to treat symptoms. > > “Eight out of 10 people are fine,” he said. “But in the two patients where it’s elevated, it can have profound effects on the nervous system.” > > “I don’t know why this test isn’t done on every psychiatric patient,” he said. 'I question that every day." ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/3 "2013-10-21T15:20:59Z")
There is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about probiotics and mental health. Right now, best evidence indicates they _may_ be helpful in the area of GI diseases, allergies (particularly skin allergies like eczema) and certain vaginal infections. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/4 "2013-10-21T15:24:52Z")
I get a little depressed if my tummy isn’t feeling right especially if diarrhea is involved. If probiotic yogurt helps fix the problem, I’m happier. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/5 "2013-10-21T15:43:17Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > There is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about probiotics and mental health. Right now, best evidence indicates they _may_ be helpful in the area of GI diseases, allergies (particularly skin allergies like eczema) and certain vaginal infections. Are there any potential downsides I should consider before starting a probiotic supplement? YANMD ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/6 "2013-10-21T15:48:18Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Are there any potential downsides I should consider before starting a probiotic supplement? YANMD Just that there’s no proven benefit, and that there _may_ be downsides of which we are not yet aware. The official warning at UpToDate (the state of the art medical website): > [@](#): > > Probiotics are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) the way standard medicines are. That means that the companies that package probiotics don’t have to prove that the ingredients listed on the label are actually in the bottle. In the end, you could buy a bottle that does not have what you think it has, so you could lose money. (Some probiotic pills are expensive.) > > Even if you do find pills that contain what you think they do, there’s a small chance the pills could do you harm. Probiotics are seen as safe and “friendly” but they are still bacteria, which could, in theory, cause infections in people with weak immune systems. IMHO, not a big risk, but there it is. All life is 6 to 5 against anyway. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/7 "2013-10-21T15:48:29Z")
Looks like great news if you’re a stressed mouse! 😃 In humans, we’re not so sure yet. Stay tuned for further developments. Of course, if you’re not immune impaired (HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy, etc.) then it’s unlikely for _Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG_ to harm you. So if you can find an affordable probiotic with that particular strain, let us know how it works out for you. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/8 "2013-10-21T15:54:33Z")
UpToDate on yogurt as a probiotic: > [@](#): > > Should I eat yogurt with “active cultures”? — Yogurt products that have “active cultures” have probiotics in them. If you like yogurt and can digest it normally, there is probably no harm in eating it. It’s possible that eating yogurt will help your digestion and help keep you healthy. If nothing else, low-fat yogurt can be a part of a healthy diet. > > Some women put plain yogurt directly into their vagina to help prevent or treat infections in the vagina. Experts do not recommend doing this, because studies have not proven that it actually helps. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/9 "2013-10-21T16:23:29Z")
Read your yogurt labels, though. Most yogurts don’t have _Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG_, which is the one that makes mice happy. Organic Stonyfield’s yogurt line does (last I knew, anyway), but Activia (owned by Stonyfield) doesn’t, Oikos doesn’t, Dannon doesn’t, Yoplait doesn’t and Fage doesn’t. For any probiotics in yogurt, make sure that it says “contains live active cultures” \*not \*“made with live active cultures”. Some manufacturers pasteurize the yogurt after it’s made, which kills the bacteria you want to consume alive. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/10 "2013-10-21T17:21:46Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Here is [another article](http://abcnews.go.com/Health/anxiety-head-gut/story?id=20229136)that suggests a connection between bad gut bacteria to anxiety: That article is full of red flags suggesting at best premature enthusiasm, at worst outright quackery. The psychiatrist (Greenblatt) is big on “alternative” medicine and uses a term [“dysbiosis”](http://www.foxnews.com/story/2001/04/06/quack-attack-case-dangerous-sippy-cup/) which is not a recognized disorder in evidence-based medicine, but has been used as a catch-all term encompassing alleged “imbalance” or “overgrowth” of organisms (like Candida) which have not been shown to cause the diseases claimed for them, and can result in unnecessary treatment (and anxiety!). The article uncritically mentions unsupported claims about autism and gut issues, and mentions the Great Plains Laboratory, which has come under fire for involvement in nonstandard tests (including “provoked” heavy metals testing in urine which is used to justify useless and potentially dangerous treatments of autistic children (such as chelation). There is a sort of irony involved in giving autistic children a powerful broad-spectrum antibitiotic to eliminate supposed Clostridia in their G.I. tract to improve behavioral symptoms, when it is such antibiotics that commonly kill off beneficial bacteria in the G.I. tract in the first place (hint: it makes no sense to give kids probiotics in an attempt to improve mood/behavior, while at the same time whacking those “good bacteria” with antibiotics). What is obviously lacking at this point are good controlled studies in which large numbers of patients with mood disorders or autism are given probiotics or a placebo and their signs/symptoms monitored over time. Until then, what we have is an interesting concept which some people have glommed onto and are running out of control with. I like the idea of nonstressed mice though. They might be easier to trap. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/11 "2013-10-21T17:33:12Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > I get a little depressed if my tummy isn’t feeling right especially if diarrhea is involved. If probiotic yogurt helps fix the problem, I’m happier. 🙂 I have IBS along with mood disorders and anxiety disorders. But I’m pretty sure the causative direction means that IBS is caused by the others. IOW, I shit because my brain is messed up, I don’t have mental trouble because my gut is bad. But of course a bad stomach at least doesn’t make you happy! > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Are there any potential downsides I should consider before starting a probiotic supplement? YANMD $$$ at least. > [@WhyNot](#): > > Read your yogurt labels, though. Most yogurts don’t have _Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG_, which is the one that makes mice happy. Organic Stonyfield’s yogurt line does (last I knew, anyway), but Activia (owned by Stonyfield) doesn’t, Oikos doesn’t, Dannon doesn’t, Yoplait doesn’t and Fage doesn’t. Activia is Dannon/Danone, as is Stonyfield. I guess the former is a brand, and Dannon owns at least 85% of Stonyfield so they’re not completely a Big Yogurt thrall :). Activia claims they have “Bifidus Regularis.” Such a pleasing name, except that it’s a Dannon trademark and doesn’t mean anything. I guess they found the name “Bifidobacterium animalis” too nasty (I’m eating **ANIMAL BACTERIA**!?). Make sure you (OP) do research on which ones have the most and all, and aren’t jumping on the trend. I don’t know about probiotics here, but Greek yogurt is essentially a meaningless term ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/12 "2013-10-21T17:55:09Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Read your yogurt labels, though. Most yogurts don’t have _Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG_, which is the one that makes mice happy. Organic Stonyfield’s yogurt line does (last I knew, anyway), but Activia (owned by Stonyfield) doesn’t, Oikos doesn’t, Dannon doesn’t, Yoplait doesn’t and Fage doesn’t. I have two brands of Greek-style yogurt: Chobani and a house brand from Hannafords Supermarket. Both list five live, active cultures: S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus and L. Casei. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/13 "2013-10-21T18:10:19Z")
I thought yogurt was just for women? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/14 "2013-10-21T18:10:57Z")
Greek style just means it’s had much of the whey removed (classic method) or it’s been thickened with extra protein and thickeners. Nothing to tell you about cultures which may or may not be present or active. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/15 "2013-10-21T18:14:37Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I have two brands of Greek-style yogurt: Chobani and a house brand from Hannafords Supermarket. Both list five live, active cultures: S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus and L. Casei. Nice list, but doesn’t include the one studied in that study. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, and it may be better for some applications, but if you want to try the strategy in the study, keep looking. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/16 "2013-10-21T18:16:48Z")
Yeah, I noticed, that’s why I am looking into supplements. Many brands of popular probiotics don’t include it either. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/17 "2013-10-21T19:21:31Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Right now, best evidence indicates they _may_ be helpful in the area of GI diseases, allergies (particularly skin allergies like eczema) and certain vaginal infections. There’s also good evidence that probiotics help prevent colds: [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006895.pub2/abstract](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006895.pub2/abstract) > [@](#): > > We included 14 RCTs, although we could only extract available data to meta-analyse in 10 trials which involved 3451 participants. **We found that probiotics were better than placebo when measuring the number of participants experiencing episodes of acute URTI: at least one episode: odds ratio (OR) 0.58; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36 to 0.92; at least three episodes: OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.36 to 0.80; rate ratio of episodes of acute URTI: rate ratio 0.88; 95% CI 0.81 to 0.96; and reduced antibiotic prescription rates for acute URTIs: OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.98.** Probiotics and placebo were similar when measuring the mean duration (MD) of an episode of acute URTI: MD -0.29; 95% CI -3.71 to 3.13 and adverse events: OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.37 to 2.28. Side effects of probiotics were minor and gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common. We found that some subgroups had a high level of heterogeneity when conducting pooled analyses. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/18 "2013-10-21T19:28:44Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > There’s also good evidence that probiotics help prevent colds: > > [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006895.pub2/abstract](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006895.pub2/abstract) Cochrane calls it **weak** , not good. From your link: > [@](#): > > The evidence is weak but our review shows a benefit in using probiotics to prevent acute URTIs. So at best, maybe. Or maybe not. More and better designed studies would help answer the question. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-probiotic-supplements-reduce-depression-and-anxiety/671816/19 "2013-10-21T20:17:04Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Yeah, I noticed, that’s why I am looking into supplements. Many brands of popular probiotics don’t include it either. I found it in a couple at Walmart today. (Unrelated to this thread, my husband asked me to find him a probiotic for his intermittent bowel issues, as the GI clinic has him on a waiting list.) The one I chose is Probaclac Healthy Flora Extra Strength, which I’ll let you google if you want to know all the 8 strains in it, cause I’m posting from my phone in the parking lot. 😉 I chose it because his problems are gut problems and it’s the closest formula I could find to the product I really want, something called VSL#3, which has shown interesting results in IBS and ulcerative colitis. I think I’m going to have to internet order that one, but we’ll try this in the meantime. Anyway, point is, this one and two others I saw have what you’re looking for, but I didn’t see any with that strain alone, only in blends.