Probiotics and the microbiota-gut-brain axis: focus on psychiatry
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Published Version
Date
2020-09
Authors
Mörkl, Sabrina
Butler, Mary I.
Holl, Anna
Cryan, John F.
Dinan, Timothy G.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Published Version
Abstract
Purpose of Review Probiotics are living bacteria, which when ingested in adequate amounts, confer health benefits. Gutmicrobes are suggested to play a role in many psychiatric disorders and could be a potential therapeutic target. Between the gut and the brain, there is a bi-directional communication pathway called the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The purpose of this review is to examine data from recent interventional studies focusing on probiotics and the gut-brain axis for the treatment of depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.Recent Findings Probiotics are likely to improve depression but not schizophrenia. Regarding anxiety, there is only one trial which showed an effect of a multispecies probiotic. However, determinants like the duration of treatment, dosage and interactions have not been thoroughly investigated and deserve more scientific attention.Summary Microbiome-based therapies such as probiotics could be cautiously recommended for depression to enhance beneficial bacteria in the gut and to improve mood through the gut-brain axis.
Description
Keywords
Anxiety , Depression , Gut microbiota , Microbiota-gut-brain axis , Probiotics , Psychiatry , Schizophrenia , Vagal nerve
Citation
Mörkl, S., Butler, M. I., Holl, A., Cryan, J. F. and Dinan, T. G. (2020) 'Probiotics and the microbiota-gut-brain axis: focus on psychiatry', Current Nutrition Reports, 9 (3) pp. 171-182. doi: 10.1007/s13668-020-00313-5