Feed your microbes to deal with stress

Feed your microbes to deal with stress: a psychobiotic diet impacts microbial stability and perceived stress in a healthy adult population (2022)​

The impact of diet on the microbiota composition and the role of diet in supporting optimal mental health have received much attention in the last decade. However, whether whole dietary approaches can exert psychobiotic effects is largely understudied. Thus, we investigated the influence of a psychobiotic diet (high in prebiotic and fermented foods) on the microbial profile and function as well as on mental health outcomes in a healthy human population...

The foods in focus of the psychobiotic diet included those known to influence the microbiota, namely, whole grains, prebiotic fruits and vegetables, fermented foods, and legumes while discouraging consumption of “unhealthy” foods such as sweets, fast food or sugary drinks...

A short term psychobiotic dietary intervention improved perceived stress in a healthy population, while eliciting specific metabolic changes in the gut microbiota. However, results should be interpreted with caution as, although improvements in stress responses were only observed within the intervention group, there were no significant differences between groups after the intervention.

Nevertheless, given the fundamental influence of stress on the risk for developing other chronic diseases such as depression, these findings hold promise as potential therapeutic and preventative approaches. Thereby, using dietary and lifestyle approaches to address mental health concerns will become increasingly important and could become reflected in future dietary guidelines.

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