TAKING PROBIOTICS TO BOOST YOUR MOOD
In a ground-breaking study featured in the programme, Professor Phil Burnet from Oxford University explains how taking a probiotic supplement containing healthy bacteria can improve your mental health.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts promoted as having various health benefits. They re usually added to yoghurts or taken as food supplements, and are often described as good or friendly bacteria.
Probiotics are thought to help restore the natural balance of bacteria in your gut (including your stomach and intestines) when it s been disrupted by an illness or treatment.
There s some evidence that probiotics may be helpful in some cases, such as helping prevent diarrhoea when taking antibiotics, and helping to ease some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
You are likely familiar with the serious consequences of anorexia for those who experience it, but you might not be aware that the disorder may not be purely psychological.
E-Mail
You are likely familiar with the serious consequences of anorexia for those who experience it, but you might not be aware that the disorder may not be purely psychological. A recent review from researchers at the University of Oxford in the open-access journal
Frontiers in Psychiatry examines the evidence that gut microbes could play a significant role in anorexia by affecting appetite, weight, and psychiatric issues such as anxiety and compulsive behavior, among others. Intriguingly, the study also examines the potential for microbial treatments for anorexia, but highlights that we are just beginning to understand the complex relationship between gut microbes and disease.
Anorexia nervosa is a very common psychiatric disorder and can be incredibly debilitating or even fatal, but is unfortunately still quite challenging to treat, said study co-author Ana Ghenciulescu, from Oxford s Corpus Christi College.