Probiotics and prebiotics in combination can help manage anxiety symptoms

The use of probiotics and prebiotics, alone or combined, was associated with a significantly greater decrease in symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with depression compared to nonuse, a new study showed.

 

Researchers included 19 studies involving more than 1,400 adults with mild-to-moderate depression or major depressive disorder, of whom 523 acted as the control group.

 

In addition to assessing the effect of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics on depression scores, the investigators also assed their effect on anxiety in seven of the included studies (n = 481).

 

Compared with control individuals, participants receiving probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics had a significantly greater decrease in depression scores.

 

Subgroup analyses indicated significant between-group differences for depression scores on the basis of nationality, intervention duration, disease severity and BMI and for anxiety scores on the basis of nationality, age, assessment tool and number of strains.

 

This study was led by Reza Moshfeghinia, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. It was published recently in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.