There are many ways to help your body rebalance and fight anxiety, among them, prebiotics could play a very beneficial role.
They are often confused with probiotics. According to the World Health Organization, these are “living micro-organisms which, when ingested in sufficient quantities, exert positive effects on health, beyond the traditional nutritional effects”.
While prebiotics are a type of indigestible dietary plant fiber, which has the function of stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine. Prebiotics are indigestible since they have the particularity of not being digested from the top of the digestive tract, so they arrive intact in the colon to better protect the body against pathogenic bacteria. Many foods are a source of prebiotic such as garlic, bananas, honey, grapefruit, almonds, onions, asparagus, endives or lentils.
Prebiotics = better mental health
According to a new study published on April 15, 2021 in the medical journal Scientific Reports, prebiotics are said to have virtues for the mental health of young adults between 18 and 25 years old. “Animal research has shown the significant impact of the gut microbiota on the development and maturation of brain networks that underlie emotional behavior” explain researchers at the University of Surrey (UK). To confirm these theories, the British researchers worked with a group of 64 people, more specifically, women between the ages of 18 and 25. The participants were split into two groups: one received daily prebiotic supplementation over a 28-day period. The other group was only allowed a placebo during the same period.
At the end of the study, the scientists established a better mental health of the volunteers who benefited from supplementation with prebiotics. Young women also reported that she gets better sleep and that they are less prone to mood disorders.
“Nutritional interventions could strengthen the gut-microbiota-brain axis and remedy microbial imbalances“Add the authors of the study.
