Scientists have long known that eating yogurt helps prevent yeast infections as well as colds and other ills by supporting the immunity system with its rich stores of the good bacteria Lactobacillus. Well, now scientists say those same bacteria improve your mood and erase fatigue. The proof: In a landmark study, volunteers who were given the bacteria every day for two months had significantly less anxiety and higher energy levels than those who received a placebo, reports the journal Gut Pathogens. Turns out, what happens in the gut affects the brain. How? Ingesting Lactobacillus (either through yogurt, such as Dannon’s Activia or Stoneyfield Farm Organic Yogurt, or popping 1 billion to 5 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus supplements) provides fuel for the production of the amino acid tryptophan, which is the building block of serotonin—a hormone in the brain linked to happiness and better sleep, explains study author Vinket Rao, Ph.D.
[photo credit: tigr]
