Feeding the Mind: The Role of Fermented Foods and Probiotics in Anxiety Treatment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2025.43.62368Keywords
probiotics, anxiety disorders, mental health, gut microbiota, gut-brain axis, fermented foodAbstract
Introduction: Anxiety disorders represent the most common mental health disorders globally which makes their treatment a major clinical problem. Recent research has increasingly focused on the gut-brain axis, because scientists have discovered that gut microbiota functions as a key controller of mental health. Scientists investigate fermented foods as dietary interventions because they contain probiotics and bioactive molecules to potentially adjust the gut-brain axis for anxiety symptom reduction.
Methods: This review combines results from PubMed and Google Scholar databases through searches of "probiotics," "gut microbiota," "anxiety disorders," "fermented food" and "gut-brain axis" to evaluate existing evidence.
Findings: Research shows that the gut microbiota influences anxiety through multiple pathways, including direct modulation of microbial composition, production of neuroactive compounds like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and regulation of systemic inflammation. Research conducted in both laboratory and human subjects demonstrates that consuming fermented foods together with particular probiotic strains can positively impact these mechanisms. However, clinical evidence shows inconsistent results because some studies demonstrate substantial anxiety symptom reduction in clinical populations yet other investigations reveal minimal or no effects while bacterial strain and dosage and host factors play a significant role.
Conclusion: The gut microbiota is a promising therapeutic target for anxiety disorders. Specific probiotics and fermented foods added to the diet could become important supplementary treatments. Nevertheless, large-scale, well-controlled clinical trials are necessary to establish optimal strains, dosages, and treatment protocols to translate these findings into reliable clinical strategies.
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