Have you heard that our gastrointestinal system is the “second brain”? Our guts might not only be responsible for food digestion and nutrient absorption. Some research evidence suggests that changes in our gut microbiota might also relate to our brain activities. A study shows that four-week intake of a fermented milk product with probiotics by healthy women might affect the activity of brain regions that are involved in emotion processing. Another research suggests that daily intake of a probiotic product enriched with bioactive components for four weeks may aid in stress coping.
So what are probiotic foods? Probiotics are live microorganisms such as yeasts that may be beneficial to health. Foods like yogurt, kimchi and miso might contain probiotics. Next time, when thinking about what to eat, you may consider adding some probiotic foods to your meal! However, please note that more researches might be needed to elucidate the benefits of probiotics on brain activities and emotions. Probiotic products may contain different types of probiotic bacteria and have different effects on the human body. The effects may also vary from person to person too.
