Today's world moves fast. Maybe too fast. If modern life is causing you anxiety, fatigue, and stress, know you’re not alone.
The American Institute of Stress reports that nearly half of adults (49 percent) say that the anxiety and pressures of daily life negatively impact their behavior. (1)
The good news is that there are natural and easy ways to reduce stress. Read on to learn how supporting your gut is key to having healthy stress responses and moods.*
Your Gut on Stress
You may already know stress can trigger gut health issues, including constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain. IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), in particular, is often associated with anxiety and can involve symptoms like cramps, food sensitivities, and stomach discomfort.
The physical effects of stress on your gut can be harmful, but there’s more: even small changes in your gut microbe and gastrointestinal health can affect your emotional state. This can lead to a vicious cycle pretty quickly!
Here's what to know about the connection between your gut, brain, and mood - and how you can support your mental health by caring for your intestinal tract with targeted gut-brain probiotics.*
Your Second Brain
Your digestive system is so important - it even has a nervous system of its own! This is known as the enteric nervous system (ENS), often called our "second brain."
Your gut’s nervous system (the ENS) plays many roles, including: (2)
- Detecting nutrients for absorption
- Regulating motility of food through the GI tract
- Intestinal barrier function
- Immune responses
The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body, running between the brain stem and the colon. It regulates internal organ functions, including digestion. The vagus nerve communicates with the ENS in an important bidirectional flow of information between the gut and central nervous system. Interestingly, the ENS can also operate independently of the vagus nerve, implying that our body has multiple communication routes between the gut and brain. (3)
The Gut-Brain Connection
It’s well established that beneficial bacteria can support digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune system function. (4) Now, science is beginning to understand that our gut microflora can also influence our emotions and mood.
While research is in its infancy, there is no question that our gut bacteria play a crucial role in gut-brain communication, influencing responses ranging from immunity to mental health, stress responses, and sleep behavior. (5)
Research is also exploring how probiotics can support this critical connection. Probiotics may also support gut-brain communications by helping restore balance to the gut microbiota. Health professionals use the term "psychobiotic" to refer to the types of probiotics that impact brain functions. (6)*
Recent studies show that psychological state can alter the bacterial composition in our gut, which can then impact our behavior via the gut-brain axis. (7)
The gut-brain axis (GBA) is a communication network between your brain and gut. This bidirectional network connects the gut’s nervous system to the brain and central nervous system via a complex system of nerves, hormones, and other biochemical signaling routes.
Scientists now understand that the health of a person’s gut microbiome can influence their mood, cognition, and mental health via the gut-brain axis. (8, 9, 10)
Your Gut-Brain Axis in Action
Now that we’ve explored how our intestinal tract and brain are connected via the gut-brain axis, let’s discuss how the health of your gut bacteria can ultimately influence your brain and mood.
A wealth of research demonstrates that the gut-brain axis communicates in four major ways: the nerves, hormones, metabolic, and immune pathways. The state of the gut’s microbiome appears to influence the brain by acting along these different pathways. Gut microbes influence nerve excitability (their ability to fire/activate). They also alter nutrient availability, impacting endocrine (hormone) release. The metabolites produced by bacteria fermenting carbohydrates (short-chain fatty acids) can cross the blood-brain barrier to regulate metabolism in brain cells and neurotransmitter release. And with over 70 percent of the immune system located in the gut (which also produces up to 95 percent of the body’s serotonin), it’s no surprise that gut bacterial balance can also influence immune responses and serotonin levels. (11)
When negative gut changes persist, they can trigger imbalances in the brain, such as a drop in the neurotransmitters that support a positive mood, like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine. This can translate to anxiety, depression, lack of focus, brain fog, or sleeplessness. (12)
If you’re concerned that your gut health is impacting your mental health, there is hope! This is where precision probiotics and their beneficial bacteria can lend support.*
The friendly flora in probiotics has a beneficial impact on our mood and mental state. Studies indicate that the good microbes in our gut can help support a positive mindset. (13)*
Probiotics for Mood Support*
The good news is that you can naturally support brain health and mood; it all starts in the gut. However, you can’t just take any strain of probiotics and expect to see results.*
Certain strains of beneficial bacteria have been studied for their ability to support:
- Healthy mood*
- Mental clarity and focus*
- Balanced stress responses*
- Normal serotonin production*
That's precisely what you get in Hyperbiotics PRO-Mood. This advanced formula is uniquely designed with six targeted probiotic strains plus the amino acid L-theanine to support a healthy mood starting at its roots.*
Why Choose PRO-Mood?
PRO-Mood harnesses the gut-brain axis's power to support concentration, healthy stress responses, memory, cognitive focus, learning performance, and mental clarity.*
PRO-Mood combines the most well-known probiotics to support the production of brain neurotransmitters in the intestinal tract, like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine, encouraging a positive, calm emotional state. These strains include Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum 6595, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus brevis.*
PRO-Mood also includes the amino acid L-theanine, which helps support relaxation. When taken with probiotics, it has a symbiotic effect that can positively influence our brain's chemistry by regulating the production of neurotransmitters, which positively affects overall wellness, mood, and behavior.*
Probiotic Protection
Perhaps the most significant advantage of Hyperbiotics PRO-Mood probiotic is our proprietary time-release delivery system called BIO-tract®.
BIO-tract® offers unique features to maximize probiotic performance:
- Viability. BIO-tract® advanced technology creates a protective layer around the probiotics, allowing them to maintain their viability on the shelf. The barrier created by BIO-tract® also shields the probiotic contents from the harsh stomach acids and enzymes. In fact, Hyperbiotics BIO-tract® tablets deliver up to 15 times more probiotics than standard veggie capsules.^*
- Time-Release. With BIO-tract®, bacteria are administered to your digestive system over an 8-10-hour period using a unique time-release technique. That means the live beneficial probiotics are not damaged by gastric acid and have a greater chance of making it to your gastrointestinal tract to optimize your health.*
- Unique Coating. When BIO-tract® tablets enter the stomach, the moisture in the intestinal environment activates its protective coating. This unique gel matrix creates an effective barrier that shields the probiotics from harsh stomach acids and enzymes. The tablet can then glide through your intestines, delivering its contents where it is needed most - deep within your intestinal tract.*
- Shelf-Stable. BIO-tract® time-release tablets require no refrigeration, making them hassle-free and convenient at home, at the office, or during travel.
- Clean Formula. PRO-Mood is vegan, non-GMO, and free of dairy, gluten, soy, nuts, and active yeast. It contains no added sugar, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Quite simply, BIO-tract® helps more beneficial probiotic bacteria to reach deep within your gut, where they are needed most to support a healthy mood, digestion, metabolic and immune health.*
Summary
We all know that stressors in today's world are constant. Whether you work full-time, are a stay-at-home parent, a caregiver, or a student, don’t underestimate the way stressful day-to-day responsibilities can affect your mood and well-being.
Fortunately, there is mounting evidence that the effects of probiotics can improve your mood through the gut-brain axis. Research reveals changes to the gut microbiome can affect people emotionally, physically, and behaviorally, and we can use this knowledge to our advantage to take control of our emotional health. (11,12)*
At Hyperbiotics, we leverage the latest research to develop premium probiotic formulas that empower you to support your health.*
If you’re concerned about the health of your gut, brain, or mood, Hyperbiotics PRO-Mood may be able to help.*
References
- The American Institute of Stress (AIS). Retrieved from https://www.stress.org/daily-life
- Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis. 2022; 237-259 [doi: 10.1007/978-981-16-1626-6_10]
- Front Psychiatry. 2018; 9:44 [PMID: 29593576]
- Trop Life Sci Res. 2016; 27(2):73-90 [PMID: 27688852]
- Neurobiol Stress. 2017; 7:124-136 [PMID: 29276734]
- Nutrients. 2021; 13(8):2820 [PMID: 34444980]
- Curr Nutr Rep. 2020; 9(3):171-182 [PMID: 32406013]
- Nutrients. 2021; 13(11):3731 [PMID: 34835987]
- Clin Pract. 2017; 7(4):987 [PMID: 29071061]
- Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2015; 13(3):239-244 [PMID: 26598580]
- Integr Med (Encinitas). 2018; 17(4):28-32 [PMID: 31043907]
- Nutrients. 2021; 13(6):2099 [PMID: 34205336]
- Nutrition. 2016; 32(3):315-20 [PMID: 26706022]
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
^BIO-tract® vs. instant release formulations under in vitro test conditions