{"id":75075,"date":"2022-07-05T02:02:13","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T01:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/es.intelligentlabs.org\/?p=75075"},"modified":"2025-08-06T05:11:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T05:11:06","slug":"psicobioticos-microbioma-intestinal-y-cerebro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/psicobioticos-microbioma-intestinal-y-cerebro\/","title":{"rendered":"Psicobi\u00f3ticos: conectando el microbioma intestinal y el cerebro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Probiotics, like our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/probiotics-and-prebiotics-supplements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Intelligent Labs Probiotics supplements<\/a><\/strong>, have been selling like hotcakes in recent years. These live microorganisms may be invisible to the naked eye. But you can feel their benefits throughout your whole body. That\u2019s right \u2013 probiotic benefits aren\u2019t limited to the digestive system. They also extend to the brain! In this blog post, we\u2019ll introduce psychobiotics and how they connect the brain and gut together.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-psychobiotics\">What are psychobiotics?<\/h2>\n\n<p>Psychobiotics are <strong>a class of probiotics that may provide mental health benefits<\/strong>. Psychobiotics produce neurotransmitters that nerve cells, a.k.a. neurons, use to \u201ctalk\u201d to each other. Serotonin, dopamine, GABA, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine are neurotransmitters produced in the gut (1).<\/p>\n\n<p>Several bacterial strains have been identified as psychobiotics, including (2, 3): <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: initial;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif\">Lactobacillus rhamnosus<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bifidobacterium breve<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lactobacillus casei<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bifidobacterium longum<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lactobacillus paracasei<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lactobacillus plantarum<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>All six psychobiotic strains are found in our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/product\/prebiotics-and-probiotics-with-sunfiber-and-fos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Adult Probiotics and Prebiotics<\/a><\/strong>. Each capsule contains 10 patented acid and bile-resistant strains plus 2 types of prebiotic fibers to nourish the probiotics. We also use active packaging technology and delayed-release capsules. These help ensure the probiotics reach your gut alive!<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-gut-microbiome-and-how-does-it-affect-your-health\">What is the gut microbiome and how does it affect your health?<\/h2>\n\n<p>The gut microbiome is home to trillions of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. As you can probably tell, psychobiotics belong to the \u201cgood\u201d kind of bacteria.<\/p>\n\n<p>The gut microbiome is absolutely essential to our existence. These microbes help digest food, boost our immune system, and even maintain our mental health (4)!<\/p>\n\n<p>But this living ecosystem needs a balance between its good and bad \u201cresidents.\u201d The alternative is undesirable, to say the least. Most of us have wrestled with the effects of gut imbalance at one time or another. Well-known symptoms range from mild digestive discomfort to severe intestinal infections.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-can-microbes-in-the-gut-possibly-affect-mental-health\">How can microbes in the gut possibly affect mental health?<\/h2>\n\n<p>The gut microbiome influences how you think, behave, and react to stress (5). But how? Well, there\u2019s this thing called the gut-brain axis.<\/p>\n\n<p>As the name suggests, this axis connects the GI tract with the brain and central nervous system. This axis is the reason why the state or composition of your gut microbiota may directly affect your mental state! For example, gut dysbiosis may be behind anxiety, depression, or concentration issues (6).<\/p>\n\n<p>Ever heard of &#8220;gut instincts&#8221;? Well, turns out that the gut-brain axis may also be responsible for this. It\u2019s that unexplainable feeling where we\u2019re absolutely sure about something but can\u2019t explain why. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Interestingly, scientists have also discovered that most people with autism have some type of abnormality in the gut. These may be in the form of allergies, gluten sensitivity, digestive issues, etc. The culprit? A lower number of <em>Bacteroides fragilis<\/em> species in the gut (7).<\/p>\n\n<p>To determine if increasing the population of <em>B. fragilis<\/em> can help improve symptoms, the researchers fed mice (with autism symptoms) with this particular strain. Surprisingly, it worked! The mice\u2019s gut microbiome changed. And more importantly, improved their behavior, too (7).<\/p>\n\n<p>And here\u2019s the kicker \u2013 these microbes may even play a role in how our personalities develop. To test this theory, scientists used germ-free mice and transplanted bacteria from donor mice. Amazingly, the previously germ-free mice took on the personality of the donor mouse (8)!<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-does-the-second-brain-fit-into-all-this\">How does the \u201csecond brain\u201d fit into all this?<\/h2>\n\n<p>Wait, what? There\u2019s a second brain?<\/p>\n\n<p>We obviously only have one organ called \u201cbrain\u201d. But for all intents and purposes, the <strong>Enteric Nervous System (ENS)<\/strong> actually also fits the bill. Enteric means \u201cintestinal.\u201d So, the ENS literally translates to \u201cintestinal nervous system\u201d.<\/p>\n\n<p>The ENS is embedded in the lining of the gut. It stretches from the esophagus all the way to the rectum. It has a mesh-like system of <strong>hundreds of millions of neurons<\/strong> (9). This number might sound like a lot. But when compared to the big brain&#8217;s 86 billion neurons, it&#8217;s actually tiny!<\/p>\n\n<p>The ENS may not be capable of thought just like the brain. But it is <strong>capable of functioning independently of the central nervous system<\/strong> (the brain and spinal cord). As a result, the gut can automatically process, digest, and absorb our food without us needing to think about it.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-mental-health-benefits-of-psychobiotics\">What are the mental health benefits of psychobiotics?<\/h2>\n\n<p>The field of psychobiotics is relatively young. However, the mental health benefits seen in (mostly) animal studies are very promising. Here are some of them:<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-psychobiotics-may-help-improve-psychiatric-disorder-related-behaviors\">Psychobiotics may help improve psychiatric disorder-related behaviors<\/h3>\n\n<p>Researchers analyzed 38 randomized controlled trials that studied various probiotic strains&#8217; effects on humans and animals (2). They found that probiotics helped improve behaviors, such as:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Anxiety<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Depression<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Autism spectrum disorder<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obsessive-compulsive disorder<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Memory<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>The majority of the studies used <em>Lactobacillus<\/em> and <em>Bifidobacterium<\/em> strains, including some strains found in our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/product\/prebiotics-and-probiotics-with-sunfiber-and-fos\/\">Adult Probiotics<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-psychobiotics-may-help-boost-neurotransmitter-production\">Psychobiotics may help boost neurotransmitter production<\/h3>\n\n<p>Different neurotransmitters do different things, but they all have an effect on the body. For instance, serotonin stabilizes mood. Dopamine, on the other hand, helps you feel good when you achieve something. The gut plays a key role in their production &#8211; it produces up to 90% of serotonin and 50% of dopamine in there (10)!<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-psychobiotics-may-help-improve-mood-and-reduce-depression\">Psychobiotics may help improve mood and reduce depression<\/h3>\n\n<p>Scientists did a systematic review of five clinical trials that involved over 180 subjects and controls. They concluded that probiotics have a positive effect on major depression symptoms, especially in patients 60 years old and below. Apparently, however, they did not have the same effect on patients 65 and above (11).<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>So, what could be a good alternative for older folks then?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Well, psychobiotics aren\u2019t the only thing that can help improve mood and relieve anxiety. Natural nootropics like our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/product\/lions-mane-mushroom-extract\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lion\u2019s Mane Mushroom Extract<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/product\/phosphatidylserine-100mg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Phosphatidylserine<\/a><\/strong> may also help! Research has shown that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligentlabs.org\/what-are-nootropics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>nootropics<\/strong><\/a> can also help improve mood, mental drive, and motivation.<\/p>\n\n<p>Before taking psychobiotics or nootropics for mental health benefits, we recommend seeking medical advice first. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n<p>A healthy gut microbiome is vital for brain and mental health. As you\u2019ve learned in this blog post, they also help improve mood and alleviate depression and anxiety. \u00a0More research is on the way, but the studies done so far have been very promising indeed!<\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong>References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(1) Wall, R., Cryan, J.F., Ross, R.P., Fitzgerald, G.F., Dinan, T.G., Stanton, C. (2014). Bacterial Neuroactive Compounds Produced by Psychobiotics. In: Lyte, M., Cryan, J. (eds) Microbial Endocrinology: The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Health and Disease. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 817. Springer, New York, NY.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(2) Wang H, Lee IS, Braun C, Enck P. Effect of Probiotics on Central Nervous System Functions in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review.\u00a0<em>J Neurogastroenterol Motil<\/em>. 2016;22(4):589-605.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(3) Antidepressive Mechanisms of Probiotics and Their Therapeutic Potential, Shin Jie Yong, Tommy Tong et al. Front. Neurosci., 14 January 2020 Sec. Neuroendocrine Science Volume 13 &#8211; 2019<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(4) Bull MJ, Plummer NT. Part 1: The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease.\u00a0<em>Integr Med (Encinitas)<\/em>. 2014;13(6):17-22.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(5) Gut Feelings: Bacteria and the Brain Jane A. Foster, Cerebrum. 2013 Jul-Aug; 2013: 9. Published online 2013 Jul 1.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(6) Gut microbiota\u2019s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis, Megan Clapp, Nadia Aurora et al. Clin Pract. 2017 Sep 15; 7(4): 987. Published online 2017 Sep 15.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(7) Hsiao EY, McBride SW, Hsien S, et al. Microbiota modulate behavioral and physiological abnormalities associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.\u00a0<em>Cell<\/em>. 2013;155(7):1451-1463.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(8) Mental Health May Depend on Creatures in the Gut, Charles Schmidt on March 1, 2015<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(9) Fleming MA 2nd, Ehsan L, Moore SR, Levin DE. The Enteric Nervous System and Its Emerging Role as a Therapeutic Target.\u00a0<em>Gastroenterol Res Pract<\/em>. 2020;2020:8024171. Published 2020 Sep 8.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(10) Yano JM, Yu K, Donaldson GP, et al. Indigenous bacteria from the gut microbiota regulate host serotonin biosynthesis [published correction appears in Cell. 2015 Sep 24;163:258].\u00a0<em>Cell<\/em>. 2015;161(2):264-276.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">(11) Huang R, Wang K, Hu J. Effect of Probiotics on Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.\u00a0<em>Nutrients<\/em>. 2016;8(8):483. Published 2016 Aug 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Probiotics, like our Intelligent Labs Probiotics supplements, have been selling like hotcakes in recent years. These live microorganisms may be invisible to the naked eye. But you can feel their benefits throughout your whole body. That\u2019s right \u2013 probiotic benefits aren\u2019t limited to the digestive system. They also extend to the brain! In this blog&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":145223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":"[{\"id\":\"731413f8-722c-4133-bf1b-fd88e4caa3e8\",\"content\":\"Wall, Rebecca, et al. \\u201cBacterial Neuroactive Compounds Produced by Psychobiotics.\\u201d SpringerLink, 2014, link.springer.com\\\/chapter\\\/10.1007\\\/978-1-4939-0897-4_10\"},{\"id\":\"fb20e5c3-e7a8-4b73-a6d5-4624272a4c04\",\"content\":\"Wang, Huiying et al. \\u201cEffect of Probiotics on Central Nervous System Functions in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review.\\u201d Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility vol. 22,4 (2016): 589-605. doi:10.5056\\\/jnm16018\"},{\"id\":\"f30a8240-9500-46eb-9412-c774b5691121\",\"content\":\"Yong, Shin Jie et al. \\u201cAntidepressive Mechanisms of Probiotics and Their Therapeutic Potential.\\u201d Frontiers in neuroscience vol. 13 1361. 14 Jan. 2020, doi:10.3389\\\/fnins.2019.01361\"},{\"id\":\"2eac875c-6592-4ddb-a219-7432d29fefda\",\"content\":\"Bull, Matthew J, and Nigel T Plummer. \\u201cPart 1: The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease.\\u201d Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) vol. 13,6 (2014): 17-22.\"},{\"id\":\"3a1106c2-22d1-4b13-9d4c-bf767e85c2ec\",\"content\":\"Foster, Jane A. \\u201cGut feelings: bacteria and the brain.\\u201d Cerebrum : the Dana forum on brain science vol. 2013 9. 1 Jul. 2013\"},{\"id\":\"8b810b01-6ecd-495b-a091-ed59008d5c47\",\"content\":\"Clapp, Megan et al. \\u201cGut microbiota\\u2019s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis.\\u201d Clinics and practice vol. 7,4 987. 15 Sep. 2017, doi:10.4081\\\/cp.2017.987\"},{\"id\":\"bb8cad83-09dd-455e-b3a7-6d3afe5191a7\",\"content\":\"Hsiao, Elaine Y et al. \\u201cMicrobiota modulate behavioral and physiological abnormalities associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.\\u201d Cell vol. 155,7 (2013): 1451-63. doi:10.1016\\\/j.cell.2013.11.024\"},{\"id\":\"62ded3ad-2888-4d0c-8855-a9e217c083e4\",\"content\":\"Hsiao, Elaine Y et al. \\u201cMicrobiota modulate behavioral and physiological abnormalities associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.\\u201d Cell vol. 155,7 (2013): 1451-63. doi:10.1016\\\/j.cell.2013.11.024\"},{\"id\":\"bf6b44bb-94f5-4890-994a-337c56d48f72\",\"content\":\"Schmidt, Charles. \\u201cMental Health May Depend on Creatures in the Gut.\\u201d Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2015, www.scientificamerican.com\\\/article\\\/mental-health-may-depend-on-creatures-in-the-gut\\\/\"},{\"id\":\"71b31fa1-1a16-4781-bb5b-a2f5952888bf\",\"content\":\"Fleming, Mark A 2nd et al. \\u201cThe Enteric Nervous System and Its Emerging Role as a Therapeutic Target.\\u201d Gastroenterology research and practice vol. 2020 8024171. 8 Sep. 2020, doi:10.1155\\\/2020\\\/8024171\"},{\"id\":\"24a52d09-c89b-4567-903c-ccaf23e093ab\",\"content\":\"Wang, Huiying et al. \\u201cEffect of Probiotics on Central Nervous System Functions in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review.\\u201d Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility vol. 22,4 (2016): 589-605. doi:10.5056\\\/jnm16018\"},{\"id\":\"75df5c5a-095b-4893-9473-2e54a546ec61\",\"content\":\"Yano, Jessica M et al. \\u201cIndigenous bacteria from the gut microbiota regulate host serotonin biosynthesis.\\u201d Cell vol. 161,2 (2015): 264-76. doi:10.1016\\\/j.cell.2015.02.047\"},{\"id\":\"909123a4-76a7-4484-bf24-5d705da12d9f\",\"content\":\"Eisenhofer, Graeme, et al. \\u201cSubstantial Production of Dopamine in the Human Gastrointestinal Tract.\\u201d The Journal of<br>Clinical Endocrinology &amp; Metabolism, vol. 82, no. 11, 1997, pp. 3864\\u201371. Crossref, https:\\\/\\\/doi.org\\\/10.1210\\\/jcem.82.11.4339.\"},{\"id\":\"f63cb724-bdf0-434e-8471-d43128e5c980\",\"content\":\"Huang, Ruixue et al. \\u201cEffect of Probiotics on Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.\\u201d Nutrients vol. 8,8 483. 6 Aug. 2016, doi:10.3390\\\/nu8080483\"}]"},"categories":[1117],"tags":[1116],"coauthors":[1021],"class_list":["post-75075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-probioticos","tag-probioticos"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1117,"label":"Probi\u00f3ticos"}],"post_tag":[{"value":1116,"label":"Probi\u00f3ticos"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/psicobioticos-conectando-el-microbioma-intestinal-y-el-cerebro-01-1024x512.jpg",1024,512,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Angie Arriesgado","author_link":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/author\/angie\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":1117,"name":"Probi\u00f3ticos","slug":"probioticos","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1117,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":23,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1117,"category_count":23,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Probi\u00f3ticos","category_nicename":"probioticos","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":1116,"name":"Probi\u00f3ticos","slug":"probioticos","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1116,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":26,"filter":"raw"}],"wpml":{"language":"es-es","is_original":false,"original_post_id":130855,"translations":{"de-at":{"id":199098,"language":"de-at","is_original":false},"de-de":{"id":75484,"language":"de-de","is_original":false},"en-gb":{"id":130855,"language":"en-gb","is_original":true},"en-ie":{"id":164372,"language":"en-ie","is_original":false},"en-mt":{"id":165627,"language":"en-mt","is_original":false},"es-es":{"id":75075,"language":"es-es","is_original":false},"fr-fr":{"id":129368,"language":"fr-fr","is_original":false},"it-it":{"id":75320,"language":"it-it","is_original":false},"nl-nl":{"id":175110,"language":"nl-nl","is_original":false},"pt-pt":{"id":168974,"language":"pt-pt","is_original":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75075"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":218014,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75075\/revisions\/218014"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75075"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/es-es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=75075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}