Could yogurt reduce stress and improve symptoms of anxiety?
BOSTON - According to new research, your favorite yogurt could help improve your mood.
A probiotic bacterium called Lactobacillus, found in yogurt and kefir, could help reduce stress and possibly improve symptoms of anxiety and depression. Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine studied mice and found that the presence of Lactobacilli in the gut helps maintain levels of a protein called interferon-gamma which regulates the body's response to stress.
The researchers hope to develop special probiotic supplements designed to promote Lactobacillus in the gut to help treat patients with depression and anxiety.
