Probiotics Improves Brain Function and Mood in Senior Citizens

Probiotics have been proposed to improve cognitive impairment and depressive disorder in patients via the gut-brain axis.

Aging is characterized by a progressive decline in the organism's biological functions. The central nervous system functions change as we age, leading to age-related cognitive decline and mood disorders, which are common and serious health issues among older adults.

The gut microbiota, a group of microorganisms (mostly good bacteria) found in the gastrointestinal tract, plays critical roles in host anatomical, physiological, and immunological functions.

The gut microbiota changes significantly in composition and function as we age, and these changes can have an impact on our health and age-related diseases.

Maintaining gut microbial balance during aging is now recognized as critical for healthy aging.

The emerging concept of the gut-brain axis, which refers to a bidirectional relationship between the gut and the brain, has recently linked gut microbiota to age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

The image is from a study published in Frontiers in Neurology in August 2020.

The interaction between the gut and the brain involves a complex network of endocrinological, immunological, and neural mediators, and it has been identified as a critical target for the treatment of brain health and neurodegenerative diseases.

Probiotics, as part of a healthy diet, are gaining popularity for their ability to regulate brain health via the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

Probiotic bacteria have been shown to influence the physiology of the intestine and distal organs, including the brain, as well as intestinal microbial dynamics and homeostasis.

The findings of this study were published in the January 2021 issue of The Journal of Gastroenterology.

This study suggests that the interaction between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system may be responsible for the improvements in cognitive and cerebral functioning that occur after taking probiotics, as well as the changes in peripheral neuromodulators that occur. BDNF, a neurotrophic factor required for synaptic formation, plasticity, and neuroimmune responses, has long been studied in order to determine its importance in learning, memory formation, and affective disorders.

This study concluded that probiotic supplementation improves cognitive and mental health in community-dwelling healthy older adults with changes in gut microbial composition.

These findings show that probiotics have health-promoting properties when consumed as part of a healthy diet in the general population of independently living older adults.

These research articles' significant findings are

• Probiotic supplementation improved intestinal health and gut microbial communities.
• Supplementation with probiotics Increased Peripheral BDNF Levels and Improved Brain Function