Posted by Hugh on March 10, 2012, at 16:39:14
In reply to Re: Kefir as a mood booster, posted by bleauberry on March 9, 2012, at 15:03:21
>I don't think we know solidly in scientific terms why the gut integrity is so important to mood, or how it ties in so strongly to the immune system and the nervous system, but it just does.
A study done last year found that beneficial bacteria in the guts of mice had a calming influence on their brains via the vagus nerve. When a portion of their vagus nerve was removed, the bacteria no longer helped. The type of bacteria used in the study was Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1. Another type of bacteria, Lactobacillus salivarius, had no effect. Kefir contains different strains of bacteria than yogurt. Maybe one or more of these strains is the reason that kefir has such a bigger impact on my brain than yogurt.
poster:Hugh
thread:1012242
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20111229/msgs/1012737.html