A friend received an email which contained some interesting data…
Not so long ago, scientists at UCLA made a surprising discovery.
They wanted to understand how probiotics affect the brain and mood. So, they decided to run a test using brain scans. What they discovered shook the foundations of probiotic science.
It has even led some scientists to suggest that probiotics should be called “psychobiotics”. While the term might sound odd, I promise it has nothing to do with an old Hitchcock movie.
You see, the UCLA researchers discovered probiotics have a effect much bigger than previously known on how your brain works.
The UCLA study began with a simple goal. The researchers set out to see how the brains of people who consumed probiotics worked differently from those who didn’t.
To do this, they used a technology called functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). It’s an MRI for the brain. The test worked this way…
Participants were hooked up and prepped for the fMRI. Then, they looked at pictures designed to stimulate emotional responses. As they did, brain scans were done.
The group who got a placebo without probiotics performed as expected. They showed activity in the sensory and emotion areas of the brain.
But the test group who were given probiotics produced brain scans that were completely unexpected…
Sincerely,
Dr. Janet Zand
This is one of many reason why I use probiotics in my nutrition bars and powders! There is a strong connection between the gut and the brain about which we are only just now learning.