Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Key Takeaways
- Beneficial microbes, known as psychobiotics, can support mental health by improving the gut-brain axis.
- Next-generation probiotics, including LP815, can produce GABA, a neurotransmitter that aids in calming the nervous system.
- GABA from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP815 offers prolonged release, enhancing its effectiveness for stress reduction.
- Research continues to reveal the link between gut microbiota and mental health, showing potential for psychobiotics to alleviate anxiety and depression.
- Verb Biotics develops tailored probiotics to address specific health issues, such as mental well-being.
Beneficial microbes have been used throughout human history and are found in numerous functional foods across the world. We now can grow and preserve these beneficial microbes as probiotic capsules. This allows us to sell them independently of the functional foods they were discovered in. These traditional probiotics have been shown to impact the microbiome and support overall gut health. While there are numerous probiotic strains available today, including some specifically targeted psychobiotics, few are discovered with a specific function in mind. This function goes beyond supporting gut health. The next generation of probiotics incorporates technological innovations and significant scientific advances. These advances enhance probiotic effectiveness by supporting more targeted health benefits.
Unlike traditional probiotics, next-generation probiotics may include novel strains of beneficial bacteria. These bacteria produce bioactive compounds targeting specific areas of human health. There is a large unmet need around mental health where the use of probiotics can assist. They support a healthy stress response. These probiotics are termed psychobiotics. When consumed in adequate amounts, they produce a health benefit by working to improve mental health.1
Psychobiotics: A New Frontier
Psychobiotics work via the gut-brain axis. This axis is a bidirectional communication system that exists between bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the central nervous system (CNS). Notably, the link between the gut microbiome and mental health has recently been identified.2 It has been shown that both depression and anxiety symptoms are directly associated with alterations in the microbiota.3 While the mechanism by which bacteria communicate via the gut-brain axis is still being elucidated, it is known that bacteria in your GI tract can synthesize molecules with psychobiotic potential.
Psychobiotics operate through the gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication system linking bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract with the central nervous system. Notably, researchers have recently identified a strong connection between the gut microbiome and mental health.² In fact, studies show that changes in the microbiota directly correlate with symptoms of depression and anxiety.³ So, even though scientists are still uncovering the exact mechanisms behind gut-brain communication, we know that bacteria in the GI tract synthesize molecules with psychobiotic potential.
GABA: What is it & what does it do?
One of the molecules produced by bacteria in your GI tract also plays an integral part in the central nervous system: GABA. Gamma-aminobutyric acid is a naturally occurring amino acid in the brain. It acts as the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter for the CNS. Inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA are chemical messengers in the brain. They help to reduce the activity of specific neurons and aid in calming the nervous system.
GABA also plays a crucial role in regulating brain function by altering mood and stress levels. GABA works by binding to specific receptors in the brain to reduce the activity of excitatory neurotransmitters. This promotes a calming effect in the CNS. By increasing GABA levels, individuals may experience reduced feelings of stress. Additionally, this increases overall relaxation and improves sleep quality.4
Currently, individuals can purchase chemically synthesized GABA to take as an oral supplement. However, this can lead to a transient spike in GABA levels.5 At Verb Biotics™, we have developed an alternative approach to traditional GABA supplementation.
The LP815 Difference
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP815 is a daily probiotic that delivers prolonged GABA release. Research shows that lactic acid bacteria like Lactiplantibacillus plantarum naturally produce GABA to survive environmental stressors, regulate their internal pH, and communicate with neighboring microbes. Therefore, GABA-producing probiotics such as LP815 act as a natural microbial source of GABA, generating it continuously as they move through the GI tract.
Furthermore, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP815 stands out as a novel probiotic with exceptional GABA-producing power. Scientists discovered this strain using advanced computational tools and high-throughput screening to pinpoint microbes with unusually high GABA output. Currently, clinical trials in healthy adults are underway to determine both how quickly and how long people can feel the effects of the GABA-producing LP815 strain.
Meanwhile, research and development in the probiotic field continue to accelerate. Scientists at Verb Biotics are actively discovering new probiotics tailored to support specific areas of health. Consequently, this work drives the development of next-generation probiotics with enhanced health-promoting properties that go far beyond gut health alone. Discovering new solutions to support mental well-being is especially critical, given that thirty three percent of US adults report symptoms of anxiety and depression. In this context, psychobiotics may offer a promising step forward.
To learn more about our novel GABA Probiotic, please visit our solutions page at: https://verbbiotics.com/solutions/gaba-probiotic/.
About the author: Mark Koenigsknecht, Ph.D., is Verb’s Director of Research. Mark has over 20 years of experience in the field of microbiology with special expertise in microbial genetics, metabolism, and the role of the microbiome in health and disease. He is particularly interested in the discovery of new probiotic microbes, specifically anaerobic bacteria.
Sources
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(2) Foster, J. A.; Neufeld, K.-A. M. Gut–Brain Axis: How the Microbiome Influences Anxiety and Depression. Trends Neurosci. 2013, 36 (5), 305–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2013.01.005.
(3) Del Toro-Barbosa, M.; Hurtado-Romero, A.; Garcia-Amezquita, L. E.; García-Cayuela, T. Psychobiotics: Mechanisms of Action, Evaluation Methods and Effectiveness in Applications with Food Products. Nutrients 2020, 12 (12), 3896. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123896.
(4) Ngo, D.-H.; Vo, T. S. An Updated Review on Pharmaceutical Properties of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid. Molecules 2019, 24 (15), 2678. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24152678.
(5) Li, J.; Zhang, Z.; Liu, X.; Wang, Y.; Mao, F.; Mao, J.; Lu, X.; Jiang, D.; Wan, Y.; Lv, J.-Y.; Cao, G.; Zhang, J.; Zhao, N.; Atkinson, M.; Greiner, D. L.; Prud’homme, G. J.; Jiao, Z.; Li, Y.; Wang, Q. Study of GABA in Healthy Volunteers: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics. Front. Pharmacol. 2015, 6, 260. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2015.00260.
(6) Mazzoli, R.; Pessione, E. The Neuro-Endocrinological Role of Microbial Glutamate and GABA Signaling. Front. Microbiol. 2016, 7, 1934. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01934.
(7) Adults Reporting Symptoms of Anxiety or Depressive Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic by Sex. KFF. https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/adults-reporting-symptoms-of-anxiety-or-depressive-disorder-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-by-sex/ (accessed 2024-03-10).