Can Yoghurt Treat Depression

Researchers explained how yoghurt can help treat depression.

18:01 10 March 2017

Aside from being good for digestion, yoghurt can also help treat depression, a recent study has found.

 

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine found that the amount of Lactobacilus in the gut affects the level of metabolite in the blood called kynurenine, which has been linked to depression. In their study, the researchers found that when Lactobacillus was diminished in the gut, the levels of kynurenine went up triggering depression. 

 

The study hopes to pave the way to treat mental health the natural way.

 

Lead researcher Dr Alban Gaultier said: 'The big hope for this kind of research is that we won't need to bother with complex drugs and side effects when we can just play with the microbiome,'

 

'It would be magical just to change your diet, to change the bacteria you take, and fix your health - and your mood.'

 

He added: 'A single strain of Lactobacillus is able to influence mood.'

 

Based on the new findings, Dr Gaultier plans to study the effects of Lactobacillus on depression in patients with multiple scleroris, a group in which the disorder is common. 

 

However, researchers waned that yoghurt should not yet be seen as a treatment alone.