Originally published March 27 2013
Probiotics transform emotional response and affect your brain activity
by PF Louis
(NaturalNews) The health effects of our friendly bacteria of our gastrointestinal tract are rarely fully understood by most in the medical field, and even less appreciated by the general public.
The population's minority of health conscious consumers do understand the intestinal flora's digestive importance. As important and also under-appreciated as digestion is to our overall health, there is even more to those billions of little critters than digestion alone.
It has often been stated that our gut flora is responsible for at least 60 percent and up to 80 percent of our immune system. More than one study has discovered that "killer cells" are increased, triggered, and unleashed by friendly gut bacteria.
A strong, friendly critter colony also prevents Candida yeast overgrowth and leaky gut syndrome, which leaks digestive toxins into the blood stream before they can be eliminated through the bowels.
Research has shown that a low level of friendly gut bacteria is common among victims of Type II diabetes. (http://www.naturalnews.com)
Just when more are catching on to the importance of friendly gut bacteria for our overall health, along comes a handful of medical mafia renegades discovering that our guts should be considered our second brains. (http://www.naturalnews.com/033094_gut_health_brain.html)
The second brain as gut perspective
A recent early 2013 study conducted in UCLA's Geffen School of Medicine determined that probiotics from fermented milk has positive effects on people's emotional life.
The study used 36 women of normal health and divided them into three sections. One section was fed probiotic enriched fermented milk, another non-fermented milk, and the control group wasn't given any milk.
The researchers use MRIs and other emotional stimulus and analysis systems over a four week period with this conclusion: "Four weeks intake of a fermented milk with probiotics by healthy women affected activity of brain regions that control central processing of emotion and sensation."
The UCLA study involved one of the gut as second brain pioneers, Dr. Emeran Mayer, who is also the Director of the Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress. The probiotics contained in the study's fermented milk were: Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium animalis, Lacotcoccus lactis, and Streptococcus thermophiles.
They observed the fermented milk group demonstrating better task related responses, which corresponded to their instrument monitored increased cortex activity and mid-brain instrument neurotransmitter pathway improvements.
Other research has led to discovering a conduit between the enteric nervous system, located in the abdominal region around the gut, and the central nervous system. Neurotransmitters are produced in the enteric nervous system that connect with the brain stem.
The messages go both ways, from the brain to the gut and vice versa. This explains "butterfly" stomachs from anxiety and that sinking cold feeling in the stomach when dreading a situation or that "I know it in my gut" feeling of certainty.
GAPS or gut and psychology syndrome
From the laboratory of applied clinical healing, UK Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride created a successful therapy for autism spectrum afflictions by bringing her son out of full blown autism.
Here's a quote from an article she wrote to explain GAPS and introduce her book, "Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Natural treatment for autism, ADHD/ADD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression and schizophrenia."
"Gut flora is something we do not think much about. And yet the number of functions the gut flora fulfills is so vital for us that if some day our digestive tract got sterilized we probably would not survive."
She has successfully improved the mental and emotional conditions as well as overall health and immunity for many using diet to restore an abundant intestinal flora balance of 85 percent probiotic bacteria to 15 percent pathogenic and/or Candida bacteria.
It's no coincidence that autistic children were brought to gastroenterologist Dr. Andrew Wakefield and his staff for treatment of intensely agonizing inflammatory bowel syndromes. (http://www.naturalnews.com/034629_Andrew_Wakefield_BMJ_Brian_Deer.html)
Sources for this article include:
http://www.drdavidwilliams.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23474283
http://www.greenmedinfo.com
http://alsearsmd.com.benchmarkmails26.com
http://www.gaps.me/?page_id=20
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