According to a new study, eating fermented foods rich in prebiotics has numerous stress-reducing benefits. These types of food are also said to have an effect on sleep. We tell you more…
The role of diet in supporting mental health
More and more scientific research is focusing on the link between the gut and the brain. According to a new study, published on October 27, 2022 in the journal Moleculas Psychiatry, adopting a psychobiotic diet, made up of fermented foods and products rich in prebiotics, could help preserve our mental health.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers involved 45 healthy participants aged between 18 and 59. The individuals were divided into two groups.
The first group had to follow a so-called « psychobiotic » diet for 4 weeks, accompanied by a nutritionist. They were to consume prebiotic foods (such as onions, leeks, cabbage, apples, bananas or oats, …) and fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, kefir or kombucha).
The second group had to follow a control diet for 4 weeks.
Prebiotic-rich fermented foods reduce stress and improve sleep
According to the study results, » intervention with a psychobiotic diet led to a reduction in perceived stress (32% in the diet group versus 17% in the control group) « .
The researchers also observed a link between the psychobiotic diet and an improvement in subjective sleep quality. They found that sleep in the fermentation and prebiotic diet group improved « in a statistically significant way » compared to the control diet group.
» The use of microbiota-targeted diets to positively modulate gut-brain communication offers potential for reducing stress and stress-related disorders, but further research is warranted to investigate the underlying mechanisms, including the role of the microbiota, » the study concludes.