by Brenda Watson | Mar 8, 2014 | Brain, Dietary Fiber, General, Mental Health, Probiotics & Gut Flora
Prebiotics are soluble fibers that feed beneficial bacteria and lead to an increase in those bacteria along with a decrease in potentially harmful bacteria. Prebiotics can be found in food, certain fiber supplements, and in prebiotic supplements (which are fiber...
by Brenda Watson | Feb 10, 2014 | Constipation, Infancy, Probiotics & Gut Flora, Reflux
Infants given a daily probiotic for the first three months of life experience less colic, reflux, and constipation, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics. Almost 600 infants were involved in the study, half...
by lsmith | Nov 27, 2013 | Brain, Depression, General, Probiotics & Gut Flora
Use of probiotics to benefit mood is a recent advancement in the scientific literature, first proposed in 2005 when researchers suggested its use as an adjuvant treatment (add-on treatment) to standard care for major depressive disorder.1 In 2013, scientists defined...
by Brenda Watson | Jun 29, 2012 | General
The gut-brain connection is among one of the most fascinating gut connections I have come across—and there are many gut connections. To think that what goes on in the gut can affect what goes on in our brains might seem unfathomable, but it’s true. I have blogged on...
by Brenda Watson | Nov 11, 2011 | General
The gut-brain axis involves the connection of the gut to the brain. This connection goes in both directions—from the brain to the gut and from the gut to the brain. In one way, the gut-brain axis is connected by the vagus nerve—a large nerve connecting the brain to...