This probiotic strain eliminates social anxiety, slashes cortisol, attenuates depression and improves sleep

Every now and then you come accross some new research or a new product/supplement that’s truly life changing for some people. Those instances are few and far between. I can confidently say this is one of them

Bifidobacterium longum 1714 has shown promise in influencing central nervous system functions, with evidence from both animal and human studies suggesting it can reduce stress behaviors and enhance cognitive performance. Initial research using neuroimaging, such as functional MRI, has begun to reveal how probiotics can affect brain activity. One study found that healthy individuals who consumed a fermented dairy product containing this probiotic for four weeks had altered brain responses to emotional faces compared to those who took a placebo

In patients with irritable bowel syndrome a 6-week treatment with B. longum improved depression scores and decreased limbic system activity when subjects were exposed to negative emotional stimuli, but did not significantly impact gut symptoms. This would make sense considering this probiotic works predominantly on the brain portion of the gut-brain axis. Of course this is a bi- directional system, so it's entirely possible that the prolonged impact of better emotional regulation would also impact digestive systems over time.

In another study B. longum has been found to affect resting brain activity, potentially improving vitality and regulating stress responses, which could help in managing negative emotions. This adds to the evidence that this probiotic plays a role in reducing stress and suggests that it may influence brain functions by altering neural oscillations in specific brain areas. Some papers specifically have noted that this probiotic tends to shift people out of beta brain wave patterns (high anxiety) into a more concentrated but relax theta and alpha brain wave state (Think meditation and flow states). You could almost think of this psychobiotic as ‘meditation in a bottle’

With all that being said, this is often a probiotic I recommend to clients who have particularly stressful lives. The peptadoglicans released from this bacteria also have the ability to directly modulate various functions of the HPA axis (mainly cortisol and adrenaline release), so it’s particularly amazing for those who are genetically predisposed towards a higher baseline state of arousal and or those with adrenal dysfunction. Think of this as almost an adaptogen for the adrenal glands and associated ‘stress regions’ of the brain like the limbic apparatus and amygdala. It fundamentally reshapes how you view and handle stress

I’ve had at least 4-5 clients who have used this and entirely eliminated severe anxiety and the frequent panic attacks they were experiencing.

Another fantastic thing about this specific probiotic is that it’s particularly great at improving sleep quality (onset of sleep as well as the ability to maintain deep sleep through out the night) and reducing inflammation in the brain and enteric nervous system.

Brand recommendation — Just Calm (made by just thrive). CODE: GRANTFOWLER15

NOTE: if you are taking the just thrive probiotic and want to start this one as well, it’s best to take them 8 hours apart since they can compete in the gut when taken together