The Role of Psychobiotics to Ensure Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Current State of Knowledge.

ABSTRACT: Psychobiotics are defined as probiotics, mainly of the genus Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, that confer mental health benefits to the host when consumed in a particular quantity through the interaction with commensal gut microbiota. The gut microbiota, which means a diverse and dynamic population of microorganisms harboring the gastrointestinal tract, communicates with the brain and vice versa through the brain-gut axis. The mechanisms of action of psychobiotics may be divided into four groups: synthesis of neurotransmitters and neurochemicals, regulation of the HPA axis, influence on the immune system, and synthesis of metabolites. Recent years showed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected not only physical, but also mental health. Social isolation, fear of infection, the l

SUBMITTER: Zielinska D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9518511 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature