Probiotics formulations may be used as complementary treatment for depressive disorders, claims study

A recent study highlighted the potential of probiotics as a supplementary treatment for depression, while also uncovering the impact of metabolic factors on their effectiveness. The key findings of this study were published in the recent edition of Nutrients Journal.

This research included a total of 116 participants who were diagnosed with depression. These individuals were randomly assigned to receive either a probiotic preparation containing Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell®-52 and Bifidobacterium longum Rosell®-175 or a placebo over a span of 60 days. The study utilized a parallel-group, prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled design to ensure the reliability of the findings.

Throughout the intervention period, the psychometric data of the participants were assessed at five different time points. Also, various metabolic parameters such as blood pressure, body weight, waist circumference and serum levels of C-reactive protein, cholesterol, triglycerides and fasting glucose were measured at the outset of the study.

While the overall depression scores did not show a significant advantage for the probiotics group over the placebo group, this study revealed a marked trend. The participants supplemented with probiotics expressed a higher rate of minimum clinically important differences when compared to the participants on placebo which indicated potential benefits. This effect was particularly pronounced in the subgroup of participants who also received antidepressant treatment.