Could a form of bacteria actually make you feel better if you ate it? For the first time scientists are studying what they call the gut-brain axis and finding a link between the bacteria in your stomach and the way we feel.

Researchers at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in University College Cork along with partners at the Brain-Body Institute at McMaster University in Canada found that mice fed with a probiotic called actobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 actually showed lower stress and anxiety levels and less depression-related behaviors.

This opens up the possibility for creating unique microbial-based strategies for treatment for stress-related psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. Scientists believe that certain bacteria can not only change the way we feel but the way our brains receive information as well. Regular feeding with the Lactobacillus strain caused changes in the expression of receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA which means that probiotics could not only cure us but help us maintain our sense of well-being as well.

(Source: Science Daily)