Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Lp815 decreases anxiety in people with mild to moderate anxiety: a direct-to-consumer, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

What is it about?

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Lp815 is a probiotic bacterial strain that produces the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA under physiological conditions (meaning similar to in real life). Increasing levels of this neurotransmitter can improve mood in anxious people, but pharmaceuticals are usually required to achieve this effect. We investigated whether a probiotic may impact anxiety in anxious adults, and if a higher or lower dose is more effective. We evaluated 83 people and found that the higher dose group (5 Billion CFU) experienced a significant reduction in anxiety at 4 and 6 weeks after beginning daily consumption of the probiotic. 68% of participants in that group improved by more than one category (e.g., from moderate to minimal anxiety) as compared to 37% of the 1 Billion CFU and only 26% of a placebo group. There were no serious adverse events/side effects. GABA-producing probiotics may offer a safe option for anxiety reduction in people with mild to moderate anxiety.

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