The Surprising Way Probiotics Could Be Protecting Your Mood

Mood Food: We all know that probiotics are good for the gut and digestion. Maybe you’ve even heard that gut health is tied to mental health. Now, a study published last fall concludes that eating yogurt and other probiotic foods might partly ease depressive symptoms by lowering your body’s burden of phthalates, which are found in many plastic materials, such as food packaging and personal care products.

The Study: Researchers analyzed data from nearly 8,000 U.S. adults collected between 2005 and 2018. People who regularly ate probiotic-rich foods had lower depression scores and lower levels of certain phthalate metabolites in their urine. One phthalate in particular, MiBP, appeared to partially explain the connection between probiotics and mood, accounting for about 7% of that effect.

The Takeaway: Your daily yogurt habit might be doing more for your mental health than you’d expect, and it could be due to its effect on environmental chemical exposure. This study adds to an existing body of knowledge that indicates probiotic foods may help reduce some of the negative effects microplastics have on our bodies. 

Keep in Mind: The link was statistically significant only in women, so men may not get the same results. This was also an observational study, so it can’t prove cause and effect.