A Report from the CTV Television Network on a Canadian Research Study reported that the intake of a probiotic supplement every day has been seen to improve symptoms of anxiety disorders in individuals who suffer from C.F.S. These findings came out of a University of Toronto research team led by A. Venket Rao, based on a two month study which demonstrated a measurable decline in the subject's symptoms of anxiety.



First as a starter, for those who are not usually interested in natural health supplements, what is a probiotic? At its most basic a probiotic is a natural dietary supplement that is made up of live bacteria - for example Bifidobacteria or lactobacillus. RGarden's Lactobacillus salivarius is such a supplement that will help to sustain the good bacteria that are found in every person. This digestive bacteria , supports our immune system and controls bad bacteria.

But what the University of Toronto team were most excited to discover was that, this 2 month run of regular probiotics supplement also created improved results in affecting disorders such as depression & anxiety. Unlike conventional medicines, which can trigger a host of unwanted side effects, probiotics offer a safe and easy way to manage these problems. They have published their report in the journal BioMed Central.

Their study was conducted on people with CFS which exhibits many signs including persistent fatigue and for about half of the group - sleep disturbances, depression and anxiety.

Likely what directed them to look at probiotics in the first place was that subjects with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are also often afflicted with digestive disorders often connected with the reduced presence of healthy bacteria in the body. Natural health users have taken probiotics for this purpose for a long time. Because the desirable bacteria present in the probiotic supplements can help the body crowd out the toxic bacteria in the system and this bad bacteria has already been connected with an increase in depression and other mood disorders, the researchers think that bacteria levels may influence our behavior.

The group given probiotics on a daily basis showed greater levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria which correlated with a significant decrease in anxiety behaviors in the group. These patients also showed digestive improvements such as a decrease in gas inflammation and bloating.

"The findings are huge," said study co-author Alison C. Bested, who continued say that the study patients felt calmer and were better able to deal with their illness, slept better and experienced fewer symptoms of anxiety.