Psychobiotics: How Your Gut Talks to Your Mind
Have you ever noticed how your stomach tightens when you’re anxious, or how your mood dips when your digestion feels off?
That’s not a coincidence. It’s your body communicating.
Your gut and brain are in constant conversation, connected by an intricate network of nerves, hormones, and chemical messengers.
And at the center of that conversation is something science is starting to recognize as being one of the most important pieces: your microbiome.
Inside your gut live trillions of bacteria that influence not only digestion and immunity, but also your stress response, mood, focus, and emotional resilience.
Among them is a special group of microbes known as psychobiotics—tiny allies that help your gut and brain speak the same language.
Science is starting to show us that how we feel mentally and emotionally is not just in our head—it might just start in our gut.
Your Inner Ecosystem: The Microbiome
It’s hard to grasp just how vast your microbiome really is.
The human body contains about 30 trillion human cells—but an estimated 38–40 trillion microbial cells live within and on us. That means, by cell count, you are slightly more microbe than human.
These microbes—bacteria, fungi, and even viruses—form an inner ecosystem that touches nearly every part of your health.
Here’s just some of what they do in your body:
Break down complex carbohydrates and fibers your body can’t digest on its own
Help synthesize vitamins like B12, K2, and folate
Support metabolism and nutrient absorption
Influence immune system balance and inflammation
Impact hormone and neurotransmitter production
And continually “talk” to your nervous system through chemical messengers and the vagus nerve
Here’s something important that a lot of people are not aware of: each bacterial strain has its own unique role.
Some are experts at breaking down food; others specialize in regulating the immune system or metabolizing estrogen. Some produce butyrate and other short-chain fatty acids that fuel your gut lining and brain cells.
We’re still learning more every year, but one thing is clear: your microbiome is an intelligent, adaptable ecosystem that profoundly influences your body and your mind.
What Are Psychobiotics?
The term psychobiotic was first coined in 2013 by researchers Ted Dinan and John Cryan. They defined them as “live organisms that, when ingested in adequate amounts, produce a health benefit in patients suffering from psychiatric illness.”
Since then, the definition has expanded. Today, psychobiotics include probiotics, prebiotics, and even postbiotics that positively influence the microbiota–gut–brain axis—the two-way communication system between your digestive system and your central nervous system.
In simpler terms: psychobiotics help your gut send calm, balanced signals to your brain. They don’t “create happiness,” but they help your body make the neurotransmitters that make it possible.
Why This Matters
If you struggle with anxiety, overwhelm, low motivation, or trouble sleeping, your gut may be playing a bigger role than you think.
Research shows that your microbiome impacts:
Cortisol and other stress hormones
Neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA
Inflammatory signals that affect brain health
And even how your body perceives safety and calm
In fact, up to 95% of your serotonin—the neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy—is made in your gut!
So when you nurture your gut, you’re also nurturing your nervous system. It’s no longer about just working on your mind; you have to also look at the gut.
This also means that just taking a general probiotic might not be enough if you want to impact how you feel mentally and emotionally. Most general probiotics have strains that are important for overall gut health, but most do not contain psychobiotic strains for that mental support.
It’s like the difference between taking a multi-vitamin vs. taking a specific nutrient to help with a specific process in the body. Both are good, but we want to be educated about what we’re taking and why.
How Psychobiotics Work
Let’s look at the science in simple, functional terms.
1. They support neurotransmitter balance
Certain strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium produce or influence neurotransmitters such as serotonin and GABA—chemicals that regulate mood, sleep, and relaxation.
2. They calm the stress response
Studies show that psychobiotic strains like Bifidobacterium longum R0175 and B. longum 1714 can lower cortisol levels and improve resilience under stress.
3. They strengthen the gut lining
A healthy microbiome protects against “leaky gut,” reducing inflammation that can signal distress to the brain.
4. They feed the brain with microbial metabolites
Beneficial bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which reduce inflammation, protect brain cells, and support focus and mental clarity.
5. They communicate through the vagus nerve
This “superhighway” between your gut and brain carries safety signals. When your microbiome is balanced, it helps the vagus nerve tell your brain: “You’re safe now.”
The Most Researched Psychobiotic Strains
Science has zeroed in on several specific probiotic strains that show measurable effects on stress, mood, sleep, and cognitive function. While research is still evolving, these are some of the best-studied and most promising psychobiotic strains:
🦠 Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 + Bifidobacterium longum R0175
→ Shown to reduce psychological distress, lower cortisol, and improve overall mood and resilience to daily stressors.
→ Often used together, this combination is one of the most replicated in psychobiotic research and forms the foundation for several clinical blends.
🦠 Bifidobacterium longum 1714
→ Improved sleep quality, reduced fatigue, and enhanced brain responses to stress in multiple clinical trials.
→ Also linked to better cognitive performance and lower perceived stress in healthy adults.
🦠 Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011
→ Supports gut integrity and recovery after antibiotics.
→ While less studied for mood directly, it contributes to gut–brain communication and works synergistically when combined with other strains.
🦠 Lactobacillus plantarum 299v
→ One of the most widely researched probiotics overall; has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in some studies.
→ Supports serotonin and dopamine balance, improves iron absorption, and reduces inflammation.
🦠 Bifidobacterium breve CCFM1025
→ Shown in animal and emerging human studies to increase serotonin levels and reduce depressive-like behavior.
→ May help balance the gut–brain axis through modulation of tryptophan metabolism.
🦠 Lactobacillus casei Shirota
→ Studied for its ability to reduce stress-induced inflammation and support sleep quality.
→ Has been used in human studies showing decreased anxiety and improved mood under pressure (like exam stress).
Together, these strains highlight this fascinating truth: different bacteria do different jobs within the gut–brain network.
Some focus on stress resilience, others on sleep, cognitive focus, or emotional balance.
The goal isn’t to find one “magic strain,” but to create a diverse ecosystem of microbes that can communicate safety, stability, and vitality throughout your entire system.
What Disrupts the Gut–Brain Connection
When looking at how we can support our overall microbiome, it’s so important to recognize that there are a lot of things that can negatively impact it. The more we can avoid these things or address them, the better off our microbiome will be.
Here are just some modern lifestyle factors can work against your microbiome’s ability to regulate mood:
Antibiotics – wipe out beneficial bacteria and reduce diversity. Antibiotics are of course vital at times, but too often overprescribed. They are also in a lot of our foods.
Chronic stress – increases gut permeability and alters microbial balance. We might not be able to change our circumstances, but we can change our reactions. Why it’s so important to work on our stress resilience.
Poor sleep – disrupts circadian rhythms that your microbes depend on. One of the many reasons to prioritize quality sleep.
Ultra-processed foods – feed harmful bacteria and increase inflammation. If you want one place to start, I’d start here. Ultra-processed foods are full of chemicals to keep them shelf-stable that do damage to our microbiome.
Toxins and alcohol – stress the liver and damage the gut lining. We can’t avoid all toxins, but we can do a lot to lower our overall load.
All of these things act as stressors on the body, and when they pile up, it’s easy to slip into a cycle of dysregulation—where your body and brain keep sending each other danger signals, even when you’re safe. It’s why our modern lifestyle keeps us stuck in survival mode.
What Helps Psychobiotics Thrive
Your microbes are living organisms, which means they need to be fed, supported, and protected. We create an ecosystem for them to live in and hopefully thrive in, based not only on the foods we eat, but also by our overall lifestyle.
That means that the decisions you make every day have an impact on your internal ecosystem. When we think of our choices as opportunities to nourish that ecosystem, it can help us in taking positive action.
Here’s how to care for your microbiome:
Eat more prebiotic fiber: onions, garlic, asparagus, oats, apples, flax, and sweet potatoes. Fiber is one of your microbiome’s favorite foods!
Enjoy fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh. Great way to add diversity into your gut.
Prioritize whole, colorful plants: polyphenols from berries, greens, and herbs feed beneficial strains. Another one of your microbiome’s favorite foods.
Stay hydrated and move daily: water and movement keep your lymph and gut motility strong. This creates an ideal environment for healthy bacteria to thrive.
Protect your sleep and circadian rhythm. This has a bigger impact on your internal environment than you may realize!
Regulate your nervous system: practices like breath work, walking in nature, vagus nerve stimulation, and sensory grounding send calm signals to your microbiome and creates an environment where they thrive.
Supplement wisely: psychobiotic blends can help restore balance—especially after antibiotics, high stress, or travel.
Where to Get Psychobiotics
There a few different companies that use psychobiotic strains in their formulas, but the one I personally use is a two-part system that not only has science-backed psychobiotic strains, but also has ingredients to support the entire gut-brain axis.
Amare’s Happy Juice Pack is a delicious blend of MentaBiotics® and Edge+ that nourishes the microbiome and supports natural energy and focus. I’ve been using it for over two years and it’s a part of my daily supplement regime because there are just so many stressors to keep us with and it helps to keep me balanced like nothing else I’ve tried.
The MentaBiotics formula features three clinically studied psychobiotic strains:
Lactobacillus helveticus R0052
Bifidobacterium longum R0175
Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011
Together, these strains have been shown to:
Reduce perceived stress and cortisol levels
Support balanced mood and emotional resilience
Improve sleep and mental clarity
It also includes prebiotics and phytobiotics—the nutrients that feed those beneficial microbes so they can thrive.
*Just remember: supplements work best when combined with lifestyle changes that support regulation—real food, movement, rest, and emotional safety.
Supplementing is a great starting point, but alone it isn’t enough to create lasting change if your lifestyle is still detrimental to your gut. You must provide the right ecosystem for your microbiome to thrive.
The Bigger Picture
The science of psychobiotics is a powerful reminder that mental health isn’t just in your head—it’s in your entire body.
When your gut is inflamed, it has a huge impact on your brain. When your body is supported and safe, your mind is allowed to settle. You can’t think your way to calm when your biology is signaling danger.
But when you support your microbiome—through food, movement, rest, and connection—you give your nervous system the foundation it needs to return to balance.
Final Thoughts
The more I learn about health and how the body functions, the more I see it all coming back to the foundations: Nourish your body with real food, be active, get quality sleep, hydrate, manage your stress.
It’s not always easy, but it is simple.
Every meal, every breath, every moment of rest is a message to your body. A message that says: You’re safe. You’re supported. You can thrive.
With every choice, you’re creating a specific environment inside of yourself. An environment where life can thrive, or an environment where dis-ease can take over.
Start small. Pick one area today that will add to that environment. And notice how your mood, energy, and resilience begin to grow from the inside out.
Further Reading
Dinan & Cryan (2013) Journal of Affective Disorders — first paper defining psychobiotics.
Messaoudi et al. (2011) British Journal of Nutrition — L. helveticus R0052 + B. longum R0175 reduce stress.
Allen et al. (2016, 2017) Translational Psychiatry / Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience — B. longum 1714 improves stress resilience and sleep.
Kato-Kataoka et al. (2016) Applied & Environmental Microbiology — L. casei Shirota lowers stress symptoms.
Steenbergen et al. (2015) Brain Behavior & Immunity — L. plantarum 299v supports mood.
O’Leary et al. (2022) Molecular Psychiatry — psychobiotic diet study.
Cryan et al. (2019) Physiological Reviews — comprehensive overview of the gut–brain axis.
