Forget Prozac, Psychobiotics Are the Future of Psychiatry

[tripsis]

Forget Prozac, Psychobiotics Are the Future of Psychiatry

Jason Tetro at 08:59 AM 21 Nov 2013

Psychobiotics

IMAGE BY Source: Wikipedia; Modifications: Jason Tetro

For millennia, the human race has sought to combat psychological disorders through the intervention of natural – and eventually synthetic – chemicals. Originally, the sources for these psychoactive substances were the various fruits and flowers, including the Areca tree (betel nut), the poppy (opium), and the coca plant (cocaine). But in the 20th Century, new actives were being created in the lab thanks in part to the discovery of lysergic acid, better known as LSD, in 1938.

By the middle of the 1950s, the psychiatric community was fascinated by the idea that mental health could be restored through the direct use of drugs or in combination with traditional psychotherapy. The idea took off in the 1960s as research continued to elucidate the biology of psychiatry. It essentially created a new avenue for psychiatric treatment: psychopharmacology. This inevitably led to the synthesis of a new compound, 3-(p-trifluoromethylphenoxy)-N-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine, which eventually became known as fluoxetine, and then, as we have all come to know it, Prozac. By the late 1980s, it was known by another name: the wonder drug.

Today, pharmacologic compounds for psychiatric treatment are numerous and up to 20% of all Americans are taking some type of psychotropic medication totalling some $34 billion dollars annually. While there have been calls for a reduction in use of these chemicals, primarily due to the fact that many are ineffective, there is a constant pressure from the public to have all their problems solved by a pill.

There is a different – and less costly – course to deal with stress and other psychological problems although until recently, there has been little to no attention paid to this option. The treatment does not involve an individual chemical but rather a plethora of them which act to reduce inflammation, calm stress and bring about a more pleasant mood. With a new article out this week from the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in Cork, Ireland, there is even hope that severe and chronic mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may one day be a thing of the past.

They are called quite simply, Psychobiotics.

According to the authors, Timothy G. Dinan – whose name sounds as catchy as that of another psychiatric pioneer, Timothy F. Leary – Catherine Stanton and John F. Cryan, a psychobiotic is “a live organism that, when ingested in adequate amounts, produces a health benefit in patients suffering from psychiatric illness.” These live organisms are comprised not only of probiotics but also other bacteria known to produce psychotropic signals such as serotonin and dopamine.

While this concept may raise some eyebrows, this postulate has credence. There have been several examples in humans where the introduction of a probiotic has led to improvement of mood, anxiety and even chronic fatigue syndrome. But there appears to be a disconnect between the idea of ingesting a bacterium that stays in the gut and psychiatric behavior, which is controlled by the brain.

The answer lies in the fact that many psychiatric illnesses are immunological in nature through chronic low level inflammation. There is a plethora of evidence showing the link between gut microbiota and inflammation and studies on probiotic strains have revealed their ability to modulate inflammation and bring back a healthy immunological function. In this regard, by controlling inflammation through probiotic administration, there should be an effect of improved psychiatric disposition.

The authors bring up another reason why psychobiotics are so unique in comparison to most probiotics. These strains have another incredible ability to modulate the function of the adrenal cortex, which is responsible for controlling anxiety and stress response. Probiotic strains, such as Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifdobacterium longum have shown to reduce levels of stress hormones and maintain a calmer, peaceful state. There may be a host of other probiotic bacteria with the same ability although testing has been scant at best.

Finally, the last point in support of psychobiotics is the fact that certain strains of bacteria actually produce the chemicals necessary for a happy self. But as these chemicals cannot find their way into the brain, another route has been found to explain why they work so well. They stimulate cells in the gut that have the ability to signal the vagus nerve that good chemicals are in the body. The vagus nerve then submits this information to the brain, which then acts as if the chemicals were there.

If these probiotics were used in combination with those that stimulate the production of opioid and cannabinoid receptors, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, the result would be more than just a calming effect; there would be a natural high.

There is little doubt that there needs to be more research into the role of psychobiotics in mental health. Even the authors suggest that clinical studies need to be performed along with more fundamental research. However, unlike drugs such as Prozac and LSD, which are highly regulated, probiotics are readily available on store shelves. This in effect could allow everyone to join in a citizen science movement similar to that of the Erowid culture, which focuses on the effect of natural psychoactives.

All that would be needed is a hub and a name, say PSYCHOgerms, in order to identify the psychological wonders – and admittedly, duds – of the probiotic world. Should this happen, it may help one day to move past the era of pharmapscyhology and head straight into the more natural world or psychobiotics.

Source.

Fascinating area of research, looking forward to seeing this developed. So much potential.

[Torsten]

I spend a good 50% of my research tiem on this topic. It is absolutely fascinating and moving so fast.

[tripsis]

Have you done any personal experiments or found sources of promising probiotic strains?

[Torsten]

My research is actually the reverse. Whatever bacteria i have appears to cause a substantial blockade of dopamine effects - both biogenic and dopamine drugs. I can undo this by taking antibiotics, I can reduce it a little by removing complex sugars [incl fibre], or even a lot by not eating for 48h, but i can't stop it permanently. So my research is primarily to find a probiotic that will displace the problem bacteria. I just try all the ones that are common enough to have probably been inside me before anyway, and some obscure ones that have enough clinical data to show they are safe. My next one is Chlostridium butyricum which appears to be quite effective at stopping autism.

[Zen Peddler]

I was wondering how they bypass the blood brain barrier and the vague nerve idea is interesting. Someone once told me that you stomach flora is established by two years of age and then very hard to alter.

[Zen Peddler]

Didn't someone say that chronic inflammation suppresses dopamine synthesis?

[tripsis]

Interesting and frustrating problem you have there, Torsten. Have you had this issue your entire life, or is it something that has manifested itself over time?

[Torsten]

I was wondering how they bypass the blood brain barrier and the vague nerve idea is interesting.

It was initially assumed that the vagues was a one way nerve, delivering signals from the brain to the viscera. Then it was found that the vagues has two way traffic, which gave rise to some interesting treatments like 'vagal stimulation'.

Then it seemed that some substances from the gut could influence the vagus, which has quickly expanded to many many substances. The idea of the nerve being a conduit for bacteria themselves rather than just their metablites is pretty new I think.

Someone once told me that you stomach flora is established by two years of age and then very hard to alter.

You will find most papers still state that we are born sterile. This is based on.... nothing. No experiment was ever done to establish this, yet it is still the basis of most current research papers. Problem is that about a year or two ago someone decided to test that hypothesis and it failed. babies that are stillborn turned out to have about 1/3rd of their biome before birth. The next third is added in the next few days during birth and via breast & breast milk.The last third is picked up over time from dirt, food, animals, etc

The biome is easy to alter. Being intimate with a new partner for an extended period of time alters a substantial portion of the biome. Taking antibiotics dramatically reduces the diversity and allows various existing species to outcompete. Diet choices also dramatically alter the ration of bacteria. For example, when I re-introduced dairy into my diet after several years of absence, my lactobacillus ration shot up. So we now know that both changes to the diversity and the ratios is possible in later life. There are various projects underway to map biomes in context. eg some look at continental and cultural differences [and the impact on medical teatments this has - see recent article that found some cancer drugs ineffective in the absence of certain bacteria]. Others look at changes in individuals over time, eg when their intimate partners change, when their diet changes, when they take medications, etc.

It's all very facinating. I have taken part in a few projects and currently using the ubiome project to map my own changes as a result of treatments.

Didn't someone say that chronic inflammation suppresses dopamine synthesis?

Absolutely. But inflammation can be suppressed with cortisone, however this does not appear to fix the dopamine problem for me. So I do not think that it is just that. Ultimately it doesn't matter as ocne I get rid of that bacteria it should remove whatever factor is causing both.

Interesting and frustrating problem you have there, Torsten. Have you had this issue your entire life, or is it something that has manifested itself over time?

Took me a long time to work out that aspect of it. And yes, your choice of the term 'frustrating' is very appropriate as frustration is one of the main symptoms of blocked dopamine.

I have not had this all my life. My immune problems and hence my inflammation and motivational problems started in 2001. A few years later I was diagnosed with IBS, which in 2008 i worked out was incorrect. I've been researching and testing ever since. There may well be other things wrong with me, but as fluoroquinolone antibiotics temporarily fix pretty much everything I think at least the majority of my problems are caused by bacterial problems in the gut. Working out how to fix them has been fascinating and rewarding. It's great knowing that what is wrong with me is at the cutting edge of science and there are new developments every week that bring me closer to a solution. My specialist is one of the most common names of published papers related to this topic, so I am in good hands.

Btw, the start of it was a bout of septecemia in late 2000 that required large doses of hardcore antibiotics [all courtesy of an incompetent dentist]. So I am pretty sure that my problem is not the sudden introduction of a nasty [like many people get after travelling overseas], but rather the death of a goodie.

If I can re-introduce the goodie I should be fine. Fecal transplant is one option, but I am still a few steps away from that. I am also not comfortable with the professional model used for this. It is based on the 'babies are born sterile' model and hence has a major flaw. transplanting baby poo into an unrelated person is russian roulette. A much better donor is your mother or a long term intimate partner. But the clinics don't allow this, which is why i am putting it off.

I have a few more probiotics and herbal treatments to try before i do the fecal transplant [my way].

the first step is to have both my biome and that of the donor sequenced. Then I do the transplant and a few days later do the sampling again, followed by another sampling a few months later. This should map out coarse changes in my biome and will indicate if the donor culture established. My donor is also very skinny, so if rodent experiments are anything to go by then it might also make me skinny, LOL.

[tripsis]

You will find most papers still state that we are born sterile. This is based on.... nothing. No experiment was ever done to establish this, yet it is still the basis of most current research papers. Problem is that about a year or two ago someone decided to test that hypothesis and it failed. babies that are stillborn turned out to have about 1/3rd of their biome before birth. The next third is added in the next few days during birth and via breast & breast milk.The last third is picked up over time from dirt, food, animals, etc

Fascinating, I did not know that. I'm curious how bacteria make their way into the gut of an unborn foetus.

Btw, the start of it was a bout of septecemia in late 2000 that required large doses of hardcore antibiotics [all courtesy of an incompetent dentist]. So I am pretty sure that my problem is not the sudden introduction of a nasty [like many people get after travelling overseas], but rather the death of a goodie.

That is more than a little concerning for me personally. A little over two months ago, a podiatrist messed up a simple wedge resection and as a result, I now have a bone infection. I was on oral antibiotics for two weeks before being put on IV antibiotics for 3 weeks. I've now been on double dose oral antibiotics for over a month, with close to another month to go before finishing the course. Suffice to say, my microbiome is taking an absolute hammering. I seriously hope this does not lead to any further complications.

If I can re-introduce the goodie I should be fine. Fecal transplant is one option, but I am still a few steps away from that. I am also not comfortable with the professional model used for this. It is based on the 'babies are born sterile' model and hence has a major flaw. transplanting baby poo into an unrelated person is russian roulette. A much better donor is your mother or a long term intimate partner. But the clinics don't allow this, which is why i am putting it off.

I have a few more probiotics and herbal treatments to try before i do the fecal transplant [my way].

I hope for your sake you don't have to go down the path of a faecal transplant.

[teonanacatl]

You might try Helminths Torsten.