A new study,  published in Translational Psychiatry, finds that probiotics may be a helpful supplemental treatment for people suffering from depression. The current study adds to the body of evidence demonstrating a link between gut health and mental health.

All participants of the study were divided into two groups, one of which received probiotics over 4 weeks while the other received a placebo. Having analyzed the collected data, the scientists concluded that those individuals who received the probiotic had a higher level of reduction in their depressive symptoms.

Study author Dr. André Schmidt, a neuroscientist, says: “A 4-week intervention period further facilitated clinical decision-making, i.e., to decide whether the combination of antidepressants [and] probiotics worked or not. The amelioration of depressive symptoms went along with [an] increased abundance of Lactobacillus.”