Taiwan researcher finds lactic acid bacteria fights depression

Want China Times, 2014-04-26

A young woman drinks probiotic yogurt.
(File photo/Li Sheng-wen)

Consuming lactic acid bacteria may help fight depression and increase the production of chemicals that control emotions, according to a researcher at National Yang Ming University on Friday.

Tsai Ying-chieh, director of the university's Probiotics Research Center and chairperson of the Taiwan Association for Lactic Acid Bacteria, stated that a strain called PS128 helped improve negative emotions in mice during laboratory tests.

The finding is the result of three years of experiments funded by the economics ministry. Tsai subjected mice with depression to forced swimming, maze running and open field movement to monitor changes in neural transmitters such as dopamine and serotonin as well as the stress hormone cortisol.

Dopamine levels more than tripled in depressed mice fed PS128 for two weeks and doubled in regular mice, indicating higher levels of happiness and excitement in both groups, Tsai said.

Serotonin, which eases agitation, fatigue and chronic pain, increased 20% in mice with depression and doubled in mice without, he said.

Cortisol returned to normal levels as well after the two-week treatment, he said.

Tsai said he has applied for patents in Taiwan and the United States in preparation for commercial production.