Where the term comes from
The word was proposed in a 2013 paper by Timothy Dinan, Catherine Stanton and John Cryan in Biological Psychiatry, titled “Psychobiotics: a novel class of psychotropic.” The authors used it for live organisms that, when ingested in adequate amounts, might produce a health benefit in people with psychiatric illness. Since then some researchers have used the term more broadly, for example to include prebiotics and other approaches that influence gut microbes. Because definitions vary, check which meaning an article is using.
How it connects to the gut-brain axis
The gut and brain communicate through nerves such as the vagus nerve, hormones, immune signals and substances produced by gut microbes. Psychobiotic research asks whether changing gut microbes can influence any of these routes in a measurable way. Much of the early work was done in animals, and results in animals do not automatically apply to people. The gut-brain axis guide explains the bigger picture.
What the evidence can and cannot tell you
- Results are usually specific to one strain, amount, duration and group of people. A finding for one strain does not carry over to another.
- Many human studies are small or short, and results have been mixed.
- A change in a laboratory marker is not the same as people feeling different in daily life.
- In the US, dietary supplements may not claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, including mental health conditions.
How to read “psychobiotic” in marketing
- Which strain or ingredient is meant, and how much is in a serving?
- Was the study done in people, and with this product or only one ingredient?
- Who funded the research?
- Does the claim describe treating a condition? If so, that is a disease claim a supplement is not allowed to make.
Mental health comes first
If you are dealing with low mood, anxiety or other mental health concerns, talk to a qualified healthcare professional. In the US you can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. No probiotic or other supplement is a substitute for care.
A note about this site
GetGutBrain links to Amare products, including formulas that contain probiotics. This article does not present any Amare product as a psychobiotic or as a way to change mood or mental health.
Sources and further reading
- Dinan, Stanton & Cryan: “Psychobiotics: a novel class of psychotropic” (Biol Psychiatry, 2013)
- ISAPP consensus statement on the term “probiotic” (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2014)
- NCCIH: Probiotics: Usefulness and Safety
- Cleveland Clinic: The Gut-Brain Connection
Sources provide context and limitations; they do not turn a general education page into medical advice.
Quick answers
Are psychobiotics the same as probiotics?
Not exactly. The term was first used for certain probiotics studied for brain-related effects, and some researchers now use it more broadly. Not every probiotic is a psychobiotic, and “psychobiotic” is not an official regulatory category.
Can a probiotic treat anxiety or depression?
No supplement may claim to treat a mental health condition in the US, and research on specific strains is still developing. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional about mental health concerns.