Could the bacteria in your gut hold new clues to treating depression in older adults?
A small clinical trial published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests that probiotics may offer additional support for older adults living with depression. ()
Can Gut Health Play a Role in Treating Depression Later in Life?
Researchers found that participants who took probiotic supplements alongside their regular treatment experienced slightly greater improvements in symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who received a placebo.
Still, the study also showed encouraging progress across both groups, with most participants reporting noticeable improvements in their mental well-being over time.
For the trial, 58 participants in India aged ≥60 years with moderate depression were randomized 1:1 to receive daily probiotics or a placebo for 12 weeks, alongside standard antidepressant care. They were followed up for another 12 weeks.
What’s Next for Probiotics in Depression Care? Larger Trials Planned
Based on validated psychological scores, biomarker (serum brain-derived neurotropic factor level), and fecal microbiota profiling, investigators found that probiotics helped improve patients’ symptoms but did not confer clear additional gains in quality of life compared with placebo.
The findings support probiotics as a safe, biologically plausible adjunct to standard care, but larger trials are needed.
“The results of our study are novel, and we are now planning a follow-up, larger-scale clinical trial due to the encouraging findings,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Saibal Das, MBBS, MD, DM, PhD, of the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections, Kolkata.
Advertisement
“My vision is to develop affordable healthcare solutions and make them available to the larger population for meaningful public health impact,” added co–corresponding author Abhinaba Ghosh, MBBS, MSc, PhD, a physician-neuroscientist from Tata Medical Center, Kolkata.
References:
- Efficacy of Adjunct PRObiotics in Moderate Unipolar Depression in Geriatric Patients: A Randomized Double-Blind Multicentric Trial (PRODG) – (https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.70530)
Source-Eurekalert
