My Quora Answer to:
Considering the possible link between gut microbiome and depression, what might be the future in treating depression? What steps can be taken now?
Right now, start ingesting a fermented food or drink every day. Consider yogurt, kombucha, real fermented sauerkraut, kimchi, and a little bit of miso or tofu. That is one of my prime Rules for Healthy Living.
In addition, I recommend a twice daily dose of probiotic capsules. Not tablets since they tend to dissolve before entering your intestines. They often contain fillers which can cause a leaky gut. Make sure the capsules don't contain harmful ingredients, also.
I now take a probiotic called Lactobacillus Reuteri. Strains of this bacterium have been found in the guts of many HEALTHY animals, including humans, cows, pigs, sheep, turkeys, and chickens. It is absent in animals that are not healthy. Fowl raised in factory farms live in over-crowded, filthy environments which lead to illnesses, stress, and even depression, an illness called “Poult Growth Depression” (PGD).
I am a physician not a pharmacist, so the next part of my answer is based on my research, not any experience developing drugs. What I do know is that the pharmaceutical industry makes a lot more money from patented products than from naturally occurring medications and supplements. A company did this with fish oil by changing the side chains of the two essential oils in a process called “Omega-3 acid ethyl esterflocation.” These companies do a lot of research which we don't appreciate. One other possibility is to isolate the chemicals produced by L.Reuteri which have psychoactive properties and sell these instead of a live bacterium.
This is a great question and I'm personally excited to see where this leads. Thanks.
Thank you so much, Dr Mangold. I really appreciate the informative, detailed answer. I too am excited about where all of this will lead. In the meantime, I plan to put your suggestions into practice.
You are very welcome. Thanks for that. Sometimes I put in a labor of love in my answers and get zero feedback, so it motivates me again when I get comments like yours.
