ReviewNutrients2020
Psychobiotics: Mechanisms of Action, Evaluation Methods and Effectiveness in Applications with Food Products.
Review in Nutrients, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 81 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
81 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 161 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effects ofFrontiers in nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Probiotics as technological innovations in psychiatric disorders: patents and research reviews.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Psychobiotics in the Treatment of Psychiatric and Cognitive Disorders: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials.Nutrients · 2024Pooled it
- The current state of research for psychobiotics use in the management of psychiatric disorders-A systematic literature review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- Examining the Influence of the Human Gut Microbiota on Cognition and Stress: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- Heat-TreatedNutrients · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Probiotics and Plant Extracts in the Gut-Brain Axis: Mechanisms, Interactions, and Clinical Perspectives.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Review
- Mechanism-First Psychobiotics: Fermented Vegetables, Dairy, and Soy for Depression and Anxiety.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Seasonal Affective Disorder and the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: Circadian Disruption, Tryptophan Metabolism, and Psychobiotic Potential ofNutrients · 2026Review
- Interplay between gut health, immunity, and bone development in broilers: role of feed additives.Poultry science · 2026Review
- Unraveling the gut microbiota-brain axis: Mechanisms, pathophysiology, and therapeutic opportunities.iScience · 2026Review
- The Gut-Brain-Immune Axis: Multi-Omics Insights into Neurodegenerative and Metabolic Diseases.Cells · 2026Review
- Article
- The Science behind Probiotics: Exploring their Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Review
- Psychobiotics and the microbiota-gut-brain axis: Emerging paradigms in mental health modulation.Experimental physiology · 2026Review
- Genesis, Health Benefits, and Future Perspectives of Probiotics: Exploring Endogenous and Exogenous Classes, Innovations, and Research Gaps.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Review
- Psychobiotics and Mental Health in 2024 Among Romanian Consumers: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Psychobiotics in Mental Health - Between Hope, Evidence, and the Need for Precision.Alpha psychiatry · 2026Article
- Gut-brain axis in health and brain disease.Chinese medical journal · 2026Review
21 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The gut-brain-microbiota axis consists of a bilateral communication system that enables gut microbes to interact with the brain, and the latter with the gut. Gut bacteria influence behavior, and both depression and anxiety symptoms are directly associated with alterations in the microbiota. Psychobiotics are defined as probiotics that confer mental health benefits to the host when ingested in a particular quantity through interaction with commensal gut bacteria. The action mechanisms by which bacteria exert their psychobiotic potential has not been completely elucidated. However, it has been found that these bacteria provide their benefits mostly through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the immune response and inflammation, and through the production of neurohormones and neurotransmitters. This review aims to explore the different approaches to evaluate the psychobiotic potential of several bacterial strains and fermented products. The reviewed literature suggests that the consumption of psychobiotics could be considered as a viable option to both look after and restore mental health, without undesired secondary effects, and presenting a lower risk of allergies and less dependence compared to psychotropic drugs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.