This is really interesting....thank you for posting this.
I actually had food allergy testing done two years ago and I was given the advice to take probiotics as well as fermented foods such as pickles in brine, kimchi, and goat's milk. It turns out I am very much allergic to eggs and somewhat allergic to dairy products, gluten, grains, and red meat. I wonder if I'm allergic to the dairy and red meat because of the myriad of hormones and antibiotics found in them. If it weren't for these, would I still be so allergic?
I was told that the only dairy I should consume is goat's milk.
I started taking probiotics and eating fermented foods and cut down my dairy intake. For some reason, I have been unable to give up gluten, wheat, etc. I don't think I noticed a huge difference, but maybe this is because i did not do everything like give up the gluten and I was consuming dairy once in a while.

It's something to consider...I was told to take probiotics as well because I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis last July. I've never had a good gut. I drank some goats milk kefir this morning so we'll see how it goes.

It makes total sense that your physical problems could effect psychological problems as well.

Yes, I agree. I was diagnosed with IBS. I hear it is often found in people with anxiety. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could cure ourselves completely with our diets?!

oh, it would be wonderful :) let's hope this stuff helps! at the very least I'll know that it's helping my digestive system.

i've had anxiety for many years and, in retrospect, I've had digestive problems for just as long...coincidence?

This is definitely interesting, and I read a similar article a few months back. I've had GI issues for years (probably due to my eating disorder) and my dietitian recommended I take high-dose probiotic supplements (20-50 CFU). I was taking them regularly for about a month and then just stopped for no real reason, but am going to start back up again after reading this article.

It is a coincidence that most people I know who have anxiety also have GI issues (IBS, etc) and vice versa. I wonder which leads to the other. Either way, it's certainly evidence of a definite mind-body connection.

Thanks for sharing this interesting article. If anyone tries adding probiotics, keep us updated on if/how they work out for you! And I will do the same!

So are you going to take the supplements again, or will you try foods like I am?

I plan on taking supplements. I'm not sure I could get enough from foods alone, although I think it's always ideal to get nutrients from natural foods rather than supplements.

I do drink store bought kefir and eat tons of yogurt, but the kefir is so expensive, so I buy it only occasionally. I haven't experimented with making my own. What other kinds of fermented foods do you eat ?

HEads up on the probiotics discussion. Please do not take any probiotic with the streptococcous strain in it. Many people with OCD are very sensitive to strep and this strain in a probiotic can also cause the OCD to get much worse. There are strains that combat yeast and food allergies. Please read up on as much as you can prior to just reaching for any probiotic. Hope this helps!!

Thanks for the heads-up! Will this strain be listed on the packaging if it's included?

I'm currently drinking Redwood Hill Farm goats milk kefir....here's the info I found on it:

Probiotics literally means life giving, and our goat yogurt and kefir contain live and active cultures, also referred to as friendly bacteria. For more information visit www.probiotics.org, a website devoted to probiotic research.

Flourish is our proprietary blend of 10 different live and active probiotic strains. We selected each strain for its unique and complementary role for flavor development and synergy. They are: L. Acidophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Casei, L. Rhamnosus, L. Lactis, L. Diacetylactis, S. Thermophilus, L. Cremoris, Leuconostoc, and B. Bifidum. Together, this signature blend of 10 probiotic cultures is responsible for the terrific, signature tang of the products theyve cultured and their smooth, creamy textures.

When testing our products for probiotic amounts, we use new product as well as product at the end of its shelf life. We then average these numbers because batches and probiotic counts can vary.

Kefir 10 different probiotics = 589.68 billion probiotics per 8oz. serving (average)

Very interesting, I agree that lack of good bacteria could cause problems, especially in the era of antibiotics in meat and poultry.

But the poor mice!

Yeah, the mice being tested and going through all that is a definite downside to this whole thing...

I used to eat yogurt with added cultures but, when I looked at which cultures had been added, I found that the strep strain had been added. Surprise! I've been drinking the goats milk with kefir by Redwood Hill Farms for the past week and, I don't know if it is the probiotics or not...but I have been feeling better...