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Zidan S, Hilary S, Al Dhaheri AS, Cheikh Ismail L, Ali HI, Apostolopoulos V, Stojanovska L. Could psychobiotics and fermented foods improve mood in middle-aged and older women? Maturitas 2024; 181:107903. [PMID: 38157685 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Menopause is a natural physiological phase during which women experience dramatic hormonal fluctuations. These lead to many symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, which, in turn, can negatively affect quality of life. Proper nutrition has an influential role in alleviating depression as well as anxiety. It is well known that gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to the development of mood disorder. There is mounting evidence that modulating the gut-brain axis may aid in improving mood swings. In this context, this narrative review summarizes recent findings on how aging changes the composition of the gut microbiota and on the association between gut microbiota and mood disorders. In addition, it evaluates the effectiveness of psychobiotics and fermented foods in treating mood swings in middle-aged and older women. A search was done using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, and thirteen recent articles are included in this review. It is evident that psychobiotic supplementation and fermented foods can improve mood swings via several routes. However, these conclusions are based on only a few studies in middle-aged and older women. Therefore, long-term, well-designed randomized controlled trials are required to fully evaluate whether psychobiotics and fermented foods can be used to treat mood swings in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souzan Zidan
- Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Serene Hilary
- Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ayesha S Al Dhaheri
- Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Leila Cheikh Ismail
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Habiba I Ali
- Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Vasso Apostolopoulos
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia; Immunology Program, Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), St Albans, VIC 3021, Australia
| | - Lily Stojanovska
- Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia.
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