We know that certain strains of two of the best-studied families of beneficial gut bacteria, the lactobacilli and the bifidobacteria, have the synthetic machinery to produce GABA. Since different strains of bacteria from these two families are active ingredients in most commercially available probiotics, and both groups also tend to be abundant in fermented food products, is it possible that adding an extra supply of these microbes to our diet makes us more relaxed? Could a regimen as simple as eating fermented foods and taking probiotics help anxiety-prone individuals reduce their anxiety
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