And, if appropriate for the patient, full doses of modern antidepressants, including SSRIs, can ease anxiety and depression and stabilize mood. These drugs by themselves provide significant benefit in about 30 percent of patients, but the success rate is much higher when combined with other, nonpharmacological treatments. Based on our new scientific insights into the role of gut microbiota in the altered brain-gut interactions, I also told Jennifer to increase her intake of probiotics. Beneficial microbes such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria delivered via fermented foods, yogurts, or in
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