Evidence mapPaperPMID 40153103Full record

ReviewCurrent nutrition reports2025

The Role and Mechanisms of Probiotic Supplementation on Depressive Symptoms: A Narrative Review.

Pauline Dacaya, Katerina Sarapis, George Moschonis

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Current nutrition reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. TheFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Pauline DacayaDiscipline of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-0809-4477
Katerina SarapisDiscipline of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3397-8588
George MoschonisDiscipline of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia. g.moschonis@latrobe.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3009-6675

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewThe microbiota-gut-brain-axis (MGBA) plays a role in the aetiology of mental disorders. Depression, a leading cause of disability worldwide, may be improved by probiotics. The aim of this narrative review is to investigate and synthesize the current evidence linking probiotic food supplementation with depressive symptomology. RECENT

findingsThe gut and the brain communicate and interact via the MGBA through inflammation and the immune system, short chain fatty acid production, neuronal innervation and activation as well as endocrine and neurotransmitter modulation. Dysregulation of gut-brain pathways are caused by gut dysbiosis and implicated in the onset, persistence and exacerbation of depression related symptoms. Modulation of the gut microbiota via administration of probiotics has shown to reduce depressive symptom severity with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains being the most reported. Probiotics may produce greater benefits in mild depression rather than in chronic, treatment resistant depression. Probiotic supplementation is a promising and safe approach for the prevention of severe depressive disorders in high-risk individuals such as people with subthreshold depression. However, the mechanistic pathways of the MGBA require further investigation and additional human clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the role of probiotics on depression.

Indexed as

DepressionDietary SupplementsGastrointestinal MicrobiomeProbioticsBrainBrain-Gut AxisDysbiosisHumansAnxietyDepressionGut microbiotaMicrobiota-gut-brain axisProbiotics

Identifiers

PMID40153103
PMCPMC11953144

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.