Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Happy pill
Supplement for gut can help ease stress & improve wellbeing
A DAILY probiotic pill could be the key to a happy mind as well as a healthy gut. Food supplement Zenflore has gone on the market after breakthrough research found that bacterial culture bifidobacterium longum 1714 can increase activity that is linked to a boost in brain power and a sense of happiness. Probiotics containing live bacteria and yeasts are traditionally aimed at the gut but Zenflore is one of the first psychobiotics.
People taking the supplement reported being less stressed and anxious.
Zenflore has been developed by Cork-based company Precisionbiotics. Director Dr Eileen Murphy said: “People are interested in natural options to help cope with stress. The gut-brain axis is one of the most exciting areas of research. “We tested Zenflore in people with everyday stress and are very encouraged by the results. The gut has been called the second brain – there are multiple connections between the gut and the brain.
“The gut produces more than 90% of at around 4am. Police are keen to trace the movements of a dark-coloured Volkswagen Passat which travelled towards Cookstown.
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Details can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. serotonin – a neurotransmitter that can affect your feelings of happiness.”
GP Victoria Manning, 46, who began taking Zenflore after gallstone surgery, said: “I feel calmer. My sleep has also improved and I have more energy. “Treating the gut as a primary cause of health problems makes sense to me.”
NHS Direct advice says probiotics may help “in some cases but there’s little evidence to support many claims about them”. It adds: “If you want to try them, and have a healthy immune system, they shouldn’t cause any unpleasant side-effects.”