Most people don’t realize that their gut is in a constant conversation with their brain. The gut-brain connection is a complex and bidirectional pathway that links the enteric nervous system (aka your gut or your “second brain”) to the central nervous system (aka your brain). This connection is facilitated by neuronal, endocrine, humoral, anatomical, metabolic and immune pathways. This connection is crucial because it can influence many aspects of health, including your mood and emotional well-being.

Dr Reagan Major, DO

Psychiatrist

Your gut-brain connection is involved in hunger, food cravings, regular bowel movements, digestion, metabolism, mood, stress, and pain. Scientific literature has established that alterations in the gut-brain axis have been linked to various digestive, psychiatric, and neurological disorders. Changes and fluctuations of your microbiome are directly linked to your mood and well-being.

Dr Reagan Major, DO

Psychiatrist

The specific probiotics strains we use in this formula have been clinically-studied for mood support. They work to help balance and uplift your mood while also supporting a healthy stress response.

2 targeted probiotics for mood: The strain Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LPC-37 and Latiplantibacillus Plantarum DR7 were selected specifically for this formulation because they help improve mood. Research has shown that these strains demonstrated efficacy in reducing perceived psychological and physiological stress in healthy adults.

B vitamins: B Vitamins (Folate and B12) work to provide the energy your body needs by supporting the conversion of food into cellular energy. We use methylated forms of both Vitamin B12 and Folate, which can be more easily utilized by your body compared to other forms. Together, they can help support your daily energy levels.

Sensoril® Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that has been used for thousands of years due to its stress-supporting properties. We use Sensoril® Ashwagandha Extract, which contains a unique spectrum of bioactive compounds. It has been clinically-studied to help support emotional well-being and encourage a healthy stress response. 

Dr Reagan Major, DO

Psychiatrist

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication network that extends to include endocrine, humoral, metabolic, and immune routes of communication. The link between the gut and the brain allows the brain to influence intestinal activities and the gut to influence mood, cognition, and mental health. The trillions of bacteria that live in your digestive system, communicate with your brain to influence the production of some neurotransmitters, including GABA, serotonin, melatonin, histamine and acetylcholine. These neurotransmitters are directly linked to mood and emotional resilience. This gut-brain connection means your gut health can have an impact on your mood, stress response , and emotional wellbeing.

Dr Reagan Major, DO

Psychiatrist

Want to maximize your probiotic’s effectiveness? Take it on an empty stomach! Physician’s Choice probiotics are specially formulated with an acid-resistant capsule to ensure that the strains make it to the gut where they can do their job.

Angela Pifer, FMN, LN, CN

Functional Medicine Nutritionist

It will depend a bit on the person and what is going on for them, bowel health-wise. If you experience occasional constipation or loose bowels, odds are high that they will start to regulate and be more normally consistent.

If you have some bad bacteria in your gut, you may have a bit of a 'die-off' reaction as you introduce a lot of good bacteria in. This may present as some bloating, gas, and irregularity with your bowels. But within a couple weeks, this should very likely subside. And then, you should just be feeling better overall.

Digestion should be a process that largely goes unnoticed. What I mean by that is that you shouldn't really feel much of anything 'happening'--it should work like clockwork without a lot of intervention or effort.

Some people will notice an improvement in mental clarity and overall mood.

Dr. Eric Wood, ND

Naturopathic Doctor

Yes, you can combine probiotics. There are many different strains of probiotics so it may be necessary to take one for digestive health and one for vaginal health for example. It may be a good idea to start with one type for a few days before adding any additional strains of probiotics so that you will be able to better assess how you feel with the additional probiotics.

Dr. Mona Fahoum, ND

Naturopathic Doctor