Probiotics have been the craze for years. Just go to the nearest heath-food shop, and you will find shelves stacked with probiotic supplements categorised by their supposed functionalities – for immunity, pregnancy, mental health, weight loss… My mother, living thousands of miles away, has asked me to bring 15 bottles of probiotics with me on my next visit. Even my boyfriend religiously takes a capsule from his carefully curated pill organiser every night before sleep.
Me? I was never interested. Don’t get me wrong – I am well aware of the many health benefits probiotics offer. But shoving a tasteless pill down my throat each day just isn’t for me, and even when I tried, I failed to keep the habit going.
I have struggled with generalised anxiety since my teenage years. To relieve my symptoms, I’ve tried antidepressants, CBD, hot baths, chamomile tea, journalling… Nothing did the trick. Now fresh out of uni and jobless, my stress level is at an all-time high. I was willing to try anything, and that’s when I caught wind of the psychobiotic diet.
Coined by researchers from University College Cork in 2013, the psychobiotic diet aims to improve brain function and reduce stress by maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Packed with natural probiotics and prebiotics, it is similar to a Mediterranean diet and low in sugar. The staples are fibre-rich veggies, fruits, grains, legumes, olive oil, seafood, and most importantly, ferments such as cheese and sauerkraut.
So, how does it work exactly? According to Dr Chris Mohr, a registered dietitian, our gut microbes can communicate with our brain through many pathways, including the immune system and specific metabolic routes.
“These microbes are important for producing serotonin and dopamine, which help with managing mood and anxiety. Therefore, maintaining a healthy microbiome can lead to an increase in these neurotransmitters and potentially improve mental wellness,” he explains. I’m intrigued.
I decide to give the diet a go, just to see how it makes me feel. Even if it doesn’t work, I will get a rare break from my usual routine of Iceland pizzas and frozen food.
I didn’t expect I would stumble on my first step – doing the grocery shopping. It’s a hell of a lot of food to buy. Choosing the veggies and fruits is a no-brainer task, though. I then take four cans of black beans and chickpeas from the cupboard. Soon, my cart is filled.
The challenge comes when I try to pick the ferments. I’m a lover of sour foods, so sauerkraut is already in my diet. But to my surprise, when I check the label on my usual jar, I discover it’s pasteurised. The same goes with cottage cheese, the viral high-protein hero all over social media. Unlike yoghurt, not all cottage cheese brands contain live bacteria, and in the UK, manufacturers aren’t required to list that on the label.
In the end, I trek through three other shops just to hunt down a jar of unpasteurised sauerkraut and packs of Polish cottage cheese (twaróg), proudly labelled with containing “lactic acid bacteria cultures”. No wonder why Britons are so into supplements – finding the real stuff isn’t easy.
Turns out, buying natural probiotic foods makes financial sense, too. As I do more research at home, I’m shocked to see how much I’ve saved with my £30 purchase. A millilitre of kefir alone contains 10 billion CFU; this translates to 10 trillion CFU per one-litre bottle and costs only £1.95. In comparison, a “potent” probiotic capsule offers the same 10 billion CFU per dose, but a jar of 60 capsules only adds up to 600 billion CFU and costs around £16. It’s obvious where the better value lies.
I checked my receipts and it was £28.25 for the whole week (at Lidl and Morrisons). Typically, I spend around £35 on processed meats, frozen food and ready meals from the same shops, so this diet is actually more affordable.
I make my first psychobiotic meal following a salad recipe recommended by Dr Mohr: Cottage cheese mixed with black beans, cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then seasoned with salt and pepper. I also add a few slices of rosemary flatbreads for the crunch. The finished dish looks far more appetising than my usual sad girl breakfast of a plain ham and cheese sandwich. With the tangy cottage cheese, the salad is anything but bland. I demolish the entire bowl.
I begin to notice the anti-anxiety effect on my third day – not from the microbes settling in my gut per se, but from my improved bowel movement. Like many, I drink my morning coffee more for its laxative effect than for the jab of energy. This often leaves me feeling jittery and irritable, which only worsens my anxiety. Now, thanks to all the fibre from legumes and vegetables, I feel the urge to go to the loo as soon as I wake up and finish in five minutes. The constipation is gone, along with the stress it used to bring.
There are moments of temptation. Saturday is our takeaway night, and I usually share a big plate of kebab with my boyfriend. On this new diet, though, greasy fries and lamb shawarma are definitely off the table. We switch to a Mediterranean place and opt for grilled halloumi, Greek salad, pitta bread and hummus. It is still delicious, but without that weekly hedonistic dose of junk food, something feels missing.
Another challenge is that the diet is largely pescatarian. Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve gut health by reducing inflammation and supporting the growth of good bacteria. However, as fresh fish is far beyond my budget, I spend the week relying mostly on cheese for protein, along with two tins of funny-tasting pink salmon. For an omnivore like me, it quickly becomes monotonous.
Dr Manpreet Dhuffar-Pottiwal, a chartered psychologist, advises me to be patient.
“When starting a psychobiotic diet, it is important to understand that changes in mental health will not be noticeable overnight. Data from a randomised control trial indicates that the significant reductions in stress levels happen across a four-week period,” she says.
Even though one week is too short for a full gut microbiome revolution, I can already feel the diet’s calming effects through the changes in my habits. The satisfaction comes not just from the food itself, but also from the process of preparing each meal. In the week, I’ve tripled the amount of time spent in the kitchen than usual. Each evening, I browse recipe websites, brainstorming for the next day’s meal plan. This offers me a much-needed mental escape from my worries about the future and helps me stay grounded in the present.
Now, in my fourth week on the diet, I can definitely feel an improvement in my anxiety. I sleep better and wake up less frequently during the night, which aligns with research findings. My digestion has stayed stable, which is important for me as my IBS usually worsens when I’m feeling anxious. I’ve also noticed fewer negative thoughts during stressful moments, though it’s hard to say whether it could be a placebo effect. But with cottage cheese and kefir becoming the rising stars in my fridge, I’m committed to sticking with it.
