Psychobiotic fermented foods for depression: Current evidence and future directions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31989/dsn.v5i4.1939Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) remains a leading cause of disability worldwide, constrained by incomplete response and side effects in conventional pharmacotherapy. Emerging evidence implicates the microbiota–gut–brain axis in mood regulation, positioning dietary psychobiotics as promising complementary interventions. This mini review synthesizes mechanistic pathways linking psychobiotic activity to neurobiological targets (HPA axis modulation, neurotransmitter synthesis, reduced neuroinflammation, and BDNF enhancement) and evaluates preclinical and clinical data on fermented foods in depressive disorders. Unlike isolated probiotic supplements, fermented foods provide diverse live microbial communities within protective matrices rich in prebiotics and bioactive metabolites, potentially enhancing viability, adherence, and clinical effect sizes.
Novelty: This review prioritizes traditional fermented foods over supplements as psychobiotic delivery systems, integrating nutritional psychiatry with food science frameworks, and aligning with functional food development models, thereby offering a conceptual bridge from ancient dietary practices to evidence-based depression management.
Keywords: Depression, Psychobiotics, Fermented Foods, Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis, Functional Foods, BDNF.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Isabella Baghdasaryan, Danik Martirosyan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Originality & Rights Assurance
By submitting, authors confirm the manuscript is original, not under consideration elsewhere, and does not infringe third-party rights. Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reuse any third-party material.
Copyright & License (CC BY 4.0)
Authors retain copyright and grant Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals the right of first publication under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, adaptation, and reproduction in any medium, including commercial use, provided the original author(s) and source are credited, and any changes are indicated.
Author Sharing/Self-Archiving
Authors may post, share, and redistribute the published article (PDF/HTML) anywhere (institutional repositories, websites, academic networks), with acknowledgment of the original publication in this journal and the DOI.
Correspondence & Post-Publication Dialogue
Correspondence regarding articles published in Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals.