Reference entry
Psychobiotic
Plain-English definitions of microbiome research vocabulary — the terms you'll see across articles, testing services, and probiotic claims.
Glossary context
Defined
in the site-wide microbiome glossary
Definition
A live organism (probiotic) that, when ingested in adequate amounts, produces a health benefit in patients suffering from psychiatric illness. A term coined by Dinan et al. in 2013.
Related terms
Gut-Brain Axis
The bidirectional communication system between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, involving neural, hormonal, and immune pathways. The microbiome plays a central role in this communication.
Probiotic
Live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Benefits are strain-specific, not species-wide.