Yogurt to Reduce Stress

Grantly

October 21, 2018

Overview:

How does nutrition affect learning? How can I focus longer? Why do I experience nausea before exams? What are probiotics? What foods contain probiotics? Where can I find probiotics? Can I find local probiotic rich foods? Why do probiotics matter for test prep?

When preparing for the SAT, ACT, or any other exam, considering the effect of nutrition on academic performance is critical.

Here at Granite Prep we are fascinated by what makes students into great test takers. When preparing for the SAT, ACT, or any other exam, considering the effect of nutrition on academic performance is critical. The connection between nutrition and academic performance is not a new one; however, thanks to cutting edge research the importance of brain food for students is more clear than ever before! Probiotics have recently become the focus of countless innovative research studies, as more scientists are asking: how does nutrition affect learning?

Probiotics and Anxiety:

A team of neuroscientists led by John F. Cryan at The College University of Cork in Ireland made breakthrough discoveries on the impacts of probiotics and mood. Cryan compared the performance of mice who received a diet rich in Lactobacillus to a group of mice who did not receive any probiotics. The mice were placed in mazes and their behavior and stress hormones were monitored. The mice who had a diet rich in probiotics were notably more curious, less anxious, and showed lower levels of the stress hormone corticosterone. Furthermore, the mice had a healthier distribution of the neurotransmitter “GABA” (the same neurotransmitter targeted by most fast-acting anti-anxiety medication). In Cryan’s own words: “These mice were more chilled out.“

The mice who had a diet rich in probiotics were notably more curious, less anxious, and showed lower levels of the stress hormone corticosterone.

As was discussed in “Getting Over Test Taking Anxiety“, a calm mind is a higher achieving mind. Therefore, the anxiety reducing properties of a probiotic rich diet could be extremely beneficial for students struggling with test taking anxiety.

Probiotics and Endurance:

One of of the main obstacles students face in the world of test taking is endurance. Maintaining peak mental focus for three hours or more is extremely difficult. Fortunately Dr. Cryan’s work on probiotics seems to share insight with us on endurance and probiotics as well! Just as a swimmer or track star might consider how probiotics boost athletic performance, so too can test takers consider the effect of nutrition on academic performance and test taking sharpness.

“The mice with a probiotic rich diet simply wouldn’t give up.”

The aforementioned University of Cork study addressed the resilience of it’s mice by seeing how long they were willing to swim in a forced swim test before “despair”. Mice who did not eat probiotics would swim for 4 minutes on average before giving up. The mice with a probiotic rich diet, however, simply wouldn’t give up, swimming well past the end of the 6 minute test.

Upset Stomach and Exams:

For many students an upcoming exam can cause days of frustrating and uncomfortable stomach issues. Many students report test anxiety as causing heartburn, nausea, or other G-I issues. It seems that probiotics might offer a solution to this issue as well!

One day before the students’ big exam, the “probiotic group” had notably less stress hormones (cortisol) in their system than the “no-probiotic group”.

A cutting-edge study published by the American Society for Microbiology, studied the effect of probiotics and medical student test anxiety. For 8-weeks, half of a medical class was given a probiotic supplement (Lactobacillus casei) and the other half (the control group) was not given any probiotics. One day before the students’ big exam, the “probiotic group” had notably less stress hormones (cortisol) in their system than the “no-probiotic group”. Furthermore, the probiotic group reported far less “stomach discomfort” before the exam. Therefore, if you are like the millions of other students who experience a “nervous stomach” before exams, probiotics might be a great solution to both reduce stress and settle your stomach.

Finding Probiotics:

Probiotics can be found in a wide array of foods. Olives, Pickles, Tempeh, Kombucha, Miso, KimChi, and Yogurt are all rich in probiotics (among countless other tasty snacks and drinks). Simply including a bit of these treats in your diet might lead you closer to all the helpful benefits described.

For our local Nashville readers who love yogurt, we suggest Franklin, TN based Noble Springs Dairy. Founded in 2009 by Dustin and Justine Noble, this hotspot of local agriculture is only 6 miles from downtown Franklin. Dustin tells us that some of his favorite ways to enjoy his farm’s amazing probiotic rich creation include: “with honey and granola for breakfast” or “in a smoothie”.

Dustin tells us that some of his favorite ways to enjoy his farm’s amazing probiotic rich creation include: “with honey and granola for breakfast” or “in a smoothie”.

The Noble’s yogurt is more than simply delicious, it is packed with all the healthy probiotics important for academic achievement. Our yogurt expert, Dustin was also kind enough to share with us the strikingly diverse strains of probiotics in his yogurt.

This delightfully creamy superfood contains a half dozen unique probiotic strains shown to boost immunes system health, reduce stress and promote a resilient mind, support healthy cholesterol levels and healthy weight, and even help your body naturally fight tumors.

It is quite possible that starting your morning with a bowl of Nobles Spring’s yogurt might just be the healthiest choice you can make. For y’all who can’t wait to include this delightful Tennessee treat into your diet, the Noble Spring’s Dairy yogurt can be found at area farmers markets, Whole Foods, Turnip Truck, and Produce Place.

Author

Grantly Neely is a certified mindfulness teacher and founder of Granite Prep a company dedicated to helping it’s students achieve their ambitions while building resilient minds.