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Probiotics and the Gut-Brain Connection

July 18, 2022


It’s amazing that there is still so much we are discovering about health, nutrition, and the human mind even today. One such area we are learning more about is the Gut-Brain Axis.

The gut-brain axis is simply your gut and brain communicating back and forth through the enteric nervous system. Because of this communication, the billions of microorganisms that inhabit the digestive tract, called the gut microbiota, can influence various normal mental processes and phenomena and is involved with mental and neurological health.

Recently, it has become well established that the gut microbiome influences development and physiology, playing a key role in the balance of health. Emerging evidence has also suggested a role of the gut microbiota in brain function and behavior as well as playing an integral part in regulating the enteric nervous system, endocrine system, and the immune system.

Over the last few centuries, the gut microbiota has experienced tremendous change from the modern transformations in diet, lifestyle, medical care, pesticides, processed foods, additives, and so on. Part of the struggle with maintaining a healthy gut arises when we don’t have a healthy diet and develop picky eating habits. So what can you do to help balance the gut in situations like these?

Probiotics, but not just any probiotics!

It's been shown that targeting specific species within the microbiota can support mental health. Certain probiotic strains have been shown to increase the levels of dopamine (supports focus), serotonin, and brain-derived neurotropic factor or BDNF (supports mood).

Our new products, MicroVita® Focus and MicroVita® Mood, include these helpful strains to support focus, mood, and overall healthy gut wellbeing. We partnered with Dr. Jennifer Kozek, the author of Healing Without Hurting in formulating the MicroVita® probiotics.

Jennifer Kozek is the author of Healing Without Hurting and a board-certified psychotherapist. She has a Masters of Science in Counseling, and is certified in integrative medicine for mental health and she have extensive experience in private practice.

MicroVita® Focus includes six probiotic strains that have been clinically shown to support focus, attention, and cognition. It contains PS128® (Lactobacillus plantarum), which has been clinically shown to support attention and reduce hyperactivity. Three studies of PS128 with autistic children and adolescents indicate it can improve neurological symptoms in some patients.

MicroVita® Mood has six probiotic strains that have been clinically shown to support mood, reduce stress, and diminish anxiety. It contains Lactobacillus helveticus (Rosell-52)*, which has been shown to decrease anxiety and depression. Another study showed that individuals that supplemented Rosell-52 showed significant improvement in sleep quality, mood score, and the ability to feel pleasure.

So if you're looking to support your gut and mental health, be sure to try our new MicroVita® probiotics—coming August 2022!

Learn More

References:

Mensi, et al. “Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 and other probiotics in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a real-world experience.” Nutrients 13.6 (2021): 2036.

Liu, YW, et al. “Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 on children with autism spectrum disorder in Taiwan: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.” Nutrients, 11.4 (2019): 820.

Kong, X. et al. “Probiotic and Oxytocin Combination Therapy in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial.” Nutrients, (2021) Vol. 13,5 1552.

Messaoudi, et al “Beneficial psychological effects of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in healthy human volunteers,” Gut Microbes, (2011) 2:4, 256-261

Kazemi, A., et al. “Effect of probiotic and prebiotic vs placebo on psychological outcomes in patients with major depressive disorder: A randomized clinical trial.” Clinical Nutrition, 38.2 (2019): 522-528.

Wallace C. et al., Findings presented at 13th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry. (2017), Poster P-05-015.

*(reclassified from Lactobacillus acidophilus)

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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Real Reviews from Real Customers

25 Reviews

Alissa

We are so pleased with this product! It has really helped my son!
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Tammy

I am so thankful for this product. We were using Vayarin and then they stopped shipping to the US. This product works the same as the other one. We are so thankful because it has been life changing for our son.
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Oliva

My husband and I see an improvement in our son’s ability to focus. We definitely want to continue Mark on his Accentrate110, and our confidence in Fenix is very high. We feel like you really care about us, our son, and your service.
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Jill

I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful my family is for Accentrate. My 8yo stopped taking it for 6 weeks and went from homework taking 15 minutes to taking 3 hours. 4 days back on it and he was back to normal. Ty for an amazing product that is keeping my guy balanced, and focused in school and at home!
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Mariano

I just wanted to thank you and your company for your commitment with your patients. Fourth months ago I wasn't able to receive your product directly in Puerto Rico and today I can. This is how your company differentiate from others, hearing the voice of your customer.
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Helen

We were Vayarin users until they stopped making it. We tried a few products that were supposed to be comparable, and they did not work for us. Then we found Accentrate. Vayarin worked perfectly for her, and so does Accentrate. We are very thankful for this product and customer service went beyond our expectations. Thank you!
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Pelac

Hello ,we used to use Vayarin for more than a year, than stopped produced it. This is our third mounth we use Accentrate. It’s even better than Vayarin! My son is 6 years old, the attention is now better. He speaks better too.
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Tammie

We are starting month 3 and we have seen lots of positive changes with emotional balance...she is easier to compromise with and a lot quicker to calm self. She has been helping around the house and helping with younger brother (hw with 6 yr old)…looking forward to many more positives…thank you.
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April

My 8 year old has struggles with focus. Sometimes he has a hard time following conversations and multi step instructions. He started Accentrate more than 2 months ago. His only comment was about the fishy burps! But now he takes them with a small snack and that isn’t a problem anymore. The main difference that we have seen is that he is having an easier time winding down at bedtime. He was having regular meltdowns but they seem to be fewer and farther between. I’m looking forward to seeing if there are any differences once school starts back up since we started at he very end of last school year.
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Lori

It has truly made a difference in our son’s life! We are so thankful to have it!
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Stephanie

We are nearing the end of our first 45 days of Accentrate for our two boys, and we are pleased to say that we did not skip a beat as we took our last Vayarin one day and we had the Accentrate ready for the next morning. It has been such a seamless transition-our boys (ages 10 and 11) have been able to remain focused and calm. My kids even enjoy taking Accentrate so much more than Vayarin. They would fight us every morning when they took Vayarin saying it “tasted fishy”. Accentrate has NO taste, it is only one pill versus the two pills of Vayarin, and it slides down so easily. The kids just think of it as an extra multi-vitamin because it is filled with so many extra nutrients. They actually take Accentrate willingly!
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Kassie J

I used to ask my son how he was feeling and he’d say, “it’s hard to explain mom, cause I don’t really know how I feel.” We use to call it being zombified. He has now been taking Accentrate for 3 months and the difference in the way he feels, acts, eats is something I prayed for every single day. Accentrate gives my child the vitamins that his brain and body needs. I am amazed at the improvement of his overall health and I have Accentrate to thank. Thank you, you’ve given my son his “life” back! I strongly recommend Accentrate to any parent.
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Vincent

I just wanted thank you guys for such an awesome product. We’ve been giving my son Accentrate for a little over a month and a half and we are really starting to see a big change in my son. Before, he could not focus at school, he used to get easily annoyed and bored. Also, he could not deal with transitions, fidgeting, and making noises and whining. He always wanted to do good in school, but physically and mentally he was having a difficult time. The school he goes to color codes a kid’s day by his behavior. Red is bad, yellow is ok, green is a good day, and purple is an awesome day. Everyday he would get either a yellow or red, with a green intermittently, forget about him bringing home a purple. Fast forward to now, and he brings home at least one purple during the week, and almost green everyday. He’s only had maybe 3 or 4 yellows since he has been on it. This week he has earned student of the week, the first time ever in his life. I used to stress out everyday because I knew when I picked up my son, I would have to hear how he had a terrible day. Well not anymore. Accentrate has helped my son and I, tremendously. I hope my story can help other parents. I started to research different alternatives and noticed some good reviews on Accentrate, that’s when I gave it a try. I can only imagine it will get even better with time. You definitely have a returning customer! Again, I couldn’t thank you guys enough.
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Melissa

My daughter just started Accentrate a week ago, she is 13, about 105 pounds, 5 feet. I have been having her take one in the morning and at night more to get it built up into her system. I must say that I can definitely tell that all of her spark plugs are beginning to fire. I’m so glad to find something that works for her.
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Mandy

We are on month 4 of Accentrate and my 11 year old girl seems so much better!
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M Tucker

We first tried Vayarin for three or so months. We didn’t notice any improvements. Then we found Accentrate, which has the phospholipid omega-3s that Vayarin has, but also has many other vitamins, minerals, and cofactors, and it was cheaper so we thought we’d give it a try. He’s been on it for more than six months. At his parent teacher conference and his report card, his teachers have said his attention and focus is improved. He’s still energetic at home and when we go out. But he can sit and read. He can sit in class and pay attention.
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Linda W

My son has been steadily improving with his behavior after 3 months on Accentrate. He has had far less episodes at home and at school. He went from failing in all subjects except gym and art, to passing all but one subject, which is reading.
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Kendra O.

I’ve spent at least a couple hundred dollars on different vitamins but they either tasted gross, too chewy or just couldn’t stomach them. I was introduced to Accentrate recently and thought we’d give it a try with our kids. They’ve been on it pretty regularly since summer and they say it helps them. I think it’s a solid product just by doing my own research on what vitamins are beneficial for children struggling with focus. This is the only vitamin that I have found that combines everything I was looking for. My kids range in age from 8-12.
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Jen P

My son has been taking Accentrate for the last four months. We’ve noticed improvement! The first benefits we noticed were calming in his behavior. He had fewer mood outbursts. He still did, but to a noticeably lessor extent. We have found recently, that we do not have to hassle him to sit and do his homework or reading either.
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Corrie

I actually purchased the 3-month supply for both me and my son, so we’re almost through the whole package. Hence, the additional order placed this week. I wanted us both to try it first for a month or so to determine if it’s something we’d like to keep taking. I have noticed some improvements in both of us – specifically in our ability to remember things. That’s been a big issue for both of us – something I’ve often referred to as being “scatter-brained.” I’ve noticed more changes in my son, so I think it’s impacting him more quickly than me, but I’ve seen enough to want to continue. As for the product itself, we love the packaging with the dates - it can be difficult to remember if we’ve taken medicine from day to day, so have a package that helps us manage that is so helpful!
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Cherie M

My son has been on Accentrate since June 2018. He is doing very well. The first thing we noticed was that he had significantly calmed down after a week of taking Accentrate. We didn’t notice improvements in focus or attention until later in September, but this might also be because he wasn’t in school in June or July. We’ve continually reordered because we feel it helps. It’s nice to take one pill instead of multiple supplements.
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Cherie M

The first thing we noticed was that he had significantly calmed down after a week of taking Accentrate. We’ve continually reordered because we feel it helps. It’s nice to take one pill instead of multiple supplements.
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Twinkie Mom

Accentrate has been very successful for our family. We started our son on it roughly 2 months ago and have noticed an improvement in his behaviour and his focus. Conversations with him are more enjoyable and he seems to be able to keep himself settled a bit more. We like that this product is healthy and that it feeds the brain everything it needs. For this reason, we’ve decided to put our other child on this supplement as well. A few weeks in, we coupled Accentrate with a gluten free and dairy free diet and noticed even greater improvements.
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Nikki

My son just finished up the three-month supply we bought and we are re-ordering. While this didn’t help him focus and concentrate like the medication did, there was enough improvement that I’d rather him be on a natural product than on an addictive substance with side effects. His teachers say that he is manageable and are supportive of our decision.
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Rebecca

We saw that fish oils, magnesium, multi-vitamins might help. And they did. But it was always hard having her take three different pills. This product is great because it’s one small pill with all these nutrients that we were already comfortable with. She didn’t like the fish oil pill, and said it was very fishy. This doesn’t taste fishy to her at all. The tracking component of the packaging is just brilliant. It’s helped us more than once notice we missed a day.
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